Independence, IL parks, trails & bike paths
About 13% of Independence is conserved land, roughly 3,177 acres. There are about 17 miles of mapped trails.
Conserved land, trails, parks and bike routes in Independence, measured from OpenStreetMap and USGS data.
Independence outdoors
Conserved land is a share of the whole town area. Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Parks & preserves with trails
Beaches, playgrounds, falls & more
Named trails
- West Branch Trail1.8 mi
- Ridge Trail1.4 mi
- Ford Trail1.2 mi
- North Park Trail1.0 mi
- Cemetery Trail0.7 mi
3,177 conserved acres
Conserved doesn't always mean open to visitors. 5 acres are conservation easements, which are usually private land. The places listed above are parks and preserves people visit.
Bike routes, courts & fields
- Painted or protected bike lanes0.0 mi
- Off-road bike paths0.0 mi
- Shoulders & shared lanes0.0 mi
Courts & fields
- Tennis1
Counts include school and college facilities, which aren't always open to the public.
The biggest protected places in Independence
| Place | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee National ForestNational Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 3,143 | Open |
| P and E Refuge Land and Water R.State Conservation Area | Private owners | 31 | Open |
Historic places to visit
Independence and its neighbors
| Town | Conserved | Trails | Parks & preserves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | 13.4% | 17.2 mi | 0 |
| Stonefort | 69.1% | 4.4 mi | 1 |
| Mountain | 39.6% | 22.5 mi | 2 |
| Harrisburg | 6.3% | 16.1 mi | 6 |
| Carrier Mills | 47.5% | 42.6 mi | 4 |
Conditions & tips from neighbors
Sources: trails, parks, preserves, courts and bike lanes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), map data as of 2026-09-28. Conserved land: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US). Measured against the Census town boundary.
How we measure
"Trails" are OpenStreetMap paths, bridleways, public tracks and unpaved footways, plus footways inside a park or preserve or on a named trail route. Sidewalks are left out. Areas are counted on a 20-meter grid, so overlapping parcels count once. "Conserved" includes conservation easements, which protect land from development but are usually private property. Trailheads are the nearest marked trailhead, public parking lot or information board within about 150 meters of a preserve. Dog rules come from OpenStreetMap when someone has tagged them; otherwise we show what's typical for the land manager, or say the rules aren't recorded.