Photo: Nyttend · Public domain11% of Monmouth’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 11% of Monmouth’s land is conserved, about 297 acres. 323 acres are parks and preserves, 38 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 69% of U.S. towns · #312 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Monmouth?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Monmouth have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Monmouth is ahead of 69% of U.S. towns, #312 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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Citizen's Lake
Warfield Park
All 11 parks & preserves
297 conserved acres
11% of Monmouth’s land. Who manages Monmouth’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Woods Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 140 | Open |
| Citizen's Lake State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 65 | Open |
| Monmouth Park Local Park | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| Peacock Memorial Athletic Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Warfield Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| South Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Diffenbaugh/Harmon Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| North Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| West Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Buster White Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
13 places to go in Monmouth
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Plus 1 picnic area without a name on the map.
1 lakes & rivers
0.4 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.
10 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Monmouth: April, August 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 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 36 | 49 | 62 | 73 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 49 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
January is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.0 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Monmouth →
Questions about parks and trails in Monmouth
How much of Monmouth is conserved land?
11% 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 Monmouth’s trails?
Monmouth Park and Citizen's Lake don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Monmouth?
0.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Monmouth?
270 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Monmouth or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 323 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Monmouth have?
Ahead of 69% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #312 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 Monmouth 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 →