Philip Phillips Gift
Nature preserve
83 acres3.4 mi of trail
Phillips TrailRidge Loop TrailAtlantic Union TrailPark Bench Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Bolton
Bolton has 64 miles of mapped trails, 3.2 for every square mile of land
29% of Bolton’s land is conserved, about 3,750 acres. 2,053 acres are parks and preserves, 358 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Philip Phillips Gift (3.4 mi), Bolton Conservation Land (2.7 mi), Vaughn Hills Conservation Area (2.6 mi).
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #68 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
29%
3,750 acres · of 19.9 sq mi of land
Trails
64 mi
3.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,053 ac
358 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
88%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.8 mi
0.7 mi lanes
Highest peak
630 ft
North Peak
Lakes & rivers
4
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Bolton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town3.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 98% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild29% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Room to roam358 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way5 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bolton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bolton is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #68 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bolton’s overall grade.
Conserved land29% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (64 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land358 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,053 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home88% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 76%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Bolton’s 29% is ahead of 72% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 78% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Philip Phillips Gift, with 3.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bolton Conservation Land
Nature preserve
140 acres2.7 mi of trail
Boulder TrailAtlantic Union TrailRidge Loop TrailSplit Rock Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Vaughn Hills Conservation Area
Nature preserve
115 acres2.6 mi of trail
Vaughn Primary Trail WestTrailVaughn Primary TrailPond Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bowers Springs Conservation Area
Nature preserve
53 acres2 mi of trail
Bowers Springs Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bolton Flats Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
530 acres1.9 mi of trail
Bolton Flats TrailBolton Flats
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Philbin Land Conservation
Nature preserve
87 acres1.9 mi of trail
Powderhouse Primary TrailSecondary Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Moen Property
Nature preserve
48 acres1.4 mi of trail
New Secondary TrailMoen Primary Trail WestMoen Primary Trail EastTrail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Held Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
38 acres1.1 mi of trail
Secondary TrailUnder North PeakVaughn Primary TrailVaughn Primary Trail - North
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 38 parks & preserves
Philip Phillips Gift83 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBolton Conservation Land140 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsVaughn Hills Conservation Area115 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
Bowers Springs Conservation Area53 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsBolton Flats Wildlife Management Area530 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPhilbin Land Conservation87 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMoen Property48 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHeld Conservation Restriction38 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Lime Kiln Quarry33 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPlummer Gift38 acres · 1 mi of trail
Northwoods Land95 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Delaney Wildlife Management Area73 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMentzer Fosprd Conservation Land31 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRattlesnake Hill12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Sargent Gift52 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWhite Gift19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Hanson Land13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Mentzer Conservation Area7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWheeler Gift11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Zinc Sawmill Conservation Land4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBartsch Land16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sullivan Conservation Land7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Vinger Gift #26 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wilder Goose Pond6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wilder Farm Conservation Area31 acres
Sochalaski Conservation Land27 acres
Welch Pond Conservation Area15 acres
Daman13 acres · Town of Bolton
Miskell Cr13 acres
Sugar Road Conservation Area8 acres
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Park6 acres
DirectionsPersons Park6 acres
Town Common Park3 acres
DirectionsLeduc Conservation Land2 acres
Pond Park & Skating Pond2 acres
McGourty Conservation Land2 acres
Cranberry Meadow2 acres
Smith Conservation Land1 acres
Who protects it
3,750 conserved acres
29% of Bolton’s land. Who manages Bolton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits908 ac
Town or city572 ac
Other state land440 ac
State fish & wildlife299 ac
Joint13 ac
Not recorded2,706 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,394 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,034 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 572 acState Conservation Area · 533 acAgricultural Easement · 444 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 949 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 20 of 238 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton Flats Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 533 | Restricted |
| International Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 419 | Restricted |
| Hy-Crest Ranches, Inc. State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 292 | Open |
| Resolute Scout Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 196 | Restricted |
| Vaughn Hills Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 174 | Open |
| Great Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 97 | Open |
| Danforth Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 82 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Rattlesnake Hill Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 74 | Open |
| Philben Land Conservation Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 65 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
20 places to go in Bolton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bolton
Bolton Town Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Bolton
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Bolton
Lime KilnIn Lime Kiln Quarry
DirectionsQuarryIn Lime Kiln Quarry
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Bolton
North Peak630 ft elevation · In Vaughn Hills Conservation Area
DirectionsWataquadock Hill568 ft elevation
DirectionsPowder House Hill531 ft elevation · In Philbin Land Conservation
DirectionsVaughn Hills518 ft elevation · In Vaughn Hills Conservation Area
DirectionsPine Hill489 ft elevation
DirectionsRattlesnake Hill476 ft elevation · In Rattlesnake Hill
DirectionsBarretts Hill459 ft elevation
DirectionsSpectacle Hill456 ft elevation
Directions2 more peaks
Stratton Hill397 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill325 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Bolton
Maggi Staff Village
DirectionsStaff Heights
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.1 miHorses · 0.6 miUnpaved · 33.2 mi
Zink North Woods Trail1.4 mi
Phillips Trail1.4 mi
North Brook Trail1.4 mi
Bolton Flats Trail1.2 mi
Primary Trail1.2 mi
Bob Horton Trail1.0 mi
Trail0.9 mi
Secondary Trail0.8 mi
Derby Field and Horse Ring Trail0.8 mi
Atlantic Union Trail0.8 mi
15 more trails
Oak Trail Circuit
0.8 miBoulder Trail
0.7 miKeyes Farm Trail
0.7 miRidge Loop Trail
0.7 miPark Bench Trail
0.6 miFlorence Sawyer Path
0.6 miPond Loop
0.6 miBowers Springs Trail
0.5 miVaughn Primary Trail
0.5 miUnder North Peak
0.5 miBolton Flats
0.5 miMoen Primary Trail West
0.5 miVaughn Primary Trail West
0.5 miNew Secondary Trail
0.5 miSplit Rock Trail
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
9Soccer
5Tennis
3Baseball
2Softball
1Basketball
1Volleyball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bolton: 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 | 74 | 62 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Bolton →
Next door
Bolton and its neighbors
Bolton has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Bolton
Where can I hike in Bolton?
The longest trail networks: Philip Phillips Gift, 3.4 miles; Bolton Conservation Land, 2.7 miles; Vaughn Hills Conservation Area, 2.6 miles; Bowers Springs Conservation Area, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bolton is conserved land?
29% 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 Bolton’s trails?
Philip Phillips Gift and Bolton Conservation Land don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bolton?
0.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.7 of painted or protected lanes and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Bolton?
46,062 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bolton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,143 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bolton have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #68 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 Bolton 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 →