Gardner Township has 98 acres of parks, 21 for every 1,000 residents
0.2 miles of mapped trail cross Gardner Township. 23% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Gardner Township’s land is conserved, about 1,039 acres.
Ahead of 31% of U.S. towns · #638 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
How much outdoors does Gardner Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Gardner Township is ahead of 31% of U.S. towns, #638 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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
1,039 conserved acres
4% of Gardner Township’s land. Who manages Gardner Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 985 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangamon Valley Greenway State Recreation Area | Other state land | 51 | Open |
| Sangamon River State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 3 | Open |
3 places to go in Gardner Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
4.4 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.
August is the best month for walking in Gardner 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 40 | 52 | 65 | 75 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 79 | 67 | 52 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Gardner Township →
Gardner 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner Township | 4% | under 0.1 | 21 | 23% | C |
| Capital Township | 6% | 0.8 | 19 | 73% | B+ |
| Springfield | 6% | 0.8 | 19 | 72% | B+ |
| Fancy Creek Township | 2% | 0.2 | 48 | 65% | B− |
| Springfield Township | 4% | 0.2 | 16 | 82% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Gardner Township
How much of Gardner Township is conserved land?
4% 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 Gardner Township’s trails?
Lewis Park & Trails doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Gardner Township?
4.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes and 3.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Gardner Township?
3,657 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gardner Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 98 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Gardner Township have?
Ahead of 31% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #638 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 Gardner 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 →