Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
460 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Smallwood Township
More than half of Smallwood Township’s land is conserved: 74%
74% of Smallwood Township’s land is conserved, about 19,698 acres. 9 acres are parks and preserves, 22 per 1,000 residents. 4.8 miles of mapped trail cross Smallwood Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
74%
19,698 acres · of 41.7 sq mi of land
Trails
4.8 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
9 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
5%
of residents within ½ mile
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.
Prairie Ridge State Natural Area
Nature preserve
160 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
19,698 conserved acres
74% of Smallwood Township’s land. Who manages Smallwood Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners17,014 ac
State conservation2,709 ac
State natural resources2,648 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits39 ac
Private Conservation · 17,052 acConservation Easement · 2,709 acState Conservation Area · 2,648 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Ridge - Jasper County Private Conservation | Private owners | 17,014 | Closed |
| Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 2,648 | Open |
| Richard and Jean Graber Grasslands Land and Water Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 39 | Open |
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Smallwood 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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 43 | 53 | 65 | 75 | 84 | 86 | 85 | 80 | 68 | 53 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 5.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Smallwood Township →
Next door
Smallwood Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Fox Township22 miSouth Muddy Township17 miWade Township6.8 miSmallwood Township4.8 miDenver Township4.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallwood Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| South Muddy Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wade Township | 8% | 0.1 | 278 | 58% | B+ |
| Fox Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Denver 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 Smallwood Township
Are dogs allowed on Smallwood Township’s trails?
Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Prairie Ridge State Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Smallwood Township?
1,468 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Smallwood Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 9 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Smallwood 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 →