Mine Hill Preserve
Managed by Roxbury Land Trust
386 acres6.8 mi of trail
Donkey Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Roxbury Center · Photo: Pedro Xing · CC0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Roxbury
21% of Roxbury’s land is conserved: 3,546 acres
40 miles of mapped trail cross Roxbury, 1.5 per square mile of land. 251 acres are parks and preserves, 115 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Mine Hill Preserve (6.8 mi), Erbacher Preserve (3.7 mi), Emily Griffith Beardsley Preserve (2.5 mi).
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
3,546 acres · of 26.3 sq mi of land
Trails
40 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
251 ac
115 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
38%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,063 ft
Painter Hill
Lakes & rivers
9
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Roxbury?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Roxbury have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Roxbury is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Roxbury’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (40 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land115 acres of park per 1,000 residents (251 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13AParks close to home38% of residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 88%
LessMore
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Roxbury’s 21% is ahead of 69% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 59% of them.
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 Mine Hill Preserve, with 6.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Erbacher Preserve
Managed by Roxbury Land Trust
290 acres3.7 mi of trail
Kress Family Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Emily Griffith Beardsley Preserve
Managed by Roxbury Land Trust
130 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
River Road Preserve
Managed by Roxbury Land Trust
93 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lilly Preserve
Managed by Roxbury Land Trust
141 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Golden Harvest Preserve
Managed by Roxbury Land Trust
99 acres1.3 mi of trail
Kress Family Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Baldwin Preserve and Bray Preserve
Managed by Roxbury Land Trust
61 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Brian E. Tierney Nature Preserve
Managed by Roxbury Land Trust
57 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 36 parks & preserves
Mine Hill Preserve386 acres · 6.8 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsErbacher Preserve290 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
Emily Griffith Beardsley Preserve130 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsRiver Road Preserve93 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsLilly Preserve141 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsGolden Harvest Preserve99 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
Baldwin Preserve and Bray Preserve61 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsBrian E. Tierney Nature Preserve57 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsMiller Preserve47 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsOrzech Family Preserve114 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsGavel Family Farm Preserve196 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsMcMahan Preserve98 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
River's Edge Preserve22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsHumphrey Preserve12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
Battle Swamp Brook Preserve21 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsSherman Park12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Roxbury
DirectionsMiller Preserve Addition8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
Allen S. Hurlburt Preserve24 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
Horrigan Family Preserve6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
Chase Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMoosehorn Access Preserve3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsGood Hill Farm Preserve129 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Leander Woods Preserve34 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Matthau Preserve32 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Widmark Preserve27 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Directionsvan Deusen Preserve25 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsStyron Preserve21 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Raven Rock Preserve20 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsNatalie White Preserve18 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Hurlburt Park16 acres · Town of Roxbury
DirectionsGeraldine Stutz Preserve14 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
DirectionsFulkerson Preserve8 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Glaves Preserve6 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Cross Brook Preserve5 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Baldwin Connector3 acres · Roxbury Land Trust
Town Open Space (Minor Bridge Road)2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,546 conserved acres
21% of Roxbury’s land. Who manages Roxbury’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits614 ac
Private owners590 ac
State conservation383 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)51 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government47 ac
Town or city18 ac
Not recorded2,836 ac
Private Conservation · 2,558 acUnknown Easement · 966 acConservation Easement · 415 acAgricultural Easement · 404 acLocal Conservation Area · 102 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 792 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 138 of 182 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Private Conservation | Not recorded | 2,148 | Unknown |
| Thomas Robert Lilly Memorial Private Conservation | Not recorded | 247 | Unknown |
| Erbacher Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 78 | Unknown |
| Brian E. Tierney Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 57 | Unknown |
| River Road Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 36 | Unknown |
| Roxbury Cemetery Association Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 31 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 25 | Unknown |
| Kovacs Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 25 | Unknown |
| Shapot Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 23 | Unknown |
| Sherman Park Local Park | Not recorded | 19 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
12 places to go in Roxbury
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Roxbury
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Roxbury
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Roxbury
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Roxbury
Painter Hill1,063 ft elevation
DirectionsGood Hill958 ft elevation
DirectionsGreenleaf Hill925 ft elevation
DirectionsMoosehorn Hill866 ft elevation
DirectionsBooth Hill843 ft elevation
DirectionsBronson Mountain837 ft elevation
DirectionsRucum Hill823 ft elevation
DirectionsRaven Rock679 ft elevation
Directions1 more peak
Sentry Hill538 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 27.2 mi
Kress Family Trail2.2 mi
Donkey Path0.5 mi
Chalybes Road West0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
6Tennis
1Basketball
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Roxbury: May 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) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Roxbury →
Next door
Roxbury 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roxbury | 21% | 1.5 | 115 | 38% | A |
| Bridgewater | 16% | 1.2 | 214 | 40% | A |
| Washington | 30% | 1.7 | 638 | 44% | A |
| Woodbury | 20% | 1.1 | 48 | 43% | A− |
| Southbury | 17% | 1.2 | 87 | 60% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Roxbury
Where can I hike in Roxbury?
The longest trail networks: Mine Hill Preserve, 6.8 miles; Erbacher Preserve, 3.7 miles; Emily Griffith Beardsley Preserve, 2.5 miles; River Road Preserve, 2.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Roxbury is conserved land?
21% of its land, against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Roxbury’s trails?
Mine Hill Preserve and Erbacher Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Roxbury?
11,073 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Roxbury or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 251 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Roxbury have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Roxbury 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 →