Photo: artistmac · CC BY-SA 2.0Few parks or trails are on the map in Normal Township
The biggest trail networks: Maxwell Park (3.4 mi), Ilse and Charles Jobson Natural Play Park (0.6 mi). 3% of Normal Township’s land is conserved, about 597 acres. 381 acres are parks and preserves, 7.3 per 1,000 residents.
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 Maxwell Park, with 3.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ilse and Charles Jobson Natural Play Park
Hidden Creek Nature Sanctuary
Fransen Nature Area
All 22 parks & preserves
597 conserved acres
3% of Normal Township’s land. Who manages Normal Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ironwood Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 238 | Open |
| Illinois State University Golf Course Private Park | Other state land | 136 | Open |
| Maxwell Park Local Park | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Fairview Park Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| One Normal Plaza Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Underwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Shepard Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Rosa Parks Commons Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Anderson Aquatic Center & Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Ironwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
76 places to go in Normal Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
72 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
34 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.
August is the best month for walking in Normal 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 38 | 50 | 63 | 74 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 65 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
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 Normal Township →
Normal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bloomington | 7% | 1.0 | 15 | 89% | A− |
| Bloomington City Township | 7% | 1.0 | 15 | 89% | A− |
| Normal | 5% | 0.5 | 7 | 84% | B |
| Dry Grove Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 23 | 1% | C− |
| Towanda Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 7 | 29% | D |
| Hudson Township | 9% | 0.6 | 596 | 54% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Normal Township
Where can I hike in Normal Township?
The longest trail networks: Maxwell Park, 3.4 miles; Ilse and Charles Jobson Natural Play Park, 0.6 miles; Fairview Park, 0.3 miles; Hidden Creek Nature Sanctuary, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Normal Township’s trails?
Maxwell Park and Ilse and Charles Jobson Natural Play Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Normal Township?
34 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.4 of painted or protected lanes, 24 of off-road paths and 7.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Normal Township?
4,941 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Normal Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 386 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Normal 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 →