Russell Mill Pond & Town Forest Reservation
Nature preserve
129 acres7 mi of trail
Orange Goose LoopGreen Birdhouse LoopBlue Heron LoopUpper White Owl+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Chelmsford
Chelmsford has 35 miles of mapped trails, 1.6 for every square mile of land
13% of Chelmsford’s land is conserved, about 1,822 acres. The biggest trail networks: Russell Mill Pond & Town Forest Reservation (7 mi), Thanksgiving Forest (2.2 mi), Cranberry Bog Reservation (1.5 mi). 87% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #211 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
1,822 acres · of 22.4 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
944 ac
26 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
87%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.3 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 5.1 mi paths
Highest peak
400 ft
Robbins Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Chelmsford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Chelmsford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Chelmsford is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #211 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 Chelmsford’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land26 acres of park per 1,000 residents (944 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home87% 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 91%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 26%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Chelmsford’s 13% is ahead of 15% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 33% 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 Russell Mill Pond & Town Forest Reservation, with 7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Thanksgiving Forest
Nature preserve
46 acres2.2 mi of trail
Blue LoopBlue Loop TrailPurple TrailVernal Pool Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cranberry Bog Reservation
Nature preserve
178 acres1.5 mi of trail
Peninsula TrailShoreline West TrailShoreline East Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Peninsula Trail Parking Lot
Oak Hill Reservation
Nature preserve
84 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Warren-Pohl Conservation Area
Nature preserve
53 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Margaret Robbins Mills Crooked Spring Brook Reservation
Nature preserve
38 acres1.5 mi of trail
Blue LoopRed Connector/fire road/ sewer line
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Koulas Farm
Nature preserve
32 acres1.5 mi of trail
Winter Cross Country trailBlue Loop trailRight Field LoopLeft Field Connector+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
George B. B. Wright Reservation
Nature preserve
33 acres1.2 mi of trail
Blue LoopRed Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 37 parks & preserves
Russell Mill Pond & Town Forest Reservation129 acres · 7 mi of trail
DirectionsThanksgiving Forest46 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCranberry Bog Reservation178 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsOak Hill Reservation84 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWarren-Pohl Conservation Area53 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMargaret Robbins Mills Crooked Spring Brook Reservation38 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsKoulas Farm32 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsGeorge B. B. Wright Reservation33 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWater Protection Land65 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town Of Chelmsford
Roberts Field19 acres · 1 mi of trail
Bill Edge-Deep Brook Reservation18 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Red Wing Farm Conservation Area13 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHickory Hills Conservation Area37 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Bartlett Woodlot11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Robin Hill Reservation33 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lt. Edward Hope Bovey Woodlot12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBartlett Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHeart Pond Beach3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFrances Hill Wildlife Sanctuary1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Westford Conservation Trust
Lowell Sportsmens Club38 acres
DirectionsSouthwell Field Complex26 acres
DirectionsGreat Brook Farm State Park24 acres
Middlesex Canal Conservation Area23 acres
Kroll, Calder, Larter Pasture14 acres
Bobby Greenwood Wildlife Reserve14 acres
110 Baseball Fields13 acres
DirectionsArcher Meadowbrook Preserve12 acres
Donald Burbank Gardens10 acres
Alcorn Road Conservation Area6 acres
Acton Road Conservation Area4 acres
DirectionsHighland Park3 acres
Miriam E. Warren Wetlands3 acres
Harmony Park3 acres
Manning Field2 acres
Strawberry Hill Field2 acres
DirectionsChelmsford Town Common1 acres
DirectionsVinal Square Common1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,822 conserved acres
13% of Chelmsford’s land. Who manages Chelmsford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city554 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits71 ac
Joint30 ac
Not recorded1,570 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 686 acLocal Conservation Area · 398 acWatershed Protection Area · 389 acConservation Easement · 184 acResearch or Educational Area · 152 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 121 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 28 of 145 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 327 | Open |
| Chelmsford Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 261 | Unknown |
| Cranberry Bog Conservation Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 166 | Open |
| North Chelmsford Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 87 | Unknown |
| Chelmsford Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 84 | Open |
| St Joseph's Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 79 | Unknown |
| Chelmsford High School Athletic Fields Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 73 | Open |
| Lowell Sportsmens Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 67 | Restricted |
| Lime Kiln Quarry Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 62 | Open |
| Wright Reservation Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 50 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
21 places to go in Chelmsford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Chelmsford
Freeman Lake Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Chelmsford
Friendship ParkIn Roberts Field
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Chelmsford
Chelmsford Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Chelmsford
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Peaks in Chelmsford
Robbins Hill400 ft elevation · In Robin Hill Reservation
DirectionsChestnut Hill358 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill318 ft elevation
DirectionsRocky Hill230 ft elevation
DirectionsThanksgiving RocksIn Thanksgiving Forest
DirectionsPicnic areas in Chelmsford
Family Friendly Area (Multi-use)In Koulas Farm
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.7 miUnpaved · 12.4 mi
Blue Loop2.5 mi
Orange Goose Loop1.6 mi
Blue Loop Trail1.5 mi
Green Birdhouse Loop1.0 mi
Peninsula Trail0.9 mi
Blue Heron Loop0.9 mi
Upper White Owl0.9 mi
Middlesex Canal towpath0.8 mi
power line path0.7 mi
Winter Cross Country trail0.5 mi
15 more trails
Green Trail
0.5 miLower White Owl
0.4 miVernal Pool Trail
0.4 miBlue Loop trail
0.4 miPurple Trail
0.4 miIce spur path
0.4 miBlue Trail\Rail TRail Connector
0.4 miRed Trail
0.4 miShoreline West Trail
0.3 miWild Turkey
0.3 miTwin Oaks Trail
0.3 miIndigo Bunting
0.3 miRed Connector/fire road/ sewer line
0.2 miPurple Martin Trail
0.2 miRed Bird Connector
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
27Tennis
19Baseball
14Soccer
7Basketball
4Pickleball
1Football
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 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.
Old Chelmsford Garrison House ComplexBuilding · listed 1973
About itFiske HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itChelmsford Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itOliver Hutchins HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itHildreth-Robbins HouseBuilding · listed 2006
About itNorth Town HallBuilding · listed 2015
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Chelmsford: April 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 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Chelmsford →
Next door
Chelmsford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelmsford | 13% | 1.6 | 26 | 87% | A |
| Tyngsborough | 15% | 1.6 | 64 | 91% | A+ |
| Lowell | 15% | 1.4 | 6 | 99% | A |
| Westford | 24% | 4.6 | 104 | 97% | A+ |
| Billerica | 12% | 2.1 | 30 | 95% | A |
| Carlisle | 21% | 4.4 | 434 | 96% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Chelmsford
Where can I hike in Chelmsford?
The longest trail networks: Russell Mill Pond & Town Forest Reservation, 7 miles; Thanksgiving Forest, 2.2 miles; Cranberry Bog Reservation, 1.5 miles; Oak Hill Reservation, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Chelmsford is conserved land?
13% 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 Chelmsford’s trails?
Russell Mill Pond & Town Forest Reservation and Thanksgiving Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Chelmsford?
5.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes and 5.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Chelmsford?
46,082 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Chelmsford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 988 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Chelmsford have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #211 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 Chelmsford 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 →