Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
1,470 acres9.4 mi of trail
Yellow Unpaved LoopGreen Unpaved TrailBlue Unpaved TrailTan Unpaved Spur
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Crosbiesmith · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Palos Township
Palos Township has 80 miles of mapped trails, 2.4 for every square mile of land
15% of Palos Township’s land is conserved, about 3,268 acres. The biggest trail networks: Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve (9.4 mi), Sag Valley Forest Preserve (4.9 mi), Spears Woods (4.4 mi). 84% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #175 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
3,268 acres · of 33.7 sq mi of land
Trails
80 mi
2.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
347 ac
6.2 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
84%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
18 mi
18 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
30
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Palos Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Palos Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Palos Township is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #175 of 768 in Illinois. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Palos Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (80 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land6.2 acres of park per 1,000 residents (347 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13CParks close to home84% 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 82%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 77%
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 Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve, with 9.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sag Valley Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
3,912 acres4.9 mi of trail
Yellow Unpaved LoopBlack Unpaved TrailYellow Unpaved TrailBrown Unpaved Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Spears Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
471 acres4.4 mi of trail
Yellow Unpaved TrailOrange Unpaved TrailTan Unpaved TrailBlack Unpaved Spur Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Palos Preserves
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
475 acres3.9 mi of trail
Yellow Unpaved LoopPurple Unpaved TrailBlue Unpaved SpurBlack Unpaved Spur+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Willow Springs Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
432 acres3.5 mi of trail
Yellow Single Track TrailTan Unpaved TrailOrange Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Cranberry Slough Nature Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
380 acres2.5 mi of trail
Yellow Unpaved TrailTan Unpaved TrailBrown Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Belly Deep Slough
McMahon Woods & Fen Nature Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
672 acres2.4 mi of trail
Tan Unpaved TrailPurple Unpaved Spur
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
114 acres1.7 mi of trail
Cemetery Hill Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Maple Lake OverlookWebsite ↗
All 44 parks & preserves
Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve1,470 acres · 9.4 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsSag Valley Forest Preserve3,912 acres · 4.9 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsSpears Woods471 acres · 4.4 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsPalos Preserves475 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsWillow Springs Woods432 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsCranberry Slough Nature Preserve380 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsMcMahon Woods & Fen Nature Preserve672 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsPaw Paw Woods Nature Preserve114 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsHidden Pond Woods156 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsLake Katherine Nature Center & Botanic Gardens36 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWhite Oak Woods253 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsTinley Creek Forest Preserve157 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsSwallow Cliff Woods38 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBennett Park42 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Palos Hills Resource & Recreation Department
DirectionsForty Acre Woods55 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsIndian Woods Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Altman Park36 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKasey Meadow Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBill Dunnett Field8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPetkiewitz Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Loveland Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Crooked Creek Woods263 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsMcGinnis Slough242 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsPalos Fen Nature Preserve68 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsJohn Husar I&M Canal66 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsCommunity Park32 acres
DirectionsHickory Hills Woods30 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsKruger Park10 acres
DirectionsMartin Park7 acres
DirectionsSagawau Canyon Nature Preserve5 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Krasowski Park5 acres
DirectionsPalmer Park4 acres
Osborne Park4 acres
Parkview Park4 acres
Village Green4 acres
DirectionsCrawford Park3 acres
Volunteer Park3 acres
Michael Park2 acres
Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsDoug Osborne Park1 acres
Worthwoods Park1 acres
McClaughrey Park1 acres
DirectionsTrailhead Bicycle Access1 acres
DirectionsAspen Park1 acres
Who protects it
3,268 conserved acres
15% of Palos Township’s land. Who manages Palos Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation2,907 ac
Private owners146 ac
Town or city123 ac
Regional agency92 ac
Conservation Easement · 2,907 acLocal Park · 192 acPrivate Park · 146 acUnknown · 21 acLocal Recreation Area · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,907 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory Hills Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 146 | Open |
| Altman Park Local Park | Regional agency | 50 | Open |
| Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Schumack Farm Unknown | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Martin Park Local Park | Regional agency | 20 | Open |
| Cynthia Neal Center Kasey Meadow Park Local Park | Regional agency | 17 | Open |
| Krasowski Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Indian Woods Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Krueger Park Local Park | Regional agency | 9 | Open |
| Glacier Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
59 places to go in Palos Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Palos Township
Palos Heights Municipal PoolIn Community Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Palos Township
Playground on the GreenIn Village Green
DirectionsPlus 25 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Palos Township
Saganashkee Slough Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Palos Township
Maple Lake Boating Center Accessible Fishing Area
DirectionsMaple Lake East Fishing Pier
DirectionsSaganashkee Slough-East Accessible Fishing Area
DirectionsPicnic areas in Palos Township
Cherry Hill Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Sag Valley Forest Preserve
DirectionsCountry Lane Woods Picnic Grove 1
DirectionsCountry Lane Woods Picnic Grove 3
DirectionsCountry Lane Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 2
DirectionsCrooked Creek Woods Picnic Grove 1In Crooked Creek Woods
DirectionsCrooked Creek Woods Picnic Grove 3In Crooked Creek Woods
DirectionsCrooked Creek Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Crooked Creek Woods
DirectionsCrooked Creek Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 4In Crooked Creek Woods
Directions16 more picnic areas
Hidden Pond Woods Picnic Grove 1In Hidden Pond Woods
DirectionsMaple Lake
DirectionsPaddock Woods Picnic Grove 1In Palos Preserves
DirectionsPalos Park Woods North Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Palos Preserves
DirectionsPioneer WoodsIn McMahon Woods & Fen Nature Preserve
DirectionsPulaski Woods
DirectionsRed Gate Woods
DirectionsSpears Woods Picnic Grove 1In Spears Woods
DirectionsSwallow Cliff Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Sag Valley Forest Preserve
DirectionsSwallow Cliff Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Sag Valley Forest Preserve
DirectionsTampier Lake Picnic Shelter Grove 1
DirectionsTeason's Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Sag Valley Forest Preserve
DirectionsWhite Oak Woods Picnic Grove 1In White Oak Woods
DirectionsWillow Springs Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Willow Springs Woods
DirectionsWillow Springs Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Willow Springs Woods
DirectionsWolf Road Woods
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Palos Township
Camp Bullfrog LakeFee · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 30 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 36.2 miHorses · 36.3 miUnpaved · 69.5 mi
Yellow Unpaved Loop7.1 mi
Yellow Unpaved Trail6.2 mi
Yellow Single Track Trail5.5 mi
Blue Single Track Trail4.5 mi
Black Single Track Trail4.2 mi
Brown Unpaved Trail4.0 mi
Green Unpaved Trail3.0 mi
Orange Unpaved Trail2.8 mi
Tan Unpaved Trail2.5 mi
Red Single Track Trail2.4 mi
15 more trails
Cemetery Hill Loop
1.9 miOrange Single Track Trail
1.7 miTan Single Track Trail
1.6 miBlack Oak Trail
1.2 miBlue Unpaved Trail
1.1 miSag Valley Red Unpaved Trail
1.0 miTan Unpaved Spur
0.9 miBlack Unpaved Trail
0.9 miGreen Single Track Trail
0.9 miWhite Oak Trail
0.8 miPurple Unpaved Trail
0.4 miPurple Unpaved Spur
0.4 miBrown Single Track Trail
0.4 miBlue Unpaved Spur
0.3 miFarm Pond Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Belly Deep SloughBergman SloughBoomerang SloughBullfrog LakelakeButtonbush SloughCranberry SloughCrawdad SloughEdelweiss LakelakeHambone LakelakeHidden Pond SloughHogwash SloughHorse Collar SloughHorsetail LakeJoe's PondpondKatydid SloughLake KatherinelakeLongjohn SloughMaple LakelakePapoose LakelakePollywog SloughRainbarrel SloughRedwing SloughSaganashkee SloughreservoirStormwater PondpondTampier LakeTampier Slough NorthTampier Slough SouthTomahawk SloughTuma LakelakeCal-Sag Channel
Biking & sports
18 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
18 mi
off-road bike paths
Yellow East TrailBike route
9.3 miPalos Trail SystemBike route
6.5 miSag Valley Trail SystemBike route
4.4 miCourts & fields
42Baseball
42Tennis
9Soccer
7Basketball
4Pickleball
3Football
2Volleyball
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2011
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Palos Township: April, July 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 | 10.5 | 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 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Palos Township →
Next door
Palos Township and its neighbors
Palos Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Palos Township80 miLemont Township53 miOrland Township32 miPalos Park29 miLyons Township27 miWorth Township7.8 miWillow Springs1.4 miChicago Ridge0.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palos Township | 15% | 2.4 | 6 | 84% | A− |
| Lyons Township | 3% | 0.8 | 7 | 98% | B+ |
| Lemont Township | 3% | 2.6 | 9 | 88% | B+ |
| Orland Township | 10% | 0.9 | 13 | 99% | A |
| Worth Township | 5% | 0.2 | 6 | 99% | B |
| Willow Springs | 1% | 0.3 | 6 | 95% | B− |
| Palos Park | under 1% | 4.7 | 5 | 54% | B− |
| Chicago Ridge | 9% | 0.1 | 9 | 99%+ | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Palos Township
Where can I hike in Palos Township?
The longest trail networks: Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve, 9.4 miles; Sag Valley Forest Preserve, 4.9 miles; Spears Woods, 4.4 miles; Palos Preserves, 3.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Palos Township is conserved land?
15% 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 Palos Township’s trails?
Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve and Sag Valley Forest Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Palos Township?
18 miles of bike routes are on the map: 18 of off-road paths. Named routes: Yellow East Trail, Palos Trail System and Sag Valley Trail System.
Is there public land near Palos Township?
17,730 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Palos Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 368 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Palos Township have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #175 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 Palos 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 →