Beverly Commons
Nature preserve
423 acres9.5 mi of trail
SnowshoeCliffGroundswellWaring School Beverly Commons entry+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Oliver Wendell Holmes House · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Beverly
Beverly has 47 miles of mapped trails, 3.1 for every square mile of land
19% of Beverly’s land is conserved, about 1,803 acres. 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Beverly Commons (9.5 mi), Sally Milligan Nature Reserve (2.6 mi), Chipman Hill Area (1.7 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #129 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
19%
1,803 acres · of 15.1 sq mi of land
Trails
47 mi
3.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,127 ac
26 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.3 mi
6.3 mi lanes
Highest peak
161 ft
Common Hill
Lakes & rivers
8
22 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Beverly?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Beverly have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Beverly is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #129 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Beverly’s overall grade.
Conserved land19% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (47 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land26 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,127 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 97%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 55%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Beverly’s 19% is ahead of 38% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 76% of them.
Water is 33% of Beverly’s area (7 of 23 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 12%.
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 Beverly Commons, with 9.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sally Milligan Nature Reserve
Nature preserve
93 acres2.6 mi of trail
White TrailRed TrailBlue TrailYellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Chipman Hill Area
Nature preserve
131 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Alt Reservation
Nature preserve
74 acres1.5 mi of trail
Alt Reservation
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Camp Paradise
Nature preserve
76 acres1.4 mi of trail
Beverly Gardens
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
J.C. Phillips Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
56 acres1.4 mi of trail
J.C. Phillips Nature Preserve
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Moraine Farm
Nature preserve
165 acres1 mi of trail
The Ramblepoint
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bald Hill Open Space
Nature preserve
26 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 43 parks & preserves
Beverly Commons423 acres · 9.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSally Milligan Nature Reserve93 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsChipman Hill Area131 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
Alt Reservation74 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Camp Paradise76 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsJ.C. Phillips Nature Preserve56 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMoraine Farm165 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsBald Hill Open Space26 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Greenbelt Bolt #211 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Hurd Stadium/Cooney Field19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLynch Park18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Beverly Recreation Department
DirectionsObear Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsIndependence Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Beverly Waterfront Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Beaver Pond Area43 acres
DirectionsBirch Plains Park19 acres
Burnt Hill11 acres
Lyons Park10 acres
DirectionsColgate Park8 acres
Balch Park7 acres
DirectionsGreenbelt Bolt #36 acres
Harry Ball Field6 acres
Innocenti Park5 acres
Endicott Wildlife Sanctuary4 acres · Mass Audubon
DirectionsBarlett Gardens Park4 acres
Dix Park4 acres
DirectionsKimball-Haskell Park3 acres
Beverly Common3 acres
DirectionsHerlihy Park3 acres
Pleasantview Park3 acres
Femino Park3 acres
Misery Island Reservation2 acres
DirectionsBessie Baker Park2 acres
Vittori Park2 acres
DirectionsBates Park2 acres
Park Street Park1 acres
DirectionsHolcroft Park1 acres
DirectionsAhearn Park1 acres
DirectionsPershing Avenue Field1 acres
Harry Ball Park1 acres
Pete's Park1 acres
McKay Playground1 acres
Odell Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,803 conserved acres
19% of Beverly’s land. Water is left out: Beverly has 15.1 square miles of land and 7.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Beverly’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits757 ac
Town or city270 ac
Other state land39 ac
Joint9 ac
Not recorded1,200 ac
Conservation Easement · 894 acLocal Other or Unknown · 615 acPrivate Conservation · 330 acLocal Park · 143 acWatershed Protection Area · 74 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 478 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 24 of 130 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Beverly Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 399 | Open |
