16% of Island Lake’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
16% of Island Lake’s land is conserved, about 343 acres. 1.4 miles of mapped trail cross Island Lake, 0.4 per square mile of land. 82 acres are parks and preserves, 10 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns · #226 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Island Lake?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Island Lake have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Island Lake is ahead of 78% of U.S. towns, #226 of 768 in Illinois. Conserved land holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
Water is 6% of Island Lake’s area (0 of 4 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 15%.
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 Converse Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Maple Ridge Park
343 conserved acres
16% of Island Lake’s land. Water is left out: Island Lake has 3.4 square miles of land and 0.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Island Lake’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 248 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Converse Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Water Tower Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Veterans Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Greenleaf Woods Unknown | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Fish Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Village Hall Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Maple Ridge Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Channel Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Stephen J Grek Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Big Island Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
8 places to go in Island Lake
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 lakes & rivers
0.2 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 best walking months in Island Lake: 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 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 34 | 46 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Island Lake →
Island Lake and its neighbors
Island Lake has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Lake | 16% | 0.4 | 10 | 96% | A− |
| Port Barrington | 7% | 1.1 | 27 | 99% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Island Lake
Where can I hike in Island Lake?
The longest trail networks: Converse Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Island Lake is conserved land?
16% 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 Island Lake’s trails?
Converse Park and Veteran's Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Island Lake?
0.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Island Lake?
19,800 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Island Lake or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 93 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Island Lake have?
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #226 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 Island Lake 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 →