Photo: Nyttend · Public domainElsah Township has 902 acres of parks, 322 for every 1,000 residents
10% of Elsah Township’s land is conserved, about 1,561 acres. 28% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 11 miles of mapped trail cross Elsah Township, 0.4 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Elsah Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Elsah Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Elsah Township is ahead of 72% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
Water is 10% of Elsah Township’s area (3 of 27 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 9%.
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.
1,561 conserved acres
10% of Elsah Township’s land. Water is left out: Elsah Township has 23.9 square miles of land and 2.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Elsah Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 50 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piasa Island Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 729 | Open |
| Principia Hill Prairies - East Natural Heritage Landmark Private Historic or Cultural | Private owners | 431 | Open |
| Principia Hill Prairies East Private Conservation | Private owners | 124 | Restricted |
| Principia Hill Prairies - West Natural Heritage Landmark Private Historic or Cultural | Private owners | 87 | Open |
| Piasa Creek (Pool No. 26) Private Recreation or Education | Land trusts & nonprofits | 86 | Open |
| Vadalabene Bike Trail State Recreation Area | Other state land | 31 | Open |
| Principia Hill Prairies West Private Conservation | Private owners | 27 | Restricted |
| Piasa Creek Wetland #2 Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 26 | Open |
8 places to go in Elsah Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
3 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
18 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.
3 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The walking year in Elsah 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 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 44 | 55 | 67 | 76 | 84 | 88 | 86 | 80 | 68 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.5 |
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 Elsah Township →
Elsah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsah Township | 10% | 0.4 | 322 | 28% | B+ |
| Godfrey | 9% | 0.4 | 22 | 26% | B |
| Quarry Township | 22% | 1.9 | 962 | 40% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Elsah Township
How much of Elsah Township is conserved land?
10% 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.
Where can I bike in Elsah Township?
18 miles of bike routes are on the map: 12 of painted or protected lanes and 6.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Elsah Township?
9,775 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Elsah Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 902 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Elsah Township have?
Ahead of 72% 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 Elsah 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 →