Few parks or trails are on the map in Summit Township
1.9 miles of mapped trail cross Summit Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 5% of U.S. towns · #764 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
How much outdoors does Summit Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Summit Township is ahead of 5% of U.S. towns, #764 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are below most U.S. towns; trail miles come closest.
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.
47 conserved acres
under 1% of Summit Township’s land. Who manages Summit Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Sara Flatwoods Natural Heritage Landmark Private Historic or Cultural | Private owners | 47 | Closed |
3 places to go in Summit Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
4 lakes & rivers
3.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
August is the best month for walking in Summit 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 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 42 | 53 | 65 | 75 | 84 | 87 | 85 | 80 | 68 | 53 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.9 inches fall in April, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Summit Township →
Summit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Township | under 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
| Douglas Township | under 1% | 0.2 | 9 | 66% | C |
| Moccasin Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Banner Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Effingham | 2% | 0.3 | 9 | 67% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Summit Township
How much of Summit Township is conserved land?
under 1% 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.
Where can I bike in Summit Township?
3.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Summit Township?
1,610 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Summit Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Summit Township have?
Ahead of 5% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #764 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 Summit 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 →