Photo: Languageteaching on Flickr · CC BY 2.0Eureka has 111 acres of parks, 22 for every 1,000 residents
6% of Eureka’s land is conserved, about 98 acres. 65% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 0.7 miles of mapped trail cross Eureka, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 61% of U.S. towns · #396 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
How much outdoors does Eureka have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Eureka is ahead of 61% of U.S. towns, #396 of 768 in Illinois. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull 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 Eureka Lake Park, with 0.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
William Honeg Park
98 conserved acres
6% of Eureka’s land. Who manages Eureka’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Eureka Park Local Park | Town or city | 90 | Open |
| Woodford County Fairgrounds Local Recreation Area | County | 8 | Open |
15 places to go in Eureka
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Plus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
1 lakes & rivers
0.0 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.
2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Eureka: August 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 38 | 50 | 63 | 74 | 83 | 85 | 83 | 78 | 65 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Eureka →
Eureka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka | 6% | 0.3 | 22 | 65% | B |
| Cruger Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 33 | 60% | C+ |
| Olio Township | 1% | 0.1 | 41 | 53% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Eureka
Where can I hike in Eureka?
The longest trail networks: Eureka Lake Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Eureka 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 Eureka’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Eureka Lake Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Eureka?
2,665 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Eureka or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 111 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Eureka have?
Ahead of 61% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #396 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 Eureka 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 →