Bemis Woods Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
514 acres5.7 mi of trail
Orange Unpaved TrailGreen Unpaved TrailYellow Unpaved TrailTan Unpaved Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Hines, Edward Jr., Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District · Photo: Chicago Daily News, Inc. · Public domainBOutdoors
Outdoors in Proviso Township
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park in Proviso Township
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Bemis Woods Preserve (5.7 mi), Salt Creek Woods (1.3 mi), Brezina Woods (1 mi). 23 miles of mapped trail cross Proviso Township, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns · #376 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
590 acres · of 29.7 sq mi of land
Trails
23 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
360 ac
2.4 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
21 mi
1.9 mi lanes · 17 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Proviso Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Proviso Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Proviso Township is ahead of 63% of U.S. towns, #376 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Proviso Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (23 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land2.4 acres of park per 1,000 residents (360 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13C−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 63%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 51%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Proviso Township ranks #312 on Outdoors.
Park acres per resident are where Proviso Township trails most U.S. towns: 2.4 per 1,000 against 12.6 typical, since 147,144 people share 360 acres.
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 Bemis Woods Preserve, with 5.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Salt Creek Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
401 acres1.3 mi of trail
Yellow Unpaved TrailBrown Unpaved Spur
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Brezina Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
83 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
26th Street Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
120 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Miller Meadow Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
309 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Possum Hollow Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
199 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 57 parks & preserves
Bemis Woods Preserve514 acres · 5.7 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsSalt Creek Woods401 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsBrezina Woods83 acres · 1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Directions26th Street Woods120 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsMiller Meadow Preserve309 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsHainesworth Park4 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPossum Hollow Woods199 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsMayfair Park18 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMaywood Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Maywood Park District
DirectionsWolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve82 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsStevenson Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Memorial Park District
DirectionsMemorial Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Community Park District of La Grange Park
DirectionsGladstone Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSilver Creek Eagle Nest Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLa Grange Park Woods108 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsWestchester Woods71 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsEisenhower Park24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMaywood Grove Preserve23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsForest Park20 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Park District of Forest Park
DirectionsHillside Commons12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHigh Ridge Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRobin Hood Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Crossman Circle2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSharp Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Memorial Park District
Candy Cane Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Village of Brookfield
Camberly Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Reiger Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Park District of Forest Park
Brookfield Woods Preserve112 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsThatcher Woods Preserve47 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsThomas Jefferson Woods Preserve20 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsCommunity Park11 acres
DirectionsQuercus Woods Preserve11 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsBerkeley Park11 acres
DirectionsSchuth's Grove Preserve9 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsSchroeder Park7 acres
DirectionsBulger Park6 acres
DirectionsYena Park5 acres · Community Park District of LaGrange Park
Bataan Park5 acres · Veterans Park District
DirectionsWinfield Scott Park4 acres · Maywood Park District
Old Schoolhouse Community Garden4 acres
DirectionsNorthlake Park3 acres
Pioneer Park3 acres
DirectionsForest Preserve District of Cook County2 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsNortheast Park2 acres · Western Springs Park District
DirectionsFriendly Park2 acres
Water Works Park2 acres · Maywood Park District
Stone and Monroe Park2 acres
DirectionsFrost Park2 acres
Hasen Park2 acres
Kiwanis Park1 acres
DirectionsDrury Lane Park1 acres
Babe Ruth Park1 acres
Flippinger Park1 acres
DirectionsLemm Park1 acres · Memorial Park District
DirectionsMadlin Park1 acres
Lexington Park1 acres · Maywood Park District
Veterans Memorial Park1 acres · Park District of Forest Park
DirectionsWho protects it
590 conserved acres
3% of Proviso Township’s land. Who manages Proviso Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation313 ac
Regional agency161 ac
Town or city90 ac
State natural resources47 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits5 ac
