Buffumville Lake Park
Managed by United States Army Corps of Engineers
446 acres6.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Charlton
Charlton has 1,348 acres of parks, 100 for every 1,000 residents
11% of Charlton’s land is conserved, about 2,843 acres. 35 miles of mapped trail cross Charlton, 0.8 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Buffumville Lake Park (6.9 mi), Capen Hill Nature Sanctuary (3.7 mi), Bennett Wildlife Management Area (2.1 mi).
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #250 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
2,843 acres · of 42.2 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,348 ac
100 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
64%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,076 ft
Little Mugget Hill
Lakes & rivers
28
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Charlton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Charlton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Charlton is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #250 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Charlton’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land100 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,348 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home64% 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 85%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 12%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Charlton’s 11% is ahead of 8% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 14% 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 Buffumville Lake Park, with 6.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Capen Hill Nature Sanctuary
Managed by Capen Hill Nature Sanctuary
83 acres3.7 mi of trail
Pasture TrailVery HazyFarr TrailEvergreen Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Bennett Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
264 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fay Mountain Farm
Nature preserve
61 acres0.6 mi of trail
Midstate TrailMidstate Trail Access
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hammond Woods Open Space
Nature preserve
28 acres0.6 mi of trail
Doe's Run Trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Little River
Nature preserve
5 acres0.3 mi of trail
Little River Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 30 parks & preserves
Buffumville Lake Park446 acres · 6.9 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsCapen Hill Nature Sanctuary83 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · Capen Hill Nature Sanctuary
DirectionsBennett Wildlife Management Area264 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
DirectionsFay Mountain Farm61 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHammond Woods Open Space28 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Little River5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMid-State Trail Conservation Area53 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Potter Village Estates Open Space16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Willow Tree Farm Open Space6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Donald Powers Memorial Forest84 acres
Cranberry Meadow58 acres
Stafford Street Conservation Land40 acres
Little River Wildlife Management Area39 acres · Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game
Jennings Road Extension Open Space22 acres
Solar Heights Estates Conservation Area19 acres
Great Blue Heron Cove18 acres
Blood Road Conservation Area14 acres
Ponnakin Hill Deer Run Open Space8 acres
Little River Estates Conservation Area8 acres
DirectionsPonnakin Hill Pheasant Lane Open Space7 acres
Preservation Estates Open Space6 acres
Manor Ridge5 acres
Stonegate Estates Open Space4 acres
Ponnakin Hill Meadow Lane Open Space4 acres
Lambs Pond Open Space3 acres
Shield's Frog Pond3 acres
DirectionsPrindle Lake Park2 acres
DirectionsMilitia Lot2 acres
DirectionsFitzgerald Road Open Space1 acres
Charlton Town Common1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,843 conserved acres
11% of Charlton’s land. Who manages Charlton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,692 ac
State fish & wildlife290 ac
Regional agency189 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits133 ac
Town or city130 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)19 ac
Not recorded1,241 ac
Agricultural Easement · 1,692 acPrivate Conservation · 811 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 318 acState Conservation Area · 289 acLocal Park · 200 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 992 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 81 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 311 | Restricted |
| Bennett Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 289 | Restricted |
| Camp Bement Private Conservation | Not recorded | 220 | Restricted |
| Bay Path Voc School Local Park | Regional agency | 189 | Restricted |
| Camp Foskett Private Conservation | Not recorded | 109 | Restricted |
| Elliott Joslin Camp Private Conservation | Not recorded | 100 | Restricted |
| Donald A Powers Memorial Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 93 | Open |
| Heritage School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 89 | Restricted |
| Fay Mountain Farm Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 61 | Open |
| Cranberry Meadow Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 58 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Charlton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Charlton
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Swimming spots in Charlton
1 swimming spot without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Charlton
Anne M. Fay Playground
DirectionsCharlton Community Playground
DirectionsPlus 1 playground without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Charlton
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Charlton
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Charlton
Leaping Trout LedgeIn Capen Hill Nature Sanctuary
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Charlton
Little Mugget Hill1,076 ft elevation
DirectionsWilliams Hill997 ft elevation
DirectionsMugget Hill981 ft elevation
DirectionsCurtis Hill955 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill942 ft elevation
DirectionsPonnakin Hill912 ft elevation
DirectionsBlood Hill896 ft elevation
DirectionsBrackett Hill869 ft elevation
Directions9 more peaks
Snake Hill863 ft elevation
DirectionsBeacon Hill860 ft elevation
DirectionsCarpenter Hill860 ft elevation
DirectionsCarroll Hill860 ft elevation
DirectionsDresser Hill856 ft elevation
DirectionsAustin Hill804 ft elevation
DirectionsPutnam Hill804 ft elevation
DirectionsPrindle Hill794 ft elevation
DirectionsBonners Hill709 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Charlton
3 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Disc golf in Charlton
David Stidham Disc Golf CourseIn Buffumville Lake Park · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 28 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.9 miHorses · 0.9 miUnpaved · 5.3 mi
Midstate Trail3.3 mi
Green0.7 mi
Haze0.6 mi
Very Hazy0.5 mi
Julius0.5 mi
Pasture Trail0.4 mi
Farr Trail0.3 mi
Evergreen Trail0.3 mi
Oak Ridge Trail0.3 mi
Doe's Run Trail0.2 mi
15 more trails
High Rocks Loop
0.2 miLittle River Trail
0.2 miWoodland Walk
0.2 miJuice Machine
0.2 miWillow Pool Trail
0.2 miPrincess Pine Grove
0.2 miWoodland Pool Trail
0.2 miDoppelganger
0.1 miVery Green
0.1 miMidstate Trail Access
0.1 miEagle Trail
0.1 miSap
0.1 miAlter Ego
0.1 miKing Julius
0.1 miCart Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Ashworth PondpondBlood PondBuffum PondreservoirBuffumville LakereservoirCharlton Fire PondpondDodge PondpondDresser Hill PondGlen Echo LakereservoirHammond PondpondHammond Woods PondpondHultered PondpondJones PondreservoirLambs PondpondLittle Nugget LakereservoirLower Sibley PondreservoirMcIntyre PondpondPikes PondPrindle LakereservoirPutnam PondRailroad PondpondSnow PondSouth Charlton ReservoirreservoirTucker PondUpper Sibley PondreservoirWabash PondreservoirWee Laddie PondreservoirWillow PoolpondWoodland Pool
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
13Beach volleyball
7Tennis
7Baseball
4Soccer
4Basketball
2Pickleball
2Softball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 18 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Charlton: 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) | 34 | 37 | 44 | 57 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 49 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Charlton →
Next door
Charlton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton | 11% | 0.8 | 100 | 64% | A |
| Southbridge Town | 14% | 1.1 | 31 | 82% | A |
| Oxford | 4% | 1.1 | 32 | 58% | B+ |
| Sturbridge | 29% | 2.2 | 520 | 76% | A+ |
| East Brookfield | 26% | 0.7 | 610 | 84% | A |
| Spencer | 29% | 1.4 | 168 | 85% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Charlton
Where can I hike in Charlton?
The longest trail networks: Buffumville Lake Park, 6.9 miles; Capen Hill Nature Sanctuary, 3.7 miles; Bennett Wildlife Management Area, 2.1 miles; Fay Mountain Farm, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Charlton is conserved land?
11% 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 Charlton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Capen Hill Nature Sanctuary (on leash), Hammond Woods Open Space (on leash) and Little River (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Charlton?
40,383 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Charlton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,350 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Charlton have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #250 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 Charlton 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 →