Devon Wood Open Space
Nature preserve
295 acres4.8 mi of trail
New Englander TrailVillage TrailRed TrailTeaberry Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Braintree Town
23% of Braintree Town’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 21 miles of mapped trail cross Braintree Town, 1.5 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Devon Wood Open Space (4.8 mi), Cranberry Pond Conservation Land (3.2 mi), Pond Meadow Park (2.8 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #124 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
23%
1,992 acres · of 13.8 sq mi of land
Trails
21 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,242 ac
32 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.9 mi
3.9 mi lanes · 2.0 mi paths
Highest peak
243 ft
Pine Hill
Lakes & rivers
9
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Braintree Town?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Braintree Town have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Braintree Town is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #124 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Braintree Town’s overall grade.
Conserved land23% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (21 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land32 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,242 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to homeVirtually all 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 56%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Braintree Town’s 23% is ahead of 54% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 32% of them.
Water is 6% of Braintree Town’s area (1 of 15 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 22%.
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 Devon Wood Open Space, with 4.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cranberry Pond Conservation Land
Managed by Town of Braintree Conservation Commission
148 acres3.2 mi of trail
Blue TrailRed TrailYellow TrailOrange Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Pond Meadow Park
Park
304 acres2.8 mi of trail
Red TrailRanger TrailBlue TrailMeadow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Braintree Town Forest
Nature preserve
127 acres2.5 mi of trail
Blue TrailGreen TrailRed TrailOrange Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Blue Hills Reservation
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
88 acres0.8 mi of trail
Hemlock PathWinnemoiset Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Middle Street Woodlands
Managed by Town of Braintree
7 acres0.3 mi of trail
Monatiquot River - Middle Street Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 32 parks & preserves
Devon Wood Open Space295 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsCranberry Pond Conservation Land148 acres · 3.2 mi of trail · Town of Braintree Conservation Commission
DirectionsPond Meadow Park304 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBraintree Town Forest127 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsBlue Hills Reservation88 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWatson Park17 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMiddle Street Woodlands7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Braintree
Robert S. Mattulina Playground7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPenniman Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCedar Swamp Conservation Land90 acres
DirectionsEaton's Pond Conservation Land62 acres
DirectionsTown Brook Flood Control62 acres · Town of Braintree
DirectionsCochato River Conservation Area39 acres · Town of Braintree Conservation Commission
DirectionsHollingsworth Park20 acres
Sandman Electric Gift15 acres · Town of Braintree Conservation Commission
Farm River Conservation Area13 acres
Town Conservation Land13 acres · Town of Braintree Conservation Commission
DirectionsFranklin Street Conservation Area13 acres · Town of Braintree Conservation Commission
DirectionsDyer Hill Playground5 acres
DirectionsCochato River Corridor Conservation Restriction5 acres · Town of Braintree Conservation Commission
Abraham Lincoln Park4 acres
Flatley Property4 acres · Town of Braintree Conservation Commission
Ervin Davis Memorial Park4 acres
DirectionsWinfield Adams Memorial Park4 acres · Town of Braintree
French's Common4 acres
DirectionsEldridge Field4 acres
Daily Soccer Field3 acres
DirectionsSunset Lake Beach3 acres · Braintree Parks and Recreation
Jonas Perkins Park2 acres · Town of Braintree
DirectionsGranite Street Conservation Area2 acres · Town of Braintree Conservation Commission
Dearing Park2 acres
Berwick Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,992 conserved acres
23% of Braintree Town’s land. Water is left out: Braintree Town has 13.8 square miles of land and 0.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Braintree Town’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city588 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits27 ac
State parks22 ac
State conservation21 ac
Private owners5 ac
Not recorded1,617 ac
State Conservation Area · 369 acConservation Easement · 292 acLocal Conservation Area · 272 acWatershed Protection Area · 269 acRecreation or Education Easement · 262 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 278 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 91 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pond Meadow Park Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 272 | Open |
| Great Pond Area Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 266 | Open |
| Hollis Memorial Golf Course State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 196 | Open |
| Town Forest State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 130 | Open |
| Blue Hills Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 125 | Open |
| Town of Braintree Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 115 | Open |
| Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 71 | Restricted |
| Blue Hills Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 67 | Open |
| Town Brook Flood Control State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 63 | Restricted |
| Braintree High School Athletic Fields Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 49 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
28 places to go in Braintree Town
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Braintree Town
Smith Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Braintree Town
Braintree Highlands Community Playground
DirectionsDavis PlaygroundIn Ervin Davis Memorial Park
DirectionsHollis Playground
DirectionsLargest Toddler Friendly Playground
DirectionsPeterson Splash PadIn Watson Park
DirectionsWilliam H Parlee Memorial Tot LotIn Abraham Lincoln Park
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Braintree Town
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Braintree Town
Rock Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Braintree Town
Ames Pond Dam Removal Site
DirectionsArmstrong Dam Removal Site
DirectionsPlus 4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Braintree Town
Pine Hill243 ft elevation
DirectionsWhites Hill174 ft elevation
DirectionsWyman Hill128 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Braintree Town
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Braintree Town
Braintree Community GardenIn Jonas Perkins Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.6 miUnpaved · 12.6 mi
Red Trail2.3 mi
Blue Trail1.8 mi
Yellow Trail0.7 mi
New Englander Trail0.6 mi
Orange Trail0.6 mi
Village Trail0.5 mi
Green Trail0.5 mi
Devonwood Trail0.4 mi
Teaberry Trail0.4 mi
Ice Packers' Trail0.3 mi
15 more trails
Monatiquot River - Middle Street Trail
0.3 miRanger Trail
0.3 miAndromeda''s Path
0.3 miMonatiquot River Trail and Boardwalk
0.3 miHemlock Path
0.3 miBoundary Trail
0.2 miWinnemoiset Path
0.2 miMeadow Trail
0.2 miWhite Tail Deer Trail
0.2 miMonatiquot River Nature Trail
0.2 miWhite Trail
0.1 miStompin Path
0.1 miWild Duck Trail
0.1 miTaber Court
0.1 miRobbin Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
5.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
19Basketball
17Baseball
17Tennis
11Soccer
4Football
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 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Braintree Town: 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 47 | 58 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 63 | 52 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 4.1 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
July is the driest month (3.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.0 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Braintree Town →
Next door
Braintree Town and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braintree Town | 23% | 1.5 | 32 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Randolph Town | 24% | 2.2 | 28 | 93% | A+ |
| Quincy | 35% | 4.5 | 34 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Weymouth Town | 14% | 1.8 | 18 | 99%+ | A |
| Holbrook | 16% | 1.4 | 28 | 89% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Braintree Town
Where can I hike in Braintree Town?
The longest trail networks: Devon Wood Open Space, 4.8 miles; Cranberry Pond Conservation Land, 3.2 miles; Pond Meadow Park, 2.8 miles; Braintree Town Forest, 2.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Braintree Town is conserved land?
23% 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 Braintree Town’s trails?
Devon Wood Open Space and Cranberry Pond Conservation Land don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Braintree Town?
5.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.9 of painted or protected lanes and 2.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Braintree Town?
41,554 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Braintree Town or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,532 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Braintree Town have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #124 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 Braintree Town 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 →