Photo: w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0Springfield Township has 87 acres of parks, 16 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Conservation World (0.5 mi). 82% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 3.1 miles of mapped trail cross Springfield Township, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns · #431 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Springfield Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Springfield Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Springfield Township is ahead of 58% of U.S. towns, #431 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull 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 Conservation World, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Gurgens Park
Riverside Park
Carpenter Park
All 7 parks & preserves
313 conserved acres
4% of Springfield Township’s land. Who manages Springfield Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 245 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangamon Valley Greenway State Recreation Area | Other state land | 50 | Open |
| Carpenter Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Kennedy Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Janice Bentley Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Bergen Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Springfield IDNR Service Building Unknown | State natural resources | 1 | Open |
| Stuart Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
5 places to go in Springfield Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
3 lakes & rivers
3.6 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.
5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
August is the best month for walking in Springfield 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 40 | 52 | 65 | 75 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 79 | 67 | 52 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Springfield Township →
Springfield Township and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield Township | 4% | 0.2 | 16 | 82% | B |
| Capital Township | 6% | 0.8 | 19 | 73% | B+ |
| Springfield | 6% | 0.8 | 19 | 72% | B+ |
| Fancy Creek Township | 2% | 0.2 | 48 | 65% | B− |
| Gardner Township | 4% | under 0.1 | 21 | 23% | C |
| Clear Lake Township | 5% | under 0.1 | 5 | 49% | C |
| Sherman | 3% | 1.6 | 24 | 84% | A− |
| Grandview | 2% | under 0.1 | 3 | 99%+ | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Springfield Township
Where can I hike in Springfield Township?
The longest trail networks: Conservation World, 0.5 miles; Carpenter Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Springfield Township is conserved land?
4% 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 Springfield Township’s trails?
Conservation World and Gurgens Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Springfield Township?
3.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.9 of painted or protected lanes and 2.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Springfield Township?
3,375 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Springfield Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 87 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Springfield Township have?
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #431 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 Springfield Township 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 →