Lake Murphysboro State Park
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
64 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Sand Ridge Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Sand Ridge Township
24% of Sand Ridge Township’s land is conserved, about 5,453 acres. 67 acres are parks and preserves, 72 per 1,000 residents. 11 miles of mapped trail cross Sand Ridge Township, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
24%
5,453 acres · of 35.5 sq mi of land
Trails
11 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
67 ac
72 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
2%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
650 ft
Swallow Rock
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
5,453 conserved acres
24% of Sand Ridge Township’s land. Who manages Sand Ridge Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service4,988 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)233 ac
State natural resources148 ac
State conservation87 ac
National Forest · 4,988 acConservation Easement · 320 acUnknown · 88 acState Park · 60 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 318 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 4,952 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | State natural resources | 88 | Open |
| Lake Murphysboro State Park State Park | State natural resources | 60 | Open |
| Shawnee Purchase Unit National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 36 | Open |
Things to do
4 places to go in Sand Ridge Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Sand Ridge Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Sand Ridge Township
Kinkaid Lake Spillway Falls
DirectionsPeaks in Sand Ridge Township
Swallow Rock650 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Sand Ridge Township
Bald Knob Picnic AreaIn Lake Murphysboro State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail
Named trails
Kinkaid Lake Trail0.4 mi
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Basketball
1Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The walking year in Sand Ridge 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) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 47 | 57 | 68 | 77 | 86 | 89 | 88 | 81 | 70 | 56 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 5.3 inches fall in April, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Sand Ridge Township →
Next door
Sand Ridge Township and its neighbors
Sand Ridge Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Levan Township22 miSand Ridge Township11 miGrand Tower Township8.0 miFountain Bluff Township6.9 miMurphysboro Township0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Ridge Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Levan Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Murphysboro Township | 4% | under 0.1 | 8 | 57% | C |
| Fountain Bluff Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Grand Tower 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 Sand Ridge Township
Are dogs allowed on Sand Ridge Township’s trails?
Lake Murphysboro State Park doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Sand Ridge Township?
53,883 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sand Ridge Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,166 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sand Ridge 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 →