Berens Park
Managed by Elmhurst Park District
63 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Elmhurst
6% of Elmhurst’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Berens Park (2 mi), Wilder Park (1.2 mi), Butterfield Park (0.9 mi). 7.0 miles of mapped trail cross Elmhurst, 0.7 per square mile of land. 6% of Elmhurst’s land is conserved, about 393 acres.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #237 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
393 acres · of 10.2 sq mi of land
Trails
7.0 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
430 ac
9.4 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.6 mi
4.5 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Elmhurst?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Elmhurst have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Elmhurst is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #237 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Elmhurst’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land9.4 acres of park per 1,000 residents (430 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 77%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 69%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Berens Park, with 2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wilder Park
Managed by Elmhurst Park District
22 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Conrad Fisher Park
Managed by Elmhurst Park District
11 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 24 parks & preserves
Berens Park63 acres · 2 mi of trail · Elmhurst Park District
DirectionsWilder Park22 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Elmhurst Park District
DirectionsButterfield Park24 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCrestview Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsConrad Fisher Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Elmhurst Park District
DirectionsGlos Memorial Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsEldridge Park44 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Elmhurst Park District
DirectionsLarry Cottage Hill Banquet Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWild Meadows Trace42 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEast End Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsYork Commons13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMarjorie Davis Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Elmhurst Park District
College Mall2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSalt Creek Greenway Forest Preserve25 acres · Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
DirectionsPlunkett Park18 acres
DirectionsSalt Creek Park8 acres
DirectionsGolden Meadows Park6 acres
Pioneer Park4 acres
DirectionsWashington Park3 acres
DirectionsCentennial Park3 acres · Elmhurst Park District
DirectionsVan Voorst Park3 acres
DirectionsBen Allison Park2 acres
Kiwanis Park1 acres
Crescent Park1 acres
Who protects it
393 conserved acres
6% of Elmhurst’s land. Who manages Elmhurst’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency355 ac
Town or city35 ac
Private owners3 ac
Local Park · 279 acLocal Conservation Area · 84 acState Recreation Area · 22 acUnknown · 3 acPrivate Park · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 32 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berens Park Local Park | Regional agency | 65 | Open |
| Eldridge Park Local Park | Regional agency | 47 | Open |
| Maple Trail Woods Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 40 | Open |
| Wild Meadows Park Local Park | Regional agency | 31 | Open |
| Butterfield Park, Butterfield Park Recreation Building State Recreation Area | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Elmhurst Salt Creek County Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 19 | Open |
| Wilder Park Local Park | Regional agency | 16 | Open |
| East End Park Local Park | Regional agency | 16 | Open |
| Plunket Park Local Park | Regional agency | 15 | Open |
| Cricket Creek Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 13 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Elmhurst
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Elmhurst
East End PoolIn East End Park
DirectionsNorman P. Smalley PoolIn York Commons
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Elmhurst
Butterfield Park Inclusive PlaygroundIn Butterfield Park
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlace
DirectionsSafety TownIn Wild Meadows Trace
DirectionsPlus 27 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Elmhurst
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.6 mi
Salt Creek Greenway Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.5 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
36Baseball
31Tennis
18Soccer
13Basketball
4Tracks
3Football
3Pickleball
3Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
HauptgebaudeBuilding · listed 1976
About itFrank B. Henderson HouseBuilding · listed 2002
About itJohn L. Pentecost HouseBuilding · listed 2003
About itRobinwoodBuilding · listed 2004
About itEmery, Jr., William H., HouseBuilding · listed 2004
About itWilliam and Jennette Sloane HouseBuilding · listed 2016
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Elmhurst: April, July and September
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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 36 | 47 | 59 | 71 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Elmhurst →
Next door
Elmhurst and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
York Township34 miProviso Township23 miAddison7.1 miElmhurst7.0 miVilla Park2.7 miNorthlake1.8 miOakbrook Terrace0.1 miBerkeley0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmhurst | 6% | 0.7 | 9 | 99% | A− |
| Villa Park | 6% | 0.6 | 9 | 97% | B+ |
| Oakbrook Terrace | 2% | 0.1 | 8 | 91% | C+ |
| Addison | 12% | 0.7 | 18 | 99% | A |
| York Township | 6% | 1.0 | 11 | 94% | A− |
| Proviso Township | 3% | 0.8 | 2 | 99%+ | B |
| Berkeley | 1% | under 0.1 | 3 | 99%+ | C |
| Northlake | 3% | 0.6 | 6 | 99%+ | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Elmhurst
Where can I hike in Elmhurst?
The longest trail networks: Berens Park, 2 miles; Wilder Park, 1.2 miles; Butterfield Park, 0.9 miles; Crestview Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Elmhurst is conserved land?
6% 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 Elmhurst’s trails?
Berens Park and Wilder Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Elmhurst?
4.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.5 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Elmhurst?
14,944 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Elmhurst or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 432 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Elmhurst have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #237 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 Elmhurst neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
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 →