Denison Township has 12 miles of mapped trails, 0.2 for every square mile of land
21% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 27 acres are parks and preserves, 17 per 1,000 residents. 2% of Denison Township’s land is conserved, about 831 acres.
Ahead of 35% of U.S. towns. What drives it
How much outdoors does Denison Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Denison Township is ahead of 35% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
831 conserved acres
2% of Denison Township’s land. Who manages Denison Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 60 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embarras River Bottoms State Habitat Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 506 | Open |
| Wabash River - Mount Carmel Private Conservation | Private owners | 265 | Restricted |
2 places to go in Denison Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
The walking year in Denison Township
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 44 | 55 | 67 | 76 | 85 | 88 | 86 | 81 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 5.2 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Denison Township →
Denison Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denison Township | 2% | 0.2 | 17 | 21% | C+ |
| Lawrence Township | 11% | 0.3 | 34 | 51% | B+ |
| Lukin Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Allison Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Denison Township
How much of Denison Township is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 4% for an Illinois town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Is there public land near Denison Township?
1,814 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Denison Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 27 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Denison Township have?
Ahead of 35% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Denison Township neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →