Springbrook Prairie
Managed by Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
1,840 acres7.3 mi of trail
Henslow's TrailSpringbrook Prarie Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Sea Cow · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Naperville Township
17% of Naperville Township’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
17% of Naperville Township’s land is conserved, about 3,890 acres. 31 miles of mapped trail cross Naperville Township, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Springbrook Prairie (7.3 mi), McDowell Grove Forest Preserve (3.7 mi), Centennial Park (1.4 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #55 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
3,890 acres · of 34.9 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,126 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
62 mi
2.9 mi lanes · 58 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
11
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Naperville Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Naperville Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Naperville Township is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #55 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Naperville Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (31 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land20 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,126 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home99% 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 92%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 93%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Naperville Township ranks #55 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Springbrook Prairie, with 7.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
McDowell Grove Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
469 acres3.7 mi of trail
Black Walnut TrailBoneset TrailMud Lake TrailMaple Woods Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Centennial Park
Managed by Naperville Park District
28 acres1.4 mi of trail
Riverwalk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Sportsman's Park
Managed by Naperville Park District
28 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
May Watts Park
Managed by Naperville Park District
29 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Waubonsie Lake Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
163 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Knoch Park
Managed by Naperville Park District
42 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 82 parks & preserves
Springbrook Prairie1,840 acres · 7.3 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
DirectionsMcDowell Grove Forest Preserve469 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
DirectionsCentennial Park28 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsSportsman's Park28 acres · 1 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsMay Watts Park29 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsWaubonsie Lake Park163 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsKnoch Park42 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsCerny Park7 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Burlington Park Forest Preserve52 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
DirectionsGarden Plots Park30 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsRiverwalk Park17 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHobson West Ponds16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsNike Sports Complex43 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsSpring Lake Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsRidge Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsStation Boulevard Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
Fredehagen Park1 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsGartner Park16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsAmberwood Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsSutton Lake Park18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsKingshill Park18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsStill Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsAsbury Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsBrush Hill Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsWillowgate Square2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsWest Greens Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
Big Woods County Forest Preserve72 acres · Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
DirectionsCountry Lakes Park38 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsWildflower Park27 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsMiddlebury East Park24 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Cheshire Lake Park24 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Wil-O-Way Commons Park20 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsSummerfield Lake Park16 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsButterfield Park15 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsEdinburgh Park15 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Carrol Acres15 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsBrighton Ridge Park14 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsMonarch Park13 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsFoxhill Greens Park13 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsMiddlebury West Park12 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsStonebridge Park12 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsBirmingham Park11 acres · Fox Valley Park District
McCarty Park10 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Meadow Lake Park10 acres · Fox Valley Park District
William Freidrich Memorial Park10 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsWestglen Commons Park10 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsAshton Pointe Park10 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGinger Woods Park9 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Atwater Park9 acres · Naperville Park District
Bainbridge Greens Park9 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsHarris Fawell Park8 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsWil-O-Way Park8 acres · Naperville Park District
Frontenac Park8 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsQueensbury Greens Park8 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsClearwood Park7 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Westglen Park7 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsBriarwood Park6 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsCentury Farms Park6 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsAndover Park6 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Mill Street Park6 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsBrooklyn Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Cambridge Chase Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Kendall Park5 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsBreckenridge Park4 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Cress Creek Park4 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsHobson West Park4 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsRedfield Commons Park4 acres · Naperville Park District
Herrick Lake Forest Preserve3 acres · Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Buttonwood Park3 acres · Naperville Park District
Cumberland Park3 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Firemen's Memorial Park3 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsFairways Commons Park3 acres · Naperville Park District
Fox Hill Park3 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Crescent Park3 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Nike Greenway3 acres · Naperville Park District
Forest View Park2 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsWillow Bend West Park2 acres · Naperville Park District
Oakhurst Forest Preserve1 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
Miledje Square1 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsColfax Way1 acres · Naperville Park District
Dove Park1 acres
DirectionsJoseph Naper Homestead Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,890 conserved acres
17% of Naperville Township’s land. Who manages Naperville Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency3,559 ac
State conservation1,660 ac
Town or city261 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits93 ac
County1 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,755 acConservation Easement · 1,753 acLocal Park · 1,022 acLocal Conservation Area · 641 acLocal Other or Unknown · 243 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 118 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 100 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springbrook Prairie State Conservation Area | Regional agency | 1,752 | Restricted |
| McDowell Grove Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 445 | Open |
| Springbrook Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 161 | Open |
| Big Woods 1 Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 148 | Unknown |
| Night Heron Marsh Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 135 | Open |
| Burlington Park Local Park | Regional agency | 102 | Open |
| Springbrook Prairie 15 Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 63 | Unknown |
| Waubonsie Lake Local Park | Regional agency | 58 | Open |
| Oakhurst Wetlands Local Park | Regional agency | 47 | Open |
| Nike Sports Complex Local Park | Regional agency | 44 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
104 places to go in Naperville Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Naperville Township
Centennial BeachIn Centennial Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Naperville Township
Ball FactoryHours: Mo, Tu, Th 09:30-15:00; We off; Fr, Sa, Su 10:00-18:00
DirectionsFuntopia Adventure Park
DirectionsJaycees PlaygroundIn Centennial Park
Directions93 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Naperville Township
Springbrook Dog ParkIn Springbrook Prairie
DirectionsPlus 6 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Naperville Township
Sesquincentennial OverlookIn Riverwalk Park
DirectionsPeaks in Naperville Township
Rotary HillIn Riverwalk Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Naperville Township
Von Oven Scout Reservation
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.3 miUnpaved · 9.6 mi
Henslow's Trail2.0 mi
Riverwalk1.2 mi
Black Walnut Trail1.2 mi
Springbrook Prarie Trail1.1 mi
Boneset Trail0.7 mi
Mud Lake Trail0.5 mi
Maple Woods Trail0.3 mi
Biking & sports
62 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
58 mi
off-road bike paths
0.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Southern DuPage Regional TrailBike route
1.1 miSpringbrook Prarie TrailBike route
1.1 miCourts & fields
113Tennis
51Basketball
46Baseball
30Pickleball
22Soccer
14Football
12Volleyball
10Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Naperville Township
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) | 31 | 35 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Naperville Township →
Next door
Naperville Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lisle Township51 miAurora36 miWinfield Township33 miNaperville Township31 miAurora Township27 miNaperville25 miWheatland Township9.5 miWarrenville2.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naperville Township | 17% | 0.9 | 20 | 99% | A |
| Lisle Township | 11% | 1.4 | 19 | 96% | A |
| Winfield Township | 15% | 0.9 | 37 | 92% | A |
| Aurora Township | 7% | 0.8 | 14 | 97% | A− |
| Naperville | 8% | 0.6 | 15 | 99% | A− |
| Warrenville | 4% | 0.5 | 11 | 88% | B+ |
| Aurora | 10% | 0.8 | 17 | 99% | A |
| Wheatland Township | 5% | 0.3 | 14 | 98% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Naperville Township
Where can I hike in Naperville Township?
The longest trail networks: Springbrook Prairie, 7.3 miles; McDowell Grove Forest Preserve, 3.7 miles; Centennial Park, 1.4 miles; Sportsman's Park, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Naperville Township is conserved land?
17% 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 Naperville Township’s trails?
Springbrook Prairie and McDowell Grove Forest Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Naperville Township?
62 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.9 of painted or protected lanes, 58 of off-road paths and 0.8 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Southern DuPage Regional Trail and Springbrook Prarie Trail.
Is there public land near Naperville Township?
30,120 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Naperville Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,126 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Naperville Township have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #55 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 Naperville Township 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 →