| Beverly Golf And Tennis Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 158 | Open |
| Long Hill Private Conservation | Not recorded | 94 | Restricted |
| Greenbelt Woodland Private Conservation | Not recorded | 75 | Open |
| J C Phillips Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 57 | Open |
| Essex County Greenbelt Association Private Conservation | Not recorded | 35 | Unknown |
| Central Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 34 | Open |
| Greenbelt Bolt Private Conservation | Not recorded | 34 | Restricted |
| Common Hill Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 33 | Open |
| Sally Milligan Park Local Park | Not recorded | 31 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
56 places to go in Beverly
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Beverly
Dane Street Beach
DirectionsDane Street BeachIn Lyons Park
DirectionsLynch Park Beach
DirectionsPatch Beach
DirectionsRice's Beach
DirectionsWest Beach
DirectionsPlus 16 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Beverly
Dix Park PlaygroundIn Dix Park
DirectionsLivingstone Avenue PlaygroundIn Herlihy Park
DirectionsWentworth Playground
DirectionsPlus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Beverly
Scenic views in Beverly
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Beverly
Common Hill161 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Hill144 ft elevation · In Bald Hill Open Space
DirectionsBurnt Hill138 ft elevation
DirectionsBeverly Rocks125 ft elevation
DirectionsCherry Hill121 ft elevation
DirectionsWoodbury Hill121 ft elevation · In Chipman Hill Area
DirectionsProspect Hill112 ft elevation
DirectionsSnake Hill108 ft elevation · In Sally Milligan Nature Reserve
Directions3 more peaks
Chipman Hill105 ft elevation
DirectionsBrimble Hill98 ft elevation
DirectionsGreen Hill62 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 14.5 miUnpaved · 18.5 mi
Alt Reservation1.3 mi
Snowshoe1.0 mi
J.C. Phillips Nature Preserve1.0 mi
Main Loop Trail0.8 mi
Cliff0.7 mi
Norwood Pond0.7 mi
Blue Trail0.5 mi
White Trail0.5 mi
Red Trail0.5 mi
Lower Fungo0.5 mi
15 more trails
Groundswell
0.4 miSolar Field Trail
0.4 miWaring School Beverly Commons entry
0.4 miChapman's Corner Trail
0.3 miSouth Slope Trail
0.3 miBeverly Gardens
0.2 miYellow Trail
0.2 miThe Ramble
0.2 miUpper Fungo
0.2 miNORWOOD POND CONNECTOR
0.2 miFive Bridges
0.1 miHannah Trails 2
0.1 miVernal Pool Trail
0.1 miHannah Trails 1
0.1 miCattle Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
6.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Courts & fields
33Tennis
16Soccer
12Baseball
12Basketball
6Football
1Field hockey
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →24 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.
Fish Flake Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1971
About itJohn Balch HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itReverend John Hale HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itCapt. John Cabot HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itOdd Fellows' HallBuilding · listed 1978
About itBeverly DepotBuilding · listed 1979
About itUnited Shoe Machinery Corporation ClubhouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itBeverly Center Business DistrictDistrict · listed 1984
About itUS Post Office-Beverly MainBuilding · listed 1986
About itHose House No. 2Building · listed 1986
About itHospital Point Light StationStructure · listed 1987
About it12 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Beverly: 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) | 36 | 38 | 45 | 56 | 66 | 75 | 80 | 79 | 72 | 61 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Beverly →
Next door
Beverly and its neighbors
Beverly has the most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly | 19% | 3.1 | 26 | 98% | A+ |
| Salem | 26% | 3.2 | 19 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | 19% | 4.7 | 106 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Danvers | 20% | 1.1 | 26 | 98% | A |
| Wenham | 30% | 2.6 | 261 | 91% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Beverly
Where can I hike in Beverly?
The longest trail networks: Beverly Commons, 9.5 miles; Sally Milligan Nature Reserve, 2.6 miles; Chipman Hill Area, 1.7 miles; Alt Reservation, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Beverly is conserved land?
19% 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 Beverly’s trails?
Beverly Commons and Sally Milligan Nature Reserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Beverly?
6.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.3 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Beverly?
38,364 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Beverly or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,273 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Beverly have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #129 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 Beverly 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 →