Mill Pond Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Burlington
265 acres11.4 mi of trail
Bridge and Cliff
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Trailhead Parking
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Burlington
17% of Burlington’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. 39 miles of mapped trail cross Burlington, 3.3 per square mile of land. 17% of Burlington’s land is conserved, about 1,296 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #69 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
1,296 acres · of 11.8 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
3.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,048 ac
40 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.3 mi
1.2 mi paths
Highest peak
292 ft
Greenleaf Mountain
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Burlington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Burlington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Burlington is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #69 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 Burlington’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land40 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,048 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−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)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 Burlington’s 17% is ahead of 33% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 80% 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 Mill Pond Conservation Area, with 11.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Landlocked Forest
Nature preserve
247 acres11 mi of trail
AbenakiPenacookMilk CrateAli-Waji+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mary Cummings Park
Managed by Trustees of Reservations
162 acres3.6 mi of trail
Pipeline TrailPolinatior TrailBabalon Hill Loop TrailScience & Nature Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Sawmill Brook Conservation Area
Nature preserve
30 acres2 mi of trail
Official Burlington Trailsocial pathsocial trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Little Brook Conservation Area
Nature preserve
47 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 25 parks & preserves
Mill Pond Conservation Area265 acres · 11.4 mi of trail · Town of Burlington
DirectionsLandlocked Forest247 acres · 11 mi of trail
DirectionsMary Cummings Park162 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Trustees of Reservations
DirectionsSawmill Brook Conservation Area30 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle Brook Conservation Area47 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsWildwood Park13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsTRW Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBurlington Town Common7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMiddlesex Turnpike Wellfields112 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town Of Burlington
DirectionsRahanis Playground17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRegan Playground5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSimonds Park21 acres
DirectionsMarion Road Conservation Area16 acres
DirectionsMITRE Fields12 acres
DirectionsIpswich Conservation Area10 acres
Recreation Center Field9 acres
DirectionsSandy Brook Conservation Area6 acres
Pine Glen Conservation Area5 acres
DirectionsLubbers Brook Conservation Area5 acres
Marvin Field4 acres
DirectionsRock Pond Brook Conservation Area4 acres
Veterans Memorial Park3 acres
DirectionsBurlington Sculpture Park2 acres
DirectionsRotary Field1 acres
DirectionsLongmeadow Brook Conservation Area1 acres
Who protects it
1,296 conserved acres
17% of Burlington’s land. Who manages Burlington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city146 ac
Not recorded1,181 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 475 acLocal Other or Unknown · 338 acLocal Park · 248 acResearch or Educational Area · 170 acConservation Easement · 56 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 41 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 67 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landlocked Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 244 | Open |
| Mary Cummings Park Local Park | Not recorded | 162 | Open |
| Mill Pond Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 157 | Open |
| Mill Pond Res. Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 102 | Open |
| Burlington High School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 89 | Open |
| Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 47 | Unknown |
| Middlesex Turnpike Wellfields Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 46 | Unknown |
| Mountain Road Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 43 | Open |
| Fox Hill School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 37 | Open |
| Sawmill Brook Conservation Are Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 25 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
48 places to go in Burlington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Burlington
Wading PoolIn Simonds Park
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Burlington
J7 Adventureland
DirectionsPlus 28 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Burlington
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Burlington
tree houseIn Landlocked Forest
Directionswooden platformIn Landlocked Forest
DirectionsPeaks in Burlington
Greenleaf Mountain292 ft elevation
DirectionsBannon Hill279 ft elevation · In Landlocked Forest
DirectionsPeach Orchard Hill253 ft elevation
DirectionsWinn Hill246 ft elevation
DirectionsBabylon Hill233 ft elevation · In Mary Cummings Park
DirectionsBabylon Hill223 ft elevation
DirectionsWood Hill197 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Burlington
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Burlington
Simonds Park Disc Golf CourseIn Simonds Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 17.3 miHorses · 2.7 miUnpaved · 7.8 mi
Penacook1.6 mi
Abenaki1.0 mi
Official Burlington Trail0.9 mi
Milk Crate0.8 mi
social path0.7 mi
Ali-Waji0.7 mi
Eagle0.6 mi
Pipeline Trail0.4 mi
Bridge and Cliff0.4 mi
Yellow Loop0.4 mi
15 more trails
Polinatior Trail
0.4 miRefrigerator Door
0.4 miExtra Credit
0.4 miZatamozik
0.3 miBabalon Hill Loop Trail
0.3 miScout Trail
0.3 miGhost Fire
0.3 miFox Hill Nature Trail
0.2 miScience & Nature Trail
0.2 miBarons Loop Trail
0.2 miWetland Trail
0.2 miTunnel Trail
0.2 miWetlands Trail
0.2 misocial trail
0.2 miFlyer's Bypass
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.2 mi
off-road bike paths
1.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Landlocked Forest Yellow TrailBike route
4.3 miCourts & fields
19Baseball
18Basketball
17Tennis
15Soccer
6Pickleball
2Football
1Skate park
1Beach volleyball
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 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Burlington: 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 | 39 | 46 | 59 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Burlington →
Next door
Burlington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 17% | 3.3 | 40 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Lexington | 22% | 4.0 | 61 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Woburn | 11% | 1.9 | 18 | 99%+ | A |
| Wilmington | 12% | 1.0 | 29 | 91% | A |
| Billerica | 12% | 2.1 | 30 | 95% | A |
| Pinehurst | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bedford | 23% | 3.5 | 80 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Burlington
Where can I hike in Burlington?
The longest trail networks: Mill Pond Conservation Area, 11.4 miles; Landlocked Forest, 11 miles; Mary Cummings Park, 3.6 miles; Sawmill Brook Conservation Area, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Burlington is conserved land?
17% 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 Burlington’s trails?
Mill Pond Conservation Area and Landlocked Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Burlington?
2.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.2 of off-road paths and 1.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Landlocked Forest Yellow Trail.
Is there public land near Burlington?
41,614 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Burlington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,054 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Burlington have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #69 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 Burlington 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 →