33% of West Galena Township’s land is conserved: 1,995 acres
138 acres are parks and preserves, 43 per 1,000 residents. 86% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 1.8 miles of mapped trail cross West Galena Township, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #168 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is West Galena Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does West Galena Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, West Galena Township is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #168 of 768 in Illinois. Conserved land holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
Water is 16% of West Galena Township’s area (2 of 11 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 27%.
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Old Cemetery Park
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
All 5 parks & preserves
1,995 conserved acres
33% of West Galena Township’s land. Water is left out: West Galena Township has 9.6 square miles of land and 1.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages West Galena Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 317 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms Rv Pools 11-22 Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 1,195 | Open |
| Portage Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 313 | Open |
| James H Wienen Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Recreation Park Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Keough Effigy Mounds Land and Water Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 34 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Old Cemetery Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| West Street Sculpture Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
4 places to go in West Galena Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 lakes & rivers
2.4 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.
The best walking months in West Galena Township: April and September
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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 33 | 46 | 59 | 71 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 46 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
January is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in West Galena Township →
West Galena 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Galena Township | 33% | 0.2 | 43 | 86% | A− |
| East Galena Township | 3% | 0.4 | 296 | 43% | B |
| Galena | 8% | 0.9 | 74 | 97% | A |
| Menominee Township | 10% | 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Galena Township
Where can I hike in West Galena Township?
The longest trail networks: Recreation Park, 0.1 miles; Old Cemetery Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of West Galena Township is conserved land?
33% 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 West Galena Township’s trails?
James H. Wienen Memorial Park and Recreation Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Galena Township?
2.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near West Galena Township?
15,051 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Galena Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,656 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does West Galena Township have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #168 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 West Galena 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 →