Photo: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 4.0Joliet Township has 672 acres of parks, 7.9 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Nowell Park (0.5 mi). 91% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 5.4 miles of mapped trail cross Joliet Township, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns · #507 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Joliet Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Joliet Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Joliet Township is ahead of 50% of U.S. towns, #507 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds 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 Nowell Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Heggie Park
All 24 parks & preserves
761 conserved acres
3% of Joliet Township’s land. Who manages Joliet Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut Hollow Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 202 | Open |
| Joliet Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 130 | Restricted |
| Highland Park Local Park | Regional agency | 60 | Open |
| Joliet Iron Works Historic Site Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 55 | Open |
| Wauponsee Glacial Trail 1 Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 51 | Open |
| Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 44 | Open |
| Pilcher Park Local Park | Regional agency | 38 | Open |
| West Park Local Park | Regional agency | 30 | Open |
| Nowell Park Local Park | Regional agency | 22 | Open |
| Forest Park Local Park | Regional agency | 16 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
34 places to go in Joliet Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
32 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
4 lakes & rivers
13 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.
15 places on the National Register
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.
3 more on the History page.
The best walking months in Joliet Township: April 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 48 | 61 | 72 | 81 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
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 Joliet Township →
Joliet 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet Township | 3% | 0.2 | 8 | 91% | B− |
| Lockport Township | 7% | 0.7 | 19 | 91% | A− |
| Troy Township | 7% | 0.3 | 26 | 98% | A− |
| Joliet | 6% | 0.2 | 15 | 95% | B+ |
| Jackson Township | 25% | 0.3 | 32 | 62% | B+ |
| Fairmont | 3% | 0.2 | 11 | 99%+ | B |
| New Lenox Township | 8% | 0.1 | 35 | 89% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Joliet Township
Where can I hike in Joliet Township?
The longest trail networks: Nowell Park, 0.5 miles; Forest Park, 0.4 miles; Garnsey Park, 0.4 miles; Heggie Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Joliet Township is conserved land?
3% 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 Joliet Township’s trails?
Nowell Park and Forest Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Joliet Township?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Joliet Township?
33,340 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Joliet Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 672 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Joliet Township have?
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #507 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 Joliet 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 →