Ashburnham State Forest
Nature preserve
3,374 acres5.2 mi of trail
Midstate TrailState Line TrailMid State TrailWapack Trail/Mid State Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Watatic Parking
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Ashburnham
33% of Ashburnham’s land is conserved: 8,214 acres
2,315 acres are parks and preserves, 361 per 1,000 residents. 33 miles of mapped trail cross Ashburnham, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Ashburnham State Forest (5.2 mi), Beals - Wyman Lot Conservation Restriction (2.6 mi), Mount Watatic Reservation (1.8 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #194 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
33%
8,214 acres · of 38.3 sq mi of land
Trails
33 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,315 ac
361 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
65%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,821 ft
Mount Watatic
Lakes & rivers
16
7 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Ashburnham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Ashburnham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ashburnham is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #194 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Ashburnham’s overall grade.
Conserved land33% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (33 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land361 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,315 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home65% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 93%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 32%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Ashburnham’s 33% is ahead of 79% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 15% of them.
Water is 6% of Ashburnham’s area (3 of 41 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 32%.
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 Ashburnham State Forest, with 5.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Beals - Wyman Lot Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
562 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mount Watatic Reservation
Nature preserve
42 acres1.8 mi of trail
Spruce GladeMid State TrailCascade TrailLiftline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Jewell Hill
Nature preserve
86 acres1.6 mi of trail
Jewell Hill TrailSouth Loop TrailOlaf's RunCrocker Farm Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ashby Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
225 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Watatic Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
90 acres1 mi of trail
Mid State Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Somers Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
84 acres0.9 mi of trail
Midstate TrailMidstate Trail (rerouted section)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kirby Conservation Area, North Country Land Trust (NCLT)
Managed by NCLT
55 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 32 parks & preserves
Ashburnham State Forest3,374 acres · 5.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBeals - Wyman Lot Conservation Restriction562 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
Mount Watatic Reservation42 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
Jewell Hill86 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsAshby Wildlife Management Area225 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
DirectionsWatatic Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary90 acres · 1 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
Somers Conservation Restriction84 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsKirby Conservation Area, North Country Land Trust (NCLT)55 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · NCLT
Old County Road Conservation Area442 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Montalvo - Huhn & Huhn Montalvo Conservation Restriction90 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHartshorn - Brooks Lot Conservation Restriction63 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Thoma Conservation Restriction81 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sweeney Memorial Playground2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHartshorn I Conservation Restriction482 acres
Ashburnham Wildlife Management Area226 acres
Russell Hill Conservation Area210 acres
Beals Trust Conservation Restriction111 acres
Hartshorn III Conservation Restriction92 acres
Hartshorn - Coughlin Lot Conservation Restriction91 acres
High Ridge Wildlife Management Area84 acres
Hartshorn - Eaton Hill Lot Conservation Restriction73 acres
Hartshorn - Cashman Hill Lot Conservation Restriction65 acres
Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary55 acres
Bear Meadow Brook Conservation Area54 acres
Fitchburg Reservoir Project Conservation Restriction53 acres
Hagar Conservation Restriction48 acres
Beals - Packard Hill Conservation Restriction35 acres
Hood Conservation Restriction24 acres
Van Hazinga Kenneth Area Agricultural Preservation Restriction21 acres
Cheshire Pond Conservation Area13 acres
Town of Ashburnham I Conservation Restriction13 acres
Bickford Field4 acres
Who protects it
8,214 conserved acres
33% of Ashburnham’s land. Water is left out: Ashburnham has 38.3 square miles of land and 2.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Ashburnham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks3,261 ac
State conservation2,459 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,306 ac
Other state land505 ac
Town or city478 ac
State fish & wildlife218 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)21 ac
Conservation Easement · 4,453 acState Resource Management Area · 2,977 acRecreation or Education Easement · 2,459 acState Conservation Area · 525 acUnknown Easement · 424 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,150 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 9 of 145 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburnham State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,932 | Open |
| Ashburnham Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 260 | Open |
| Russell Hill Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 165 | Open |
| Paul Dunn Woodland Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 157 | Open |
| Ashby Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 95 | Open |
| Watatic Mountain Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 90 | Open |
| High Ridge Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 80 | Restricted |
| Lake Wampanoag Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 71 | Closed |
| Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 51 | Open |
| Bear Meadow Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 51 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Ashburnham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Ashburnham
Holiday Cove
DirectionsRipple Beach Cove
DirectionsPlus 5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Ashburnham
6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Ashburnham
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Ashburnham
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Ashburnham
Mount Watatic1,821 ft elevation · In Mount Watatic Reservation
DirectionsNutting Hill1,611 ft elevation · In Ashburnham State Forest
DirectionsLittle Watatic Mountain1,568 ft elevation · In Ashburnham State Forest
DirectionsFisher Hill1,535 ft elevation · In Ashburnham State Forest
DirectionsMount Hunger1,440 ft elevation · In Ashburnham State Forest
DirectionsBush Hill1,417 ft elevation · In Ashburnham State Forest
DirectionsJewell Hill1,407 ft elevation · In Jewell Hill
DirectionsRussell Hill1,358 ft elevation
Directions6 more peaks
Meeting House Hill1,342 ft elevation
DirectionsPackard Hill1,335 ft elevation · In Hood Conservation Restriction
DirectionsTown Line Hill1,332 ft elevation
DirectionsBrown Hill1,302 ft elevation
DirectionsRocky Hill1,257 ft elevation · In Ashburnham State Forest
DirectionsSwallow Hill1,220 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
14 named trails and 16 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 14.3 mi
Midstate Trail6.3 mi
Mid State Trail1.9 mi
State Line Trail0.9 mi
Jewell Hill Trail0.6 mi
Ashburnham Railroad0.5 mi
South Loop Trail0.5 mi
Olaf's Run0.3 mi
Spruce Glade0.2 mi
Wapack Trail/Mid State Trail0.2 mi
Cascade Trail0.2 mi
4 more trails
Crocker Farm Trail
0.1 miMidstate Trail (rerouted section)
0.1 miOld Cart Path
0.1 miLiftline Trail
0.1 miLakes & 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
5Soccer
4Baseball
3Basketball
2Softball
1Tennis
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Ashburnham: 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 43 | 56 | 67 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 59 | 47 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 5.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Ashburnham →
Next door
Ashburnham and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Winchendon72 miWestminster50 miFitchburg40 miAshburnham33 miGardner26 miAshby24 miSouth Ashburnham1.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburnham | 33% | 0.9 | 361 | 65% | A |
| Westminster | 31% | 1.4 | 256 | 73% | A+ |
| Gardner | 33% | 1.2 | 164 | 91% | A+ |
| Ashby | 32% | 1.0 | 792 | 82% | A+ |
| South Ashburnham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Fitchburg | 20% | 1.5 | 33 | 93% | A+ |
| Winchendon | 20% | 1.7 | 398 | 73% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ashburnham
Where can I hike in Ashburnham?
The longest trail networks: Ashburnham State Forest, 5.2 miles; Beals - Wyman Lot Conservation Restriction, 2.6 miles; Mount Watatic Reservation, 1.8 miles; Jewell Hill, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ashburnham is conserved land?
33% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Ashburnham’s trails?
Ashburnham State Forest and Beals - Wyman Lot Conservation Restriction don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Ashburnham?
58,382 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ashburnham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,720 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Ashburnham have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #194 of 283 in Massachusetts. 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 Ashburnham 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 →