Gillson Park
Managed by Wilmette Park District
54 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Soueric · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Wilmette
11% of Wilmette’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 9.2 miles of mapped trail cross Wilmette, 1.7 per square mile of land. 11% of Wilmette’s land is conserved, about 382 acres.
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #65 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
382 acres · of 5.4 sq mi of land
Trails
9.2 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
310 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.4 mi
1.7 mi lanes · 2.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
5 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Wilmette?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild11% of the land is conserved; a typical Illinois town, 4%.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.A trail town1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 91% of U.S. towns.History along the way14 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Wilmette have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Wilmette is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #65 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Wilmette’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (9 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (310 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 92%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Gillson Park, with 1.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mallinckrodt Park
Managed by Wilmette Park District
10 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Community Park
Managed by Wilmette Park District
34 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Watersmeet Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
32 acres0.7 mi of trail
North Branch Yellow Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Stephen R. Keay Nature Learning Center
Managed by Wilmette Park District
5 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 19 parks & preserves
Gillson Park54 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsMallinckrodt Park10 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsCommunity Park34 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
Watersmeet Woods32 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsStephen R. Keay Nature Learning Center5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsHibbard Park14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
Howard Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsVattman Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
West Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsMaple Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsElmwood Dunes Preserve1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Village of Wilmette
DirectionsEarlywine Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Wilmette Park District
Centennial Park17 acres · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsThornwood Park7 acres · Wilmette Park District
Langdon Park3 acres · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsForest Preserve District of Cook County2 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsShorewood Park1 acres · Wilmette Park District
Wilmette Park District1 acres · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsForest Park1 acres · Wilmette Park District
DirectionsWho protects it
382 conserved acres
11% of Wilmette’s land. Who manages Wilmette’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency186 ac
Town or city105 ac
Private owners91 ac
State natural resources6 ac
Local Park · 186 acUnknown · 105 acPrivate Park · 91 acConservation Easement · 6 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmette Golf Club Unknown | Town or city | 105 | Open |
| Westmoreland Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 88 | Open |
| Gillson Park Local Park | Regional agency | 58 | Open |
| Community Park Local Park | Regional agency | 40 | Open |
| Centennial Park Local Park | Regional agency | 16 | Open |
| Mallinckrodt Park Local Park | Regional agency | 14 | Open |
| Howard Park Local Park | Regional agency | 11 | Open |
| Hibbard Park Local Park | Regional agency | 8 | Open |
| West Park Local Park | Regional agency | 8 | Open |
| Avoca Park Local Park | Regional agency | 7 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Wilmette
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Wilmette
Gillson BeachFee · In Gillson Park
DirectionsLangdon Park Beach
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Wilmette
26 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Wilmette
Gillson Dog BeachIn Gillson Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Wilmette
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.9 miHorses · 0.7 miUnpaved · 2.3 mi
Evanston-Wilmette Community Trail0.7 mi
North Branch Yellow Unpaved Trail0.7 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.1 mi
off-road bike paths
0.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
North Branch Yellow Unpaved TrailBike route
0.7 miCourts & fields
51Tennis
13Baseball
5Basketball
2Soccer
1Football
1Skate park
1Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Frank J. Baker HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itChicago and Northwestern DepotBuilding · listed 1975
About itBaha'i TempleBuilding · listed 1978
About itBailey-Michelet HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itLinden Avenue TerminalBuilding · listed 1984
About itGross Point Village HallBuilding · listed 1991
About itOak Circle Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2001
About itAlfred Bersbach HouseBuilding · listed 2003
About itOuilmette North Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2005
About itRobert and Suzanne Drucker HouseBuilding · listed 2013
About itWilmette Village Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2023
About itCraig and Estella Hazelwood HouseBuilding · listed 2024
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Wilmette: July to 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 46 | 57 | 68 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Wilmette →
Next door
Wilmette and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
New Trier Township34 miNiles Township30 miGlenview27 miEvanston12 miSkokie9.8 miWilmette9.2 miNorthfield4.5 miKenilworth0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmette | 11% | 1.7 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| New Trier Township | 8% | 2.1 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| Glenview | 10% | 1.9 | 16 | 96% | A |
| Kenilworth | 2% | 0.7 | 5 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Evanston | 6% | 1.5 | 4 | 99%+ | A− |
| Skokie | 8% | 1.0 | 5 | 99%+ | A− |
| Niles Township | 7% | 1.4 | 6 | 99%+ | A− |
| Northfield | 11% | 1.4 | 9 | 88% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Wilmette
Where can I hike in Wilmette?
The longest trail networks: Gillson Park, 1.3 miles; Mallinckrodt Park, 0.9 miles; Community Park, 0.8 miles; Watersmeet Woods, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Wilmette is conserved land?
11% 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 Wilmette’s trails?
Gillson Park and Mallinckrodt Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wilmette?
4.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.7 of painted or protected lanes, 2.1 of off-road paths and 0.7 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: North Branch Yellow Unpaved Trail.
Is there public land near Wilmette?
8,005 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wilmette or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 310 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Wilmette have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #65 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 Wilmette 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 →