Photo: Kepper66 · CC BY-SA 4.0Princeton has 183 acres of parks, 23 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Zearing Park (0.5 mi). 83% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2% of Princeton’s land is conserved, about 120 acres.
Ahead of 59% of U.S. towns · #417 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Princeton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Princeton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Princeton is ahead of 59% of U.S. towns, #417 of 768 in Illinois. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; conserved land pulls 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
The longest trail network is Zearing Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
City County Park
West Side Ball Park
All 6 parks & preserves
120 conserved acres
2% of Princeton’s land. Who manages Princeton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City County Park Local Park | Town or city | 55 | Open |
| Zearing Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Alexander Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Bureau County Fairgrounds Local Recreation Area | County | 11 | Open |
| West Side Ball Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Soldiers & Sailors Park Local Park | County | 1 | Open |
| Darius Miller Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Town or city | 1 | Open |
8 places to go in Princeton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
0.0 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.
8 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Princeton: April and July to 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 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 36 | 48 | 62 | 73 | 82 | 84 | 82 | 77 | 64 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Princeton →
Princeton and its neighbors
Princeton has the second most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton | 2% | 0.3 | 23 | 83% | B |
| Princeton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Dover Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Princeton
Where can I hike in Princeton?
The longest trail networks: Zearing Park, 0.5 miles; Alexander Park, 0.1 miles; West Side Ball Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Princeton is conserved land?
2% 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 Princeton’s trails?
Zearing Park and City County Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Princeton?
8,668 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Princeton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 183 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Princeton have?
Ahead of 59% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #417 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 Princeton 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 →