Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
1,299 acres4.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Anonymous · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Wilmington Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Wilmington Township
The biggest trail networks: Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area (4.6 mi), Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (3.6 mi). 38% of Wilmington Township’s land is conserved, about 8,056 acres. 2,751 acres are parks and preserves, 465 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
38%
8,056 acres · of 33.0 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,751 ac
465 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
88%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.1 mi
4.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
2 beaches · 4 boat launches
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 Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area, with 4.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
Managed by United States Forest Service
4,422 acres3.6 mi of trail
Prairie Creek Woods TrailDetour
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Grant Creek Prairie Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
74 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area1,299 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Illinois Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMidewin National Tallgrass Prairie4,422 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsGrant Creek Prairie Nature Preserve74 acres
South Island Park32 acres
DirectionsNorth Island Park12 acres
DirectionsVeteran's Memorial Park1 acres
Children's Memorial Park1 acres
Who protects it
8,056 conserved acres
38% of Wilmington Township’s land. Water is left out: Wilmington Township has 33.0 square miles of land and 2.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Wilmington Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service4,423 ac
State natural resources3,350 ac
State conservation677 ac
Private owners388 ac
Town or city57 ac
National Forest · 4,423 acState Conservation Area · 3,738 acConservation Easement · 677 acLocal Park · 55 acLocal Recreation Area · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midewin Other National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 4,423 | Open |
| Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 3,092 | Open |
| Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie State Conservation Area | Private owners | 388 | Restricted |
| Hitts Siding Prairie State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 258 | Open |
| Island Park Local Park | Town or city | 55 | Open |
| Diamond Soccer Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 3 | Open |
Things to do
13 places to go in Wilmington Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Wilmington Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Wilmington Township
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Wilmington Township
4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Wilmington Township
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Wilmington Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Wilmington Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Prairie Creek Woods Trail1.0 mi
Detour0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
4Baseball
2Soccer
2Tennis
1Softball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Wilmington 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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 49 | 62 | 73 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Wilmington Township →
Next door
Wilmington Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Goose Lake Township23 miChannahon Township14 miWilmington Township12 miReed Township12 miFlorence Township2.6 miWilmington1.1 miFelix Township0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Florence Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Channahon Township | 32% | 0.4 | 164 | 93% | A |
| Felix Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 4 | 72% | C− |
| Goose Lake Township | 24% | 0.9 | 1,388 | 45% | A |
| Reed Township | 5% | 0.7 | 11 | 62% | B |
| Wilmington | 32% | 0.1 | 235 | 88% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Wilmington Township
Where can I hike in Wilmington Township?
The longest trail networks: Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area, 4.6 miles; Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, 3.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Wilmington Township’s trails?
Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wilmington Township?
4.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Wilmington Township?
33,071 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wilmington Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,035 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Wilmington 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 →