October Mountain State Forest
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
2,625 acres9.5 mi of trail
Appalachian TrailCordonier TrailBuckley Dunton TrailFinerty Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto ORV ParkingWebsite ↗
Photo: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Becket
Becket has 2,280 acres of parks, 1,162 for every 1,000 residents
24% of Becket’s land is conserved, about 7,147 acres. The biggest trail networks: October Mountain State Forest (9.5 mi), Becket Quarry (5 mi), Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area (0.5 mi). 31 miles of mapped trail cross Becket, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
7,147 acres · of 46.1 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,280 ac
1,162 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
28%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,215 ft
Walling Mountain
Lakes & rivers
22
7 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Becket?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Becket have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Becket is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Becket’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (31 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land1,162 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,280 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home28% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 84%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Becket’s 24% is ahead of 61% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 10% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 October Mountain State Forest, with 9.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Becket Quarry
Nature preserve
273 acres5 mi of trail
Laurel Knob TrailOld Motion LoopMossy Bottom TrailFounders Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Becket Historic Quarry and Forest trailhead
Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
113 acres0.5 mi of trail
Keystone Arch Bridges TrailBoston and Albany Railroad
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Appalachian Trail Corridor
Managed by National Park Service
89 acres0.4 mi of trail
Appalachian TrailAT Access (blue)
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto AT parking
All 11 parks & preserves
October Mountain State Forest2,625 acres · 9.5 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBecket Quarry273 acres · 5 mi of trail
DirectionsWalnut Hill Wildlife Management Area113 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
DirectionsAppalachian Trail Corridor89 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsFarmington River Wildlife Management Area204 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Conservation Land718 acres
DirectionsShales Brook Wildlife Management Area246 acres
Otis State Forest210 acres
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge123 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Westfield River Division123 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Boulder Grange Conservation Area1 acres
Who protects it
7,147 conserved acres
24% of Becket’s land. Who manages Becket’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service537 ac
State parks127 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits92 ac
National Park Service89 ac
State fish & wildlife6 ac
State natural resources6 ac
Not recorded6,484 ac
State Resource Management Area · 3,832 acPrivate Conservation · 1,488 acWatershed Protection Area · 678 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 537 acState Conservation Area · 529 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 53 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 38 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| October Mountain State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,829 | Open |
| Camp Becket for Boys Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,206 | Restricted |
| Chester Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 678 | Unknown |
| Becket State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 652 | Open |
| Silvio O. Conte National Fish And Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 537 | Restricted |
| Becket Quarry Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 272 | Open |
| Shales Brook Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 233 | Open |
| Otis State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 225 | Open |
| Farmington River Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 207 | Open |
| Appalachian Trail State Resource Management Area | State parks | 127 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Becket
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Becket
Iroquis Waterfront
DirectionsPlus 6 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Becket
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Becket
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Becket
Derrick SiteIn Becket Quarry
DirectionsPlus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Becket
Walling Mountain2,215 ft elevation · In October Mountain State Forest
DirectionsBecket Mountain2,175 ft elevation · In October Mountain State Forest
DirectionsWadsworth Hill1,988 ft elevation
DirectionsBenton Hill1,736 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Gobble1,565 ft elevation · In Conservation Land
DirectionsCherry Hill1,542 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Becket
Bonnie Rigg Camping Club
DirectionsCamp Greylock
DirectionsFrontier Village
DirectionsGreen Point
DirectionsIroquois Village
DirectionsLong Point
DirectionsPioneer Village
DirectionsRanger Village
Directions2 more campgrounds
Rocky Point
DirectionsWhite Rock
DirectionsTrails & water
20 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 9.4 mi
Huckleberry Trolley Line3.6 mi
Appalachian Trail3.1 mi
Cordonier Trail2.4 mi
Buckley Dunton Trail2.1 mi
Esau’s Heel Trail1.3 mi
Finerty Trail1.3 mi
Unverified DCR Track1.2 mi
Laurel Knob Trail0.8 mi
Old Motion Loop0.7 mi
Mossy Bottom Trail0.6 mi
10 more trails
Becket Historic Quarry and Forest Trail
0.5 miFounders Loop
0.5 miThe Heights Trail
0.5 miFinn Trail
0.3 miBoston and Albany Railroad
0.3 miBeaver Glide
0.2 miKeystone Arch Bridges Trail
0.2 miEratic Trail
0.2 miAT Access (blue)
0.1 miSpruce
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Becket Historic QuarryBuckley Dunton LakelakeCenter PondreservoirChimney Corners PondreservoirExcalibur LakeGolden Fawn LakelakeGreenwater PondreservoirIndian LakelakeLittle Robin LakeLong Bow LakelakeNottingham LakePalmer BrookPalmer Brook ReservoirRobin Hood LakelakeRudd PondpondShaw PondSilver Shield LakeThomas PondpondWard PondpondYokum PondpondWalker BrookWest Branch Westfield River
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
42Tennis
14Basketball
10Baseball
5Soccer
2Football
1Beach volleyball
1Volleyball
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
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 Becket: May, July and August
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) | 30 | 33 | 41 | 54 | 66 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 70 | 58 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 5.0 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Becket →
Next door
Becket and its neighbors
Becket has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becket | 24% | 0.7 | 1,162 | 28% | A− |
| Middlefield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Otis | 38% | 0.1 | 2,338 | 51% | A− |
| Washington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Tyringham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lee | 37% | 1.0 | 608 | 95% | A+ |
| Chester | 31% | 0.7 | 4,779 | 74% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Becket
Where can I hike in Becket?
The longest trail networks: October Mountain State Forest, 9.5 miles; Becket Quarry, 5 miles; Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area, 0.5 miles; Appalachian Trail Corridor, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Becket is conserved land?
24% 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 Becket’s trails?
October Mountain State Forest and Becket Quarry don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Becket?
109,207 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Becket or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,678 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Becket have?
Ahead of 84% 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 Becket 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 →