Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
1,051 acres6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Nwalsh (Uploads) · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Belchertown
24% of Belchertown’s land is conserved: 8,015 acres
94 miles of mapped trail cross Belchertown, 1.8 per square mile of land. 2,848 acres are parks and preserves, 185 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area (6 mi), Quabbin Reservoir Reservation (5.5 mi), Quabbin Park (2.8 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #171 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
8,015 acres · of 52.6 sq mi of land
Trails
94 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,848 ac
185 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
67%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.0 mi
3.7 mi lanes · 0.3 mi paths
Highest peak
1,109 ft
East Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
1 beach · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Belchertown?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Belchertown have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Belchertown is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #171 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 Belchertown’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (94 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land185 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,848 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home67% 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 95%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 40%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Belchertown’s 24% is ahead of 60% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 42% 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 Herman Covey WMA, with 6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
Managed by DCR - Division Of Water Supply Protection
4,532 acres5.5 mi of trail
No dogs
Directionsto Fishing Area 1 Parking
Quabbin Park
Managed by DCR
195 acres2.8 mi of trail
Visitor's Center Loop TrailSwift River ExtentionTimber Frame Inner Loop
No dogs
Directionsto Quabbin ParkingWebsite ↗
Reed Property Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
92 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Holland Glen Forest
Nature preserve
332 acres1.3 mi of trail
Holland Glen TrailHolland Glen
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Topping Farm Conservation Area
Nature preserve
217 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Jabish Brook Conservation Area
Nature preserve
145 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Water Supply Land
Nature preserve
69 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 30 parks & preserves
Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area1,051 acres · 6 mi of trail
DirectionsQuabbin Reservoir Reservation4,532 acres · 5.5 mi of trail · DCR - Division Of Water Supply Protection
DirectionsQuabbin Park195 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · DCR
DirectionsReed Property Conservation Restriction92 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Holland Glen Forest332 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTopping Farm Conservation Area217 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Jabish Brook Conservation Area145 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Water Supply Land69 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Meadows Conservation Area22 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Foley Field66 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Holyoke Range State Park331 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation
Meads Corner Conservation Area84 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Scarborough Brook Conservation Area68 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWarren Wright Road Conservation Area46 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsConservation Area53 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Belchertown Conservation Commission
UMass Experimental Forest39 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRed Bridge State Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Austin Gaughan Memorial Field6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Common3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsQuabbin Reservoir Watershed170 acres
Swift River Conservation Area56 acres
DirectionsSpringfield Water Supply Land52 acres
DirectionsWater Supply Area39 acres
Warner Road Conservation Area29 acres
Town Woodlot21 acres
Cadwell Memorial Forest8 acres · University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Environmental Conservation
Arcadia Bog Conservation Area8 acres
DirectionsParsons Field6 acres
DirectionsCold Spring Conservation Area5 acres
DirectionsValuation Section Conservation Area2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
8,015 conserved acres
24% of Belchertown’s land. Who manages Belchertown’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,041 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits927 ac
Other state land898 ac
State conservation192 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)94 ac
Joint94 ac
State fish & wildlife78 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 3,977 acConservation Easement · 1,277 acState Conservation Area · 1,157 acAgricultural Easement · 1,038 acLocal Other or Unknown · 689 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 987 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 18 of 172 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quabbin Reservoir Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 3,189 | Restricted |
| Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,156 | Open |
| Springfield Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 337 | Closed |
| Mount Holyoke Range State Park State Park | Not recorded | 332 | Open |
| Swift River Sportsmans Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 297 | Restricted |
| Holland Glen Forest Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 291 | Open |
| Topping Farm Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 248 | Open |
| Mill Valley Golf Links Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 222 | Restricted |
| Quabbin Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | State conservation | 172 | Closed |
| Amherst Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 84 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Belchertown
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Belchertown
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Belchertown
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Belchertown
Swift River LaunchIn Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Belchertown
Scenic BrookIn Holland Glen Forest
DirectionsPeaks in Belchertown
East Hill1,109 ft elevation
DirectionsJuckett Hill1,073 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsWest Hill1,063 ft elevation
DirectionsTurkey Hill768 ft elevation
DirectionsPond Hill308 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Belchertown
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Belchertown
Cold Spring Disc Golf Course
DirectionsTrails & water
24 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 15.9 miUnpaved · 23.6 mi
Belchertown Greenway3.1 mi
NET/M&M Trail (white)2.2 mi
The Wedge/Ridge Line1.7 mi
Visitor's Center Loop Trail1.5 mi
Blood Donor / Night Owl1.5 mi
For the Animals1.3 mi
Massachusetts Central Rail Trail1.1 mi
Sand Trap/Driver1.1 mi
Sliced It1.0 mi
Holland Glen Trail0.9 mi
14 more trails
Ghost Train
0.9 miM&M Trail (Old Route)
0.9 miBunker Hill
0.8 miFitzgerald's Follies
0.8 miOut of Bounds
0.7 miRobert Frost Trail (Orange)
0.6 miNET Trail (white)
0.5 miDouble Bogey
0.5 miSwift River Extention
0.4 miMulligan
0.4 miTimber Frame Inner Loop
0.4 miCrankie Caddie
0.3 miRobert Frost Trail
0.2 miChubby's Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Mass Central Rail TrailBike route
5.2 miCourts & fields
10Baseball
7Soccer
7Tennis
6Basketball
3Pickleball
3Lacrosse
1Skate park
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 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Belchertown: 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) | 34 | 37 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Belchertown →
Next door
Belchertown and its neighbors
Belchertown has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Amherst Town111 miBelchertown94 miPelham72 miGranby66 miLudlow44 miWare23 miNew Salem17 miPalmer Town12 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belchertown | 24% | 1.8 | 185 | 67% | A |
| New Salem | 81% | 0.4 | 277 | 49% | A− |
| Ware | 30% | 0.7 | 119 | 76% | A |
| Palmer Town | 17% | 0.4 | 187 | 71% | A |
| Pelham | 61% | 2.9 | 1,542 | 89% | A+ |
| Ludlow | 24% | 1.6 | 103 | 77% | A+ |
| Granby | 26% | 2.4 | 531 | 61% | A+ |
| Amherst Town | 35% | 4.0 | 95 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Belchertown
Where can I hike in Belchertown?
The longest trail networks: Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area, 6 miles; Quabbin Reservoir Reservation, 5.5 miles; Quabbin Park, 2.8 miles; Reed Property Conservation Restriction, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Belchertown 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 Belchertown’s trails?
Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area and Quabbin Reservoir Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Belchertown?
4.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.7 of painted or protected lanes and 0.3 of off-road paths. Named routes: Mass Central Rail Trail.
Is there public land near Belchertown?
58,219 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Belchertown or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,047 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Belchertown have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #171 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 Belchertown 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 →