Highland has 6.1 miles of mapped trails, 0.9 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Silver Lake Park (1.9 mi), Glik Park (1.9 mi), The Square (0.6 mi). 90% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 336 acres are parks and preserves, 33 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #140 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Highland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Highland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Highland is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #140 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
Water is 13% of Highland’s area (1 of 8 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 5%.
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 Silver Lake Park, with 1.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 9 parks & preserves
274 conserved acres
6% of Highland’s land. Water is left out: Highland has 7.2 square miles of land and 1.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Highland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 167 | Open |
| Korte Recreation Center Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 45 | Open |
| Lindendale Park Local Park | Private owners | 33 | Open |
| Spindler Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Kaeser Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Washington Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Merwin Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Hoffman Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Weinheimer Community Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 1 | Open |
14 places to go in Highland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
3 lakes & rivers
6.2 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.
The walking year in Highland
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 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 44 | 55 | 67 | 76 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 80 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 5.1 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Highland →
Questions about parks and trails in Highland
Where can I hike in Highland?
The longest trail networks: Silver Lake Park, 1.9 miles; Glik Park, 1.9 miles; The Square, 0.6 miles; Lindendale Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Highland 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 Highland’s trails?
Silver Lake Park and Glik Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Highland?
6.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Highland?
877 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Highland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 336 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Highland have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #140 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 Highland 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 →