Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
4,696 acres14.2 mi of trail
Equestrian TrailMountain Bike TrailReturn Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in South Muddy Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in South Muddy Township
The biggest trail networks: Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (14.2 mi). 4% of South Muddy Township’s land is conserved, about 876 acres. 17 miles of mapped trail cross South Muddy Township, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
4%
876 acres · of 35.7 sq mi of land
Trails
17 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
1 boat launch
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 Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, with 14.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
876 conserved acres
4% of South Muddy Township’s land. Water is left out: South Muddy Township has 35.7 square miles of land and 2.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages South Muddy Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners876 ac
State Recreation Area · 875 acPrivate Conservation · 1 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton Lake State Recreation Area | Private owners | 875 | Closed |
| Prairie Ridge - Jasper County Private Conservation | Private owners | 1 | Closed |
Things to do
1 places to go in South Muddy Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in South Muddy Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.1 miHorses · 12.0 miUnpaved · 14.2 mi
Equestrian Trail10.8 mi
Mountain Bike Trail2.1 mi
Return Trail1.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in South Muddy 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 | 54 | 66 | 75 | 84 | 87 | 86 | 80 | 68 | 53 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.9 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in South Muddy Township →
Next door
South Muddy Township and its neighbors
South Muddy Township has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
South Muddy Township17 miBible Grove Township9.9 miPixley Township6.7 miSmallwood Township4.8 miNorth Muddy Township1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Muddy Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Smallwood Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Muddy Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pixley Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bible Grove 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 South Muddy Township
Where can I hike in South Muddy Township?
The longest trail networks: Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, 14.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on South Muddy Township’s trails?
Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near South Muddy Township?
1,299 acres of parks and open public land lie inside South Muddy Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from South Muddy 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 →