Wildlands Trust - Great River Preserve
Managed by Wildlands Trust
136 acres2.2 mi of trail
GR Upper Pasture TrailGR Lower Pasture Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Bridgewater Town
20% of Bridgewater Town’s land is conserved: 3,439 acres
1,862 acres are parks and preserves, 65 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Wildlands Trust - Great River Preserve (2.2 mi), Taunton River Wildlife Management Area (1.3 mi), Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area (1.1 mi). 19 miles of mapped trail cross Bridgewater Town, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #229 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
20%
3,439 acres · of 27.2 sq mi of land
Trails
19 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,862 ac
65 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
78%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.1 mi
0.1 mi lanes
Highest peak
135 ft
Spragues Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Bridgewater Town?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bridgewater Town have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bridgewater Town is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #229 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 Bridgewater Town’s overall grade.
Conserved land20% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (19 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land65 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,862 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home78% 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 90%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 19%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Bridgewater Town’s 20% is ahead of 44% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 10% 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 Wildlands Trust - Great River Preserve, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Taunton River Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
364 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
677 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Wildlands Trust - North Fork preserve
Managed by Wildlands Trust
38 acres0.8 mi of trail
North Fork Preserve Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto North Fork Preserve Parking
Bridgewater Correctional Complex
Nature preserve
501 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 24 parks & preserves
Wildlands Trust - Great River Preserve136 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Wildlands Trust
DirectionsTaunton River Wildlife Management Area364 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area677 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Wildlands Trust - North Fork preserve38 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Wildlands Trust
DirectionsLegion Field17 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHogg Farm56 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsBridgewater Correctional Complex501 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsStanley Iron Works Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWyman Farm Conservation Area42 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStiles & Hart Conservation Area67 acres
DirectionsWildlands Trust - Perkins Preserve63 acres · Wildlands Trust
Tuckerwood32 acres
Flagg Street Soccer Field18 acres · BYSA
DirectionsCluster Dev Open Space16 acres
DirectionsSwamp16 acres
Drainage Easement15 acres
Wetlands14 acres
Jenny Leonard Park11 acres
Nunkers Pond Watershed10 acres
Black Mallard Rd10 acres
Scotland Little League Field7 acres
Wooded Wetland2 acres
Jaclyn woods1 acres
Lakeside Dr Site1 acres
Who protects it
3,439 conserved acres
20% of Bridgewater Town’s land. Who manages Bridgewater Town’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife613 ac
Other state land502 ac
State conservation501 ac
Town or city402 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits241 ac
State natural resources130 ac
State parks62 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,673 acState Conservation Area · 1,346 acState Other or Unknown · 724 acLocal Other or Unknown · 411 acWatershed Protection Area · 214 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 880 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 105 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,039 | Restricted |
| Bridgewater Correctional Complex State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 724 | Closed |
| Taunton River Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 305 | Open |
| Olde Scotland Links Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 214 | Restricted |
| Bridgewater State College Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 107 | Open |
| Stiles and Hart Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 69 | Open |
| Carver Pond Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 66 | Open |
| Bridgewater State Forest State Resource Management Area | State parks | 62 | Open |
| Hogg Farm Local Conservation Area | Private owners | 56 | Open |
| Wyman Farm Conservation Area Watershed Protection Area | Town or city | 42 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
11 places to go in Bridgewater Town
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Bridgewater Town
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Bridgewater Town
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Bridgewater Town
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Bridgewater Town
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Bridgewater Town
Taunton River Viewing PlatformIn Wildlands Trust - Great River Preserve
DirectionsPeaks in Bridgewater Town
Spragues Hill135 ft elevation
DirectionsHolmes Knoll69 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.8 mi
GR Upper Pasture Trail1.2 mi
North Fork Preserve Trail0.9 mi
GR Lower Pasture Trail0.6 mi
Biking & sports
0.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Courts & fields
23Tennis
14Baseball
5Basketball
3Football
3Tracks
2Soccer
1Field hockey
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
McElwain, William H., SchoolBuilding · listed 2013
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Bridgewater 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 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 40 | 47 | 59 | 69 | 78 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 3.7 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
July is the driest month (3.3 in) and the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.2 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Bridgewater Town →
Next door
Bridgewater Town and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Middleborough98 miHalifax34 miBridgewater Town19 miWest Bridgewater13 miEast Bridgewater5.1 miRaynham3.6 miRaynham Center1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater Town | 20% | 0.7 | 65 | 78% | A |
| Middleborough | 21% | 1.4 | 267 | 64% | A |
| East Bridgewater | 11% | 0.3 | 56 | 90% | A− |
| Halifax | 25% | 2.1 | 262 | 93% | A+ |
| Raynham | 11% | 0.2 | 60 | 65% | B+ |
| West Bridgewater | 26% | 0.9 | 253 | 96% | A+ |
| Raynham Center | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bridgewater Town
Where can I hike in Bridgewater Town?
The longest trail networks: Wildlands Trust - Great River Preserve, 2.2 miles; Taunton River Wildlife Management Area, 1.3 miles; Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area, 1.1 miles; Wildlands Trust - North Fork preserve, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bridgewater Town is conserved land?
20% 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 Bridgewater Town’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Wildlands Trust - Great River Preserve (on leash) and Wildlands Trust - North Fork preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bridgewater Town?
0.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Bridgewater Town?
47,941 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bridgewater Town or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,082 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Bridgewater Town have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #229 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 Bridgewater 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 →