Somme Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
181 acres2.5 mi of trail
North Branch (green) Trail, (north section)
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: CL Minecraft · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Northbrook
Northbrook has 16 miles of mapped trails, 1.2 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Somme Woods (2.5 mi), Sunset Ridge Woods (1.6 mi), Wood Oaks Green Park (1.4 mi). 91% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 7% of Northbrook’s land is conserved, about 635 acres.
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #160 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
635 acres · of 13.2 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
495 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
91%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
1.0 mi lanes · 9.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
What kind of outdoors town is Northbrook?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Northbrook have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Northbrook is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #160 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Northbrook’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (16 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (495 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home91% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 83%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 79%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Somme Woods, with 2.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sunset Ridge Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
142 acres1.6 mi of trail
North Branch Blue Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Wood Oaks Green Park
Managed by Northbrook Park District
58 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Village Green Park
Managed by Northbrook Park District
9 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Stonegate Park
Managed by Northbrook Park District
10 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Techny Prairie Park and Fields
Managed by Northbrook Park District
100 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Williamsburg Square Park
Managed by Northbrook Park District
8 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Coast Guard Park
Park
4 acres0.3 mi of trail
Coast Guard Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 24 parks & preserves
Somme Woods181 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsSunset Ridge Woods142 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsWood Oaks Green Park58 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Northbrook Park District
DirectionsVillage Green Park9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Northbrook Park District
DirectionsStonegate Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Northbrook Park District
DirectionsTechny Prairie Park and Fields100 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Northbrook Park District
DirectionsWilliamsburg Square Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Northbrook Park District
DirectionsCoast Guard Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsChipilly Woods134 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsMeadowhill Park29 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Northbrook Park District
DirectionsChicago Botanic Gardens12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Chicago Horticultural Society
DirectionsNorthbrook Sports Complex23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Northbrook Park District
Crestwood Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Northbrook Park District
DirectionsForest Preserve District of Cook County16 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsWescott Park8 acres · Northbrook Park District
DirectionsSkokie Lagoons North7 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Indian Ridge Park7 acres · Northbrook Park District
DirectionsGlenbrook North High School Prairie Nature Preserve5 acres
Salceda Park3 acres
DirectionsEstates Tot Lot3 acres
Skokie Lagoons Central2 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Greenfield Park2 acres · Northbrook Park District
Greenview Park2 acres · Northbrook Park District
Floral Park1 acres · Northbrook Park District
Who protects it
635 conserved acres
7% of Northbrook’s land. Who manages Northbrook’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency257 ac
Town or city219 ac
Private owners154 ac
State natural resources14 ac
State conservation3 ac
County1 ac
Local Park · 259 acLocal Recreation Area · 203 acPrivate Park · 151 acConservation Easement · 17 acUnknown · 15 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sportsman's Country Club Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 203 | Open |
| Green Acres Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 148 | Open |
| Techny Prairie Park And Fields Local Park | Regional agency | 103 | Open |
| Wood Oaks Green Park Local Park | Regional agency | 41 | Open |
| Meadow Hill Park Local Park | Regional agency | 31 | Open |
| West Park Local Park | Regional agency | 23 | Open |
| Lake Shermerville Unknown | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Indian Ridge Park Local Park | Regional agency | 11 | Open |
| Stonegate Park Local Park | Regional agency | 10 | Open |
| Village Green Park Local Park | Regional agency | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Northbrook
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Northbrook
11 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Northbrook
Northbrook Dog Park (all dog area) at Coast Guard ParkIn Coast Guard Park
DirectionsNorthbrook Dog Park (small dog area) at Coast Guard ParkIn Coast Guard Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Northbrook
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Northbrook
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.5 miHorses · 1.9 miUnpaved · 7.1 mi
North Branch (green) Trail, (north section)1.4 mi
North Branch Blue Unpaved Trail0.9 mi
East Northbrook Trail0.3 mi
Coast Guard Park Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
9.8 mi
off-road bike paths
0.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Northbrook Bicycle NetworkBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
57Tennis
18Baseball
13Soccer
9Pickleball
8Basketball
4Beach volleyball
3Softball
2Football
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 Northbrook
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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 35 | 46 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Northbrook →
Next door
Northbrook and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Northfield Township58 miMoraine Township28 miGlenview27 miNorthbrook16 miDeerfield7.0 miGlencoe5.8 miNorthfield4.5 miWheeling4.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northbrook | 7% | 1.2 | 14 | 91% | A− |
| Glenview | 10% | 1.9 | 16 | 96% | A |
| Northfield | 11% | 1.4 | 9 | 88% | A− |
| Deerfield | 5% | 1.3 | 9 | 99%+ | A− |
| Glencoe | 3% | 1.6 | 10 | 99%+ | A− |
| Northfield Township | 9% | 1.7 | 15 | 91% | A |
| Moraine Township | 9% | 2.4 | 23 | 99%+ | A |
| Wheeling | 3% | 0.5 | 6 | 95% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Northbrook
Where can I hike in Northbrook?
The longest trail networks: Somme Woods, 2.5 miles; Sunset Ridge Woods, 1.6 miles; Wood Oaks Green Park, 1.4 miles; Village Green Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Northbrook is conserved land?
7% 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 Northbrook’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Somme Woods (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Northbrook?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.0 of painted or protected lanes, 9.8 of off-road paths and 0.7 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Northbrook Bicycle Network.
Is there public land near Northbrook?
13,180 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Northbrook or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 504 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Northbrook have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #160 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 Northbrook 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 →