Billerica State Forest
Nature preserve
383 acres10.3 mi of trail
Gilson Hill LoopNorthern LoopFlow Rock FlowYellow Rabbit+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Billerica
Billerica has 54 miles of mapped trails, 2.1 for every square mile of land
95% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 12% of Billerica’s land is conserved, about 2,033 acres. The biggest trail networks: Billerica State Forest (10.3 mi), Vietnam Veterans Park (5.1 mi), Jones Town Forest (4.6 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #170 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
2,033 acres · of 25.6 sq mi of land
Trails
54 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,273 ac
30 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.1 mi
0.4 mi lanes · 0.7 mi paths
Highest peak
315 ft
Fox Hill
Lakes & rivers
10
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Billerica?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Billerica have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Billerica is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #170 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 Billerica’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (54 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land30 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,273 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home95% 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 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 Billerica’s 12% is ahead of 14% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 55% 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 Billerica State Forest, with 10.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Vietnam Veterans Park
Park
233 acres5.1 mi of trail
Green Blaze TrailOrange Blaze TrailYellow BlazeBlue Blaze Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Jones Town Forest
Nature preserve
122 acres4.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Warren H. Manning State Forest
Nature preserve
41 acres2.1 mi of trail
Fitness Trail (red)Brick Kiln Plaza TrailShort Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fox Hill Summit
Managed by Billerica Conservation Commission
57 acres1.6 mi of trail
Fox Summmit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Billerica Water Supply Land
Nature preserve
68 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rangeway Town Forest
Nature preserve
29 acres1.1 mi of trail
Headless SnakeCarbon ForceLumbaloopRangeway Connector
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Pearl Road Conservation Land
Nature preserve
16 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 48 parks & preserves
Billerica State Forest383 acres · 10.3 mi of trail
DirectionsVietnam Veterans Park233 acres · 5.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJones Town Forest122 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
Warren H. Manning State Forest41 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFox Hill Summit57 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Billerica Conservation Commission
DirectionsBillerica Water Supply Land68 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRangeway Town Forest29 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Pearl Road Conservation Land16 acres · 1 mi of trail
Governor Thomas Dudley Park21 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCider Mill Land46 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Town of Billerica
Ralph Hill Conservation Land27 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsGreat Meadows National Wildlife Refuge114 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsShady Hill Conservation Land25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Fields Conservation Land28 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Timber Creek Conservation Land15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Greenough Land9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Kindred Conservation Land15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKohlrausch Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTalbot Mills Oval1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMcDonald Knowles Conservation Land56 acres
DirectionsManning Conservation Land26 acres
Shaloo Meadow Town Forest24 acres
Nutting Lake Conservation Land20 acres
DirectionsDuserick Conservation land19 acres
Trantanella/Boston Road Conservation Land18 acres
DirectionsRicca Farm Open Space16 acres
Fox Hollow Estates16 acres
Billerica Recreation Center15 acres
Bicknell Town Forest13 acres
McClennan Way Conservation Area12 acres
Progress Road Conservation Land9 acres
Fortune Drive Conservation Land8 acres
Martina Gage Conservation Land7 acres
Shawsheen Woods Conservation Land6 acres
Shawsheen Rd Conservation Land6 acres
Edgehill Conservation Land5 acres
Akeson Park5 acres
Marshall Orchard Conservation Land5 acres
Elsie Avenue Conservation Land5 acres
Ridge Road Conservation Land4 acres
Pollard Park4 acres
Nashua Rd Conservation Land2 acres
Potters Playground2 acres
DirectionsMicozzi Beach2 acres
DirectionsTown Common2 acres
Jug Island1 acres
DirectionsHillside Consv Parcel1 acres
Nutting Lake Beach1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,033 conserved acres
12% of Billerica’s land. Who manages Billerica’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city681 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service283 ac
Other state land164 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits39 ac
State fish & wildlife23 ac
State natural resources23 ac
Not recorded1,206 ac
Conservation Easement · 336 acState Resource Management Area · 322 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 322 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 283 acLocal Other or Unknown · 276 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 241 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 14 of 130 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billerica State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 322 | Open |
| Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 283 | Restricted |
| Vietnam Veterans Park Local Park | Town or city | 199 | Open |
| Country Club of Billerica Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 112 | Restricted |
| Minuteman Sportsmens Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 99 | Restricted |
| Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School Recreational Fields Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 70 | Open |
| Ralph Hill Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 60 | Open |
| Fox Hill Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 55 | Open |
| Swanson Meadows Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 52 | Restricted |
| Billerica Memorial High School Athletic Fields Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 52 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
28 places to go in Billerica
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Billerica
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Billerica
Lampson Playground
DirectionsWater PlaygroundIn Warren H. Manning State Forest
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Billerica
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Billerica
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Billerica
Fox Hill315 ft elevation · In Fox Hill Summit
DirectionsGilson Hill262 ft elevation · In Billerica State Forest
DirectionsPicnic areas in Billerica
Picnic AreaIn Warren H. Manning State Forest
DirectionsDisc golf in Billerica
Billerica Recreation Disk Golf CourseIn Vietnam Veterans Park · Billerica
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 14.0 miHorses · 2.5 miUnpaved · 23.6 mi
Gilson Hill Loop1.4 mi
Northern Loop1.3 mi
Great Meadows Dudley trail0.9 mi
Green Blaze Trail0.8 mi
Orange Blaze Trail0.8 mi
Cider Mill & Bay Circuit Trail0.7 mi
Flow Rock Flow0.7 mi
Yellow Rabbit0.7 mi
Shady Hill Trail0.6 mi
Fitness Trail (red)0.6 mi
15 more trails
The Inner Loop
0.5 miYellow Blaze
0.5 miFitness Trail
0.4 miRt 3 Overlook
0.4 miHeadless Snake
0.4 miOne Rock
0.4 miFall Line Trail
0.4 miPath from Minnie Reid
0.4 miOld Middlesex Turnpike
0.3 miCarbon Force
0.3 miBlue Blaze Trail
0.3 miForest Ridge
0.3 miLumbaloop
0.2 miFox Summmit Trail
0.2 miDudley trail (Blue Blaze)
0.2 miBiking & sports
1.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.7 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
24Baseball
21Tennis
11Soccer
7Basketball
4Football
3Tracks
2Softball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →9 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 12 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Middlesex CanalDistrict · listed 1972
About itBillerica Town Common DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About itSabbath Day HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itManning ManseBuilding · listed 1982
About itBillerica Mills Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itDeacon Samuel Hill HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itDutton-Holden HomesteadBuilding · listed 2001
About itHowe SchoolBuilding · listed 2002
About itTwo Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Billerica: 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) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Billerica →
Next door
Billerica and its neighbors
Billerica 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billerica | 12% | 2.1 | 30 | 95% | A |
| Wilmington | 12% | 1.0 | 29 | 91% | A |
| Bedford | 23% | 3.5 | 80 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Carlisle | 21% | 4.4 | 434 | 96% | A+ |
| Pinehurst | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chelmsford | 13% | 1.6 | 26 | 87% | A |
| Burlington | 17% | 3.3 | 40 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Billerica
Where can I hike in Billerica?
The longest trail networks: Billerica State Forest, 10.3 miles; Vietnam Veterans Park, 5.1 miles; Jones Town Forest, 4.6 miles; Warren H. Manning State Forest, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Billerica is conserved land?
12% 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 Billerica’s trails?
Billerica State Forest and Vietnam Veterans Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Billerica?
1.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of painted or protected lanes and 0.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Billerica?
47,654 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Billerica or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,302 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Billerica have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #170 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 Billerica 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 →