East Alton has 56 acres of parks, 9.8 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Van Preter Park (0.5 mi). 82% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2% of East Alton’s land is conserved, about 52 acres.
Ahead of 43% of U.S. towns · #558 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is East Alton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does East Alton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, East Alton is ahead of 43% of U.S. towns, #558 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land 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.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Van Preter Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
52 conserved acres
2% of East Alton’s land. Who manages East Alton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kutter Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Van Preter Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| East Alton Recreation Center Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 5 | Open |
11 places to go in East Alton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
11 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 lakes & rivers
2.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
The walking year in East Alton
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 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 44 | 55 | 67 | 76 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 80 | 68 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.6 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 5.0 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in East Alton →
East Alton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Alton | 2% | 0.2 | 10 | 82% | C+ |
| Alton | 6% | 0.5 | 20 | 59% | B+ |
| Alton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wood River Township | 3% | 0.3 | 19 | 86% | B |
| Rosewood Heights | 2% | under 0.1 | 6 | 53% | C− |
| Wood River | 4% | 0.1 | 16 | 92% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in East Alton
Where can I hike in East Alton?
The longest trail networks: Van Preter Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of East Alton 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.
Are dogs allowed on East Alton’s trails?
Van Preter Park and Kutter Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in East Alton?
2.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near East Alton?
10,021 acres of parks and open public land lie inside East Alton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 56 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does East Alton have?
Ahead of 43% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #558 of 768 in Illinois. 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 East Alton 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 →