Lieber Nature Preserve
Managed by Elkhart County Parks
109 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
COutdoors
Outdoors in Washington Township
Washington Township has 95 acres of parks, 14 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Lieber Nature Preserve (1.1 mi). 1.9 miles of mapped trail cross Washington Township, 0.1 per square mile of land. 30% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 30% of U.S. towns · #333 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
376 acres · of 25.3 sq mi of land
Trails
1.9 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
95 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
30%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.8 mi
1.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
2 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Washington Township is ahead of 30% of U.S. towns, #333 of 593 in Indiana. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
C
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Washington Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (2 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4CPark land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (95 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home30% of residents within a half mile of a park · IN 51% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 30%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 44%
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Washington Township’s 2% is ahead of 59% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 38% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C to C+. 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 Lieber Nature Preserve, with 1.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Elkhart Bog Nature Preserve
Managed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources
85 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Lieber Nature Preserve109 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Elkhart County Parks
DirectionsCongdon Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCummins Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSix Span Bridge2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Elkhart County Parks
DirectionsElkhart Bog Nature Preserve85 acres · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Hermance Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
376 conserved acres
2% of Washington Township’s land. Who manages Washington Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources180 ac
Private owners150 ac
Town or city42 ac
State fish & wildlife4 ac
State Conservation Area · 185 acPrivate Park · 150 acLocal Park · 42 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rbaer Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 150 | Open |
| Pipewort Pond Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 129 | Restricted |
| Elkhart Bog (malaxis) Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 50 | Open |
| Hermance Park Local Park | Town or city | 33 | Open |
| Congdon Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Cummins Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Saint Joseph Valley Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 4 | Restricted |
| Eby Prairie Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1 | Restricted |
Things to do
12 places to go in Washington Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Washington Township
9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Washington Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Washington Township
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
2 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
1.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
6Pickleball
4Tennis
2Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Washington Township: April and 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 80 | 84 | 81 | 75 | 63 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.1 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Washington Township →
Next door
Washington Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Porter Township9.6 miYork Township5.6 miElkhart5.5 miJefferson Township3.0 miOsolo Township2.3 miWashington Township1.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township | 2% | 0.1 | 14 | 30% | C |
| Osolo Township | 2% | 0.1 | 9 | 47% | C |
| York Township | 3% | 0.2 | 70 | 19% | B− |
| Jefferson Township | 2% | 0.1 | 9 | 7% | C− |
| Elkhart | 3% | 0.2 | 9 | 70% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Washington Township
Where can I hike in Washington Township?
The longest trail networks: Lieber Nature Preserve, 1.1 miles; Congdon Park, 0.4 miles; Cummins Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Washington Township is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 2% for an Indiana town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Washington Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Lieber Nature Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Washington Township?
1.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Washington Township?
6,208 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Washington Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 95 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
Ahead of 30% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #333 of 593 in Indiana. 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 Washington 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 →