Conservation Easement · 313 acLocal Park · 251 acState Conservation Area · 47 acPrivate Conservation · 5 acLocal Recreation Area · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 282 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Road Prairie State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 47 | Open |
| Forest Park Local Park | Regional agency | 18 | Open |
| Eisenhower Park Local Park | Regional agency | 18 | Open |
| Mayfair Park Local Park | Regional agency | 17 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Maywood Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Stevenson Park Local Park | Regional agency | 12 | Open |
| Gladstone Park Local Park | Regional agency | 12 | Open |
| Community Park Local Park | Regional agency | 12 | Open |
| Commons Park Local Park | Regional agency | 11 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
130 places to go in Proviso Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Proviso Township
Westchester PoolIn Community Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Proviso Township
Lind Park
DirectionsRemembrance Park PlaygroundIn Remembrance Park
DirectionsThe Social Play
DirectionsTot SpotIn Brookfield Woods Preserve
DirectionsWinston Plaza Play Area
Directions91 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Proviso Township
Miller Meadow Dog ParkIn Miller Meadow Preserve
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Proviso Township
Addison Creek Confluence Canoe LaunchIn 26th Street Woods
DirectionsBemis Woods-North Canoe Landing
DirectionsMaywood Grove Canoe LandingIn Maywood Grove Preserve
DirectionsSchuth's Grove
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Proviso Township
Old La Grange RoadIn Possum Hollow Woods
DirectionsPicnic areas in Proviso Township
Bemis Woods-North Grove #1In Bemis Woods Preserve
DirectionsBemis Woods-North Grove #2In Bemis Woods Preserve
DirectionsBemis Woods-North Grove #3In Bemis Woods Preserve
DirectionsBemis Woods-North Grove #4In Bemis Woods Preserve
DirectionsBemis Woods-South Grove #5In Bemis Woods Preserve
DirectionsBemis Woods-South Grove #6In Bemis Woods Preserve
DirectionsBemis Woods-South Grove #7In Bemis Woods Preserve
DirectionsBrezina Woods Picnic Grove 1In Brezina Woods
Directions20 more picnic areas
Brezina Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Brezina Woods
DirectionsBrezina Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 3In Brezina Woods
DirectionsLa Grange Park Woods Picnic Grove 1In La Grange Park Woods
DirectionsLittle Broadview BenchIn 26th Street Woods
DirectionsMaywood Grove Grove #1In Maywood Grove Preserve
DirectionsMiller Meadow-South Grove #1In Miller Meadow Preserve
DirectionsMiller Meadow-South Grove #2In Miller Meadow Preserve
DirectionsMiller Meadow-South Grove #3In Miller Meadow Preserve
DirectionsMiller Meadow-South Grove #4In Miller Meadow Preserve
DirectionsMiller Meadow-South Grove #5In Miller Meadow Preserve
DirectionsMiller Meadow-South Grove #6In Miller Meadow Preserve
DirectionsMiller Meadow-South Grove #7In Miller Meadow Preserve
DirectionsMiller Meadow-South Grove #8In Miller Meadow Preserve
DirectionsPossum Hollow Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Possum Hollow Woods
DirectionsQuercus Woods Family Picnic AreaHours: sunrise-sunset
DirectionsSchuth's Grove Grove #2In Schuth's Grove Preserve
DirectionsSilver Creek Family Picnic AreaHours: sunrise-sunset
DirectionsTwenty-sixth Street Woods Picnic Grove 1In 26th Street Woods
DirectionsTwenty-sixth Street Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 2In 26th Street Woods
DirectionsWestchester Woods Picnic Grove 1In Westchester Woods
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.3 miUnpaved · 7.9 mi
Orange Unpaved Trail1.7 mi
Yellow Unpaved Trail1.5 mi
Green Unpaved Trail0.8 mi
Tan Unpaved Trail0.2 mi
Brown Unpaved Spur0.2 mi
Purple Trail0.2 mi
Red Unpaved Trail0.1 mi
Salt Creek Blue Unpaved Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
21 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
17 mi
off-road bike paths
2.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
63Tennis
55Baseball
16Basketball
13Soccer
7Pickleball
6Football
4Beach volleyball
4Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →20 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 14 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Hines, Edward Jr., Veterans Administration Hospital Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2013
About it8 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Proviso 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 47 | 59 | 71 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 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 Proviso Township →
Next door
Proviso Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
York Township34 miLyons Township27 miProviso Township23 miRiver Forest Township7.1 miRiver Forest7.1 miLa Grange2.5 miLa Grange Park1.8 miMaywood0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proviso Township | 3% | 0.8 | 2 | 99%+ | B |
| River Forest Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| River Forest | 2% | 2.9 | 5 | 99%+ | A− |
| Lyons Township | 3% | 0.8 | 7 | 98% | B+ |
| York Township | 6% | 1.0 | 11 | 94% | A− |
| Maywood | 2% | 0.2 | 2 | 99%+ | B− |
| La Grange Park | 7% | 0.8 | 2 | 99%+ | B+ |
| La Grange | 4% | 1.0 | 5 | 99%+ | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Proviso Township
Where can I hike in Proviso Township?
The longest trail networks: Bemis Woods Preserve, 5.7 miles; Salt Creek Woods, 1.3 miles; Brezina Woods, 1 miles; 26th Street Woods, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Proviso Township is conserved land?
3% 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 Proviso Township’s trails?
Bemis Woods Preserve and Salt Creek Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Proviso Township?
21 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.9 of painted or protected lanes, 17 of off-road paths and 2.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Proviso Township?
20,036 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Proviso Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 360 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Proviso Township have?
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #376 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 Proviso 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 →