Walter S. Lovelace Park
Managed by Evanston Parks & Recreation
17 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Madcoverboy · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Evanston
6% of Evanston’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 12 miles of mapped trail cross Evanston, 1.5 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Walter S. Lovelace Park (1.1 mi), Robert E. James Park (0.8 mi), Crown Park (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #201 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
290 acres · of 7.8 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
338 ac
4.4 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
16 mi
7.2 mi lanes · 7.6 mi paths
Highest peak
669 ft
Mount Trashmore
What kind of outdoors town is Evanston?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Evanston have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Evanston is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #201 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 Evanston’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%BTrails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (12 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land4.4 acres of park per 1,000 residents (338 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13CParks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 80%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 74%
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 Walter S. Lovelace Park, with 1.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Robert E. James Park
Managed by Evanston Parks & Recreation
38 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Crown Park
Managed by Evanston Parks & Recreation
18 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Dawes Park
Managed by Evanston Parks & Recreation
15 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ladd Arboretum
Managed by Evanston Parks & Recreation
30 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Perkins Woods Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
8 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Centennial Park
Managed by Wilmette Park District
12 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
William H. Twiggs Park
Managed by Evanston Parks & Recreation
12 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 64 parks & preserves
Walter S. Lovelace Park17 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRobert E. James Park38 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCrown Park18 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsDawes Park15 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsLadd Arboretum30 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsPerkins Woods Forest Preserve8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsCentennial Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsWilliam H. Twiggs Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsMason Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsClark Square Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsBurnham Shores Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Thomas Eddy Tallmadge Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHorace E. Bent Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Light House Landing Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsLawrence O. Lawson Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCartwright Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Chandler Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRaymond Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsAlexander Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsElizabeth Boynton Harbert Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsElliot Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Foster Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCatherine Waugh McCulloch Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsIndependence Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsEiden Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSmith Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Isabella Butler Park12 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsBeck Park8 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsIngraham Park8 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsLong Field4 acres
Leahy Park4 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsElks Park4 acres · Ridgeville Park District
South Boulevard Park3 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsEggleston Park3 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCornelia Lunt Park3 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsFitzsimons Park3 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsGilbert Park2 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsLeider Park2 acres · Ridgeville Park District
Kamen West Park2 acres · Ridgeville Park District
Ridgeville Park2 acres · Ridgeville Park District
Larimer Park2 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Patriots Park2 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Leah Lomar Park2 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsAckerman Park2 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Channelside Park1 acres · Skokie Park District
Triangle Park1 acres · Chicago Park District
DirectionsGrey Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsKamen East Park1 acres · Ridgeville Park District
Howell Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsGarden Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Baker Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Penny Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Frank S. Torgerson Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Brummel Park1 acres · Ridgeville Park District
DirectionsQuinlan Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Philbrick Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsClyde-Brummel Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsFullerton Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsPerry Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Megowen Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsKay Lee Tot Lot1 acres · Ridgeville Park District
Curry Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Trahan Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
DirectionsStockham Place Park1 acres · Evanston Parks & Recreation
Who protects it
290 conserved acres
6% of Evanston’s land. Who manages Evanston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city253 ac
Regional agency22 ac
County8 ac
Local Park · 282 acLocal Historic or Cultural Area · 1 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Park Local Park | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Ladd Arboretum Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Crown Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Harbert Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Lovelace Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Dawes Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Centennial 1 Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Butler Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Twiggs Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Dwight Perkins Woods Local Park | County | 8 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
83 places to go in Evanston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Evanston
Clark Street BeachHours: May 28-Jun 10 11:00-18:00; Jun 11-Jul 31 10:30-20:00; Jul 04 off; Aug 01-Sep 05 10:30-19:30 · In Centennial Park
DirectionsGreenwood Street BeachIn Dawes Park
DirectionsLee Street BeachIn Elliot Park
DirectionsSouth Boulevard BeachFee · In South Boulevard Park
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Evanston
Ackerman Park PlaygroundIn Ackerman Park
DirectionsBent Park PlaygroundIn Horace E. Bent Park
DirectionsClyde Brummel ParkIn Clyde-Brummel Park
DirectionsNoah's PlaygroundIn Lawrence O. Lawson Park
Directions67 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Evanston
Church Street Power Boat RampIn Dawes Park
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Evanston
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Peaks in Evanston
Mount Trashmore669 ft elevation · In Robert E. James Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Evanston
Ackerman Park Picnic TablesIn Ackerman Park
DirectionsPicnicIn Horace E. Bent Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Evanston
Elks Park Comunity GardenIn Elks Park
DirectionsJames Parks GardensIn Robert E. James Park · City of Evanston
DirectionsMcCormick GardensCity of Evanston
DirectionsTwiggs Canal GardensIn William H. Twiggs Park · City of Evanston
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.8 miUnpaved · 2.0 mi
Evanston-Wilmette Community Trail1.7 mi
Biking & sports
16 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
7.6 mi
off-road bike paths
0.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
58Tennis
32Basketball
16Baseball
10Soccer
5Pickleball
3Football
3Softball
2Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →59 places on the National Register, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Frederick B. Carter Jr. HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itRidgewoodBuilding · listed 1978
About itGeorge B. Dryden HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itEvanston Lakeshore Historic DistrictBuilding · listed 1980
About itEvanston Ridge Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itAndridge ApartmentsBuilding · listed 1984
About itBuilding at 1101-1113 Maple AvenueBuilding · listed 1984
About itBuilding at 1209-1217 Maple AvenueBuilding · listed 1984
About itBuilding at 1316 Maple AvenueBuilding · listed 1984
About it47 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Evanston: July to 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) | 32 | 36 | 46 | 57 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Evanston →
Next door
Evanston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evanston | 6% | 1.5 | 4 | 99%+ | A− |
| Skokie | 8% | 1.0 | 5 | 99%+ | A− |
| Niles Township | 7% | 1.4 | 6 | 99%+ | A− |
| Wilmette | 11% | 1.7 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| New Trier Township | 8% | 2.1 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| Chicago | 8% | 1.1 | 4 | 99% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Evanston
Where can I hike in Evanston?
The longest trail networks: Walter S. Lovelace Park, 1.1 miles; Robert E. James Park, 0.8 miles; Crown Park, 0.6 miles; Dawes Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Evanston 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 Evanston’s trails?
Walter S. Lovelace Park and Robert E. James Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Evanston?
16 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.2 of painted or protected lanes, 7.6 of off-road paths and 0.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Evanston?
6,908 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Evanston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 338 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Evanston have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #201 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 Evanston 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 →