Higginbotham Woods
Managed by Joliet Park District
232 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Joliet
6% of Joliet’s land is conserved, and 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Higginbotham Woods (0.8 mi), Nowell Park (0.5 mi). 6% of Joliet’s land is conserved, about 2,575 acres. 11 miles of mapped trail cross Joliet, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns · #346 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
2,575 acres · of 66.3 sq mi of land
Trails
11 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,232 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
49 mi
49 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Joliet?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Joliet have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Joliet is ahead of 66% of U.S. towns, #346 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Joliet’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (11 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,232 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home95% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 66%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 55%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Joliet ranks #293 on Outdoors.
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 Higginbotham Woods, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Heggie Park
Managed by Joliet Park District
5 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 69 parks & preserves
Higginbotham Woods232 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Joliet Park District
DirectionsNowell Park26 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsGarnsey Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsForest Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHeggie Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Joliet Park District
DirectionsWest Park32 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Pilcher Park422 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Joliet Park District
DirectionsDuPage River Trail Park84 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Parkway Park27 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Plainfield Park District
Inwood Park25 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKendall Green Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Plainfield Park District
Darcy Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Plainfield Park District
Greywall Club Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Plainfield Park District
DirectionsSanchez Memorial Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Joliet Park District
Mayfair Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Plainfield Park District
Lakewood Prairie Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Windsor Ridge Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Plainfield Park District
DirectionsHadley Valley Preserve261 acres · Forest Preserve District of Will County
DirectionsJoliet Iron Works Historic Site47 acres · Forest Preserve District of Will County
DirectionsHighland Park41 acres
DirectionsLower Rock Run Preserve24 acres
DirectionsOaks at Van Horn24 acres
DirectionsCaton Ridge Park23 acres · Plainfield Park District
Clearwater Springs20 acres · Plainfield Park District
Riverwalk Park15 acres · Plainfield Park District
Saint Joseph's Park12 acres
Legends Soccer Field12 acres
DirectionsWhiteford Field12 acres
DirectionsRoute 66 Park9 acres · Joliet Park District
DirectionsVan Horn Woods Park8 acres
DirectionsBillie Limacher Bicentennial Park7 acres · Joliet Park District
DirectionsAspen Falls Park6 acres · Plainfield Park District
DirectionsRidgewood Park6 acres
DirectionsCambridge Run Park6 acres · Plainfield Park District
Hampton Glen5 acres
DirectionsWhisper Glen Park4 acres · Plainfield Park District
Briese Park3 acres
Theodore Crossing Park3 acres
Commons Park3 acres · Plainfield Park District
Kearney Glen Park3 acres
Marquette Park3 acres
Olde Renwick Trail Park3 acres · Plainfield Park District
Kendall Ridge Park2 acres · Plainfield Park District
Caton Ridge West Park2 acres · Plainfield Park District
Cumberland Park2 acres · Plainfield Park District
Lakewood Falls Village Park2 acres · Plainfield Park District
Vernando Park2 acres · Joliet Park District
Autumn Fields Park2 acres · Plainfield Park District
Heritage Lakes Park2 acres · Plainfield Park District
Cunningham Park2 acres · Joliet Park District
Legion Park2 acres · Joliet Park District
DirectionsOsgood Park2 acres
DirectionsCumberland South Park2 acres
Woodside Park2 acres · Plainfield Park District
John Leach Memorial Park2 acres · Plainfield Park District
Eagle Ridge Park2 acres
Cumberland South 40 Park2 acres
Aspen Meadows Park1 acres · Plainfield Park District
Desmond Field1 acres
Brookside Park1 acres · Plainfield Park District
Liberty Park1 acres
Warren - Sharpe Playground1 acres · Joliet Park District
Wexford Park1 acres · Plainfield Park District
Forest Park Playlot1 acres
Kendall Small Park1 acres · Plainfield Park District
Gutierrez Park1 acres
Gottschlag Park1 acres
Grand Prairie Tot Park1 acres · Plainfield Park District
Saint John the Baptist Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,575 conserved acres
6% of Joliet’s land. Who manages Joliet’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,533 ac
State conservation525 ac
Town or city455 ac
State natural resources234 ac
Private owners128 ac
County36 ac
Local Park · 1,475 acConservation Easement · 771 acLocal Recreation Area · 168 acLocal Conservation Area · 155 acPrivate Park · 122 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 439 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilcher Park Local Park | Regional agency | 416 | Open |
| Higinbotham Woods Local Park | Regional agency | 231 | Open |
| Inwood Park Local Park | Regional agency | 224 | Open |
| Wedgewood Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 167 | Open |
| Joliet Regional Airport Local Park | Town or city | 161 | Open |
| Joliet Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 122 | Restricted |
| Woodruff Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 84 | Open |
| Inwood Soccer Complex Local Park | Regional agency | 59 | Open |
| Joliet Iron Works Historic Site Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 55 | Open |
| Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 45 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
98 places to go in Joliet
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Joliet
94 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Joliet
Boat/Canoe Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
8 lakes & rivers
Biking & sports
49 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
49 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
42Tennis
41Baseball
29Soccer
18Basketball
5Football
3Pickleball
3Softball
3Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 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.
Rubens Rialto Square TheaterBuilding · listed 1978
About itUnion StationBuilding · listed 1978
About itJacob H. Henry HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itJoliet East Side Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itU.S. Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1981
About itChrist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1982
About itJoliet Township High SchoolBuilding · listed 1982
About itJoliet, Louis, HotelBuilding · listed 1990
About itJoliet Steel WorksDistrict · listed 1991
About itUpper Bluff Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itHiram B. Scutt MansionBuilding · listed 2003
About itJoilet YMCABuilding · listed 2006
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Joliet
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 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 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 →
Next door
Joliet and its neighbors
Joliet has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Plainfield12 miJoliet11 miChannahon7.8 miCrest Hill5.3 miNew Lenox2.3 miShorewood2.3 miRidgewood0.0 miPreston Heights0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet | 6% | 0.2 | 15 | 95% | B+ |
| Ridgewood | under 1% | under 0.1 | under 1 | 97% | C− |
| Preston Heights | 2% | under 0.1 | 7 | 96% | C+ |
| Plainfield | 7% | 0.5 | 19 | 99% | A− |
| New Lenox | 6% | 0.1 | 22 | 95% | B+ |
| Crest Hill | 8% | 0.6 | 17 | 86% | A− |
| Shorewood | 3% | 0.3 | 11 | 99%+ | B |
| Channahon | 7% | 0.5 | 60 | 98% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Joliet
Where can I hike in Joliet?
The longest trail networks: Higginbotham Woods, 0.8 miles; Nowell Park, 0.5 miles; Garnsey Park, 0.4 miles; Forest Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Joliet 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 Joliet’s trails?
Higginbotham Woods and Nowell Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Joliet?
49 miles of bike routes are on the map: 49 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Joliet?
40,660 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Joliet or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,251 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Joliet have?
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #346 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 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 →