Crow Island Woods
Managed by Winnetka Park District
17 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Zol87 · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Winnetka
10% of Winnetka’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. 5.6 miles of mapped trail cross Winnetka, 1.5 per square mile of land. 10% of Winnetka’s land is conserved, about 235 acres.
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #40 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
235 acres · of 3.8 sq mi of land
Trails
5.6 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
229 ac
18 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.8 mi
3.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
4 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Winnetka?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild10% 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 town1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 88% of U.S. towns.History along the way10 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Winnetka have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Winnetka is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #40 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Winnetka’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (6 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land18 acres of park per 1,000 residents (229 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13BParks 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 94%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 95%
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 Crow Island Woods, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Skokie Lagoons South
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
133 acres0.8 mi of trail
North Branch Yellow Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Centennial Park
Managed by Winnetka Park District
5 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Skokie Lagoons Central
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
35 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Indian Hill Park
Managed by Winnetka Park District
4 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 19 parks & preserves
Crow Island Woods17 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsSkokie Lagoons South133 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsCentennial Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsSkokie Lagoons Central35 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsIndian Hill Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsHibbard Woods Preserve7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsTower Road Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsHubbard Woods Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsLloyd Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsElder Lane Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsVillage Green Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsMaple Street Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsBell Woods Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
Franklin Dunbaugh Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsDwyer Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsSkokie Playfield27 acres · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsNick Corwin Park6 acres · Winnetka Park District
West Elm Street Park5 acres · Winnetka Park District
Sheridan Park3 acres · Winnetka Park District
DirectionsWho protects it
235 conserved acres
10% of Winnetka’s land. Who manages Winnetka’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency223 ac
Private owners7 ac
Town or city4 ac
Local Recreation Area · 157 acLocal Park · 70 acPrivate Park · 7 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnetka Golf Club Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 97 | Open |
| Skokie Playfields Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 41 | Open |
| Crow Island Park Local Park | Regional agency | 17 | Open |
| Nths Duke Childs Field Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 16 | Open |
| Lloyd Park Local Park | Regional agency | 9 | Open |
| Indian Hill Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 7 | Open |
| Nick Corwin Park Local Park | Regional agency | 6 | Open |
| Centennial Park Local Park | Regional agency | 5 | Open |
| Indian Hill Park Local Park | Regional agency | 5 | Open |
| Tower Road Park Local Park | Regional agency | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
18 places to go in Winnetka
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Winnetka
Cherry Street Beach
DirectionsTower Road Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Winnetka
11 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Winnetka
Stepan Family Boat Launch
DirectionsScenic views in Winnetka
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Winnetka
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.5 mi
North Branch Yellow Unpaved Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.0 mi
off-road bike paths
1.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
23Tennis
8Baseball
2Football
2Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Orth HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itAnita Willets Burnham Log HouseBuilding · listed 2005
About itLola Maverick Lloyd HouseBuilding · listed 2006
About itWilliam McJunkin HouseBuilding · listed 2006
About itCommunity HouseBuilding · listed 2007
About itDr. Paul W. and Eunice Greeley HouseBuilding · listed 2011
About itLouis B. Kuppenheimer Jr. HouseBuilding · listed 2017
About itArno and Verna Myers HouseBuilding · listed 2026
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Winnetka: 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 | 45 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 82 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Winnetka →
Next door
Winnetka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnetka | 10% | 1.5 | 18 | 99%+ | A |
| New Trier Township | 8% | 2.1 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| Glencoe | 3% | 1.6 | 10 | 99%+ | A− |
| Kenilworth | 2% | 0.7 | 5 | 99%+ | B+ |
| 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 Winnetka
Where can I hike in Winnetka?
The longest trail networks: Crow Island Woods, 0.9 miles; Skokie Lagoons South, 0.8 miles; Centennial Park, 0.4 miles; Skokie Lagoons Central, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Winnetka is conserved land?
10% 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 Winnetka’s trails?
Crow Island Woods and Skokie Lagoons South don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Winnetka?
4.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.0 of off-road paths and 1.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Winnetka?
7,600 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Winnetka or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 229 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Winnetka have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #40 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 Winnetka 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 →