Destruction Brook Woods
Nature preserve
277 acres7.2 mi of trail
Red TrailYellow TrailBlue TrailGreen Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Destruction Brook Woods
Photo: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Dartmouth
29% of Dartmouth’s land is conserved: 11,386 acres
5,623 acres are parks and preserves, 169 per 1,000 residents. 59 miles of mapped trail cross Dartmouth, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Destruction Brook Woods (7.2 mi), Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary (7 mi), Ridge Hill Reserve (5.1 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #164 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
29%
11,386 acres · of 60.9 sq mi of land
Trails
59 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,623 ac
169 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
84%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.8 mi
2.1 mi lanes
Highest peak
210 ft
Ridge Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
52 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Dartmouth?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dartmouth have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dartmouth is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #164 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 Dartmouth’s overall grade.
Conserved land29% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (59 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land169 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,623 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home84% 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 95%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 42%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Dartmouth’s 29% is ahead of 71% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 19% of them.
Water is 38% of Dartmouth’s area (37 of 98 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 18%.
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 Destruction Brook Woods, with 7.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Massachusetts Audubon Society
536 acres7 mi of trail
Woodland Loop TrailGrassland Loop TrailBoulder Loop TrailTree Top Trail+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the trailhead
Ridge Hill Reserve
Managed by Dartmouth Natural Resoruces Trust
180 acres5.1 mi of trail
Red TrailGreen TrailBlue TrailLycopod Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Ridge HillWebsite ↗
McBratney Land
Nature preserve
178 acres2.6 mi of trail
Blue TrailYellow TrailRed Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Frank Knowles Reserve
Nature preserve
122 acres2.3 mi of trail
Orange TrailRed TrailBlue TrailUnmarked Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Dartmoor Farm Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
464 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Smith Farm
Nature preserve
140 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Slocums River Reserve
Managed by Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust
47 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 75 parks & preserves
Destruction Brook Woods277 acres · 7.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAllens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary536 acres · 7 mi of trail · Massachusetts Audubon Society
DirectionsRidge Hill Reserve180 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · Dartmouth Natural Resoruces Trust
DirectionsMcBratney Land178 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsFrank Knowles Reserve122 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDartmoor Farm Wildlife Management Area464 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
Smith Farm140 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSlocums River Reserve47 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust
Parsons Reserve34 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCornell Farm135 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle River Reserve72 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsDartmouth Regional Parks And Trails297 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHowland Reserve25 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust
DirectionsAcushnet Cedar Swamp State Res412 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsNoquochoke Wildlife Management Area200 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
North Dartmouth Park25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCopicut Reservoir Watershed83 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Lloyd Center54 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Katharine Nordell Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies
DirectionsTown Forest191 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Knowles Reserve5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNew Bedford Garden Club Reserve3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDemarest Lloyd State Park182 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsSoutheastern Massachusetts Bioreserve Land54 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
Jones Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWellington Farm Reserve9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
McBratney Reserve5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWylde Reserve4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKnowles- Padnaram Reserve4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust
DirectionsNew Bedford Park228 acres
Interchurch Council Land210 acres
Acushnet Saw Mills193 acres
Town of Dartmouth Conservation Land107 acres · Town of Dartmouth Conservation Commission
University Highlands85 acres
Dartmouth Greens Parcels D&E76 acres
Augustine / Souza Reserve75 acres
Perry Many Rose Agriculture54 acres
Claremont Company Land49 acres
Podanaram Harbor Shores47 acres
Barzabiel Washburn Reserve40 acres
Teal Rock-Windor Reserve36 acres
Star Of The Sea Reserve33 acres · Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust
Paskamansett River Wetlands32 acres
Dartmoor Farms31 acres
Perry Property28 acres
Dodge Reserve27 acres · Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust
High Hill Fox & Coon Club Inc26 acres
Irvin Reserve20 acres
Indian Cliff Estate19 acres
Lantz Property17 acres
Sweetser Reserve16 acres
Nonquitt Marsh14 acres
Costa Property / Baker Village13 acres
Crapo Field11 acres
Carrolton Heights10 acres
Wadsworth Reserve9 acres
DirectionsHawes Reserve9 acres
Apponagansett Village8 acres
Crocker Reserve7 acres
DirectionsGray Reserve6 acres
Bailey Cr6 acres
Perkins Cr6 acres
Apponagansett Point Recreation Area6 acres
DirectionsBrassells Reserve6 acres
Stetson-Piney Island Reserve6 acres
Mosney Reserve6 acres
Ashton Reserve5 acres
Knowles Beach4 acres
DirectionsWhite Pine Wildlife Reserve4 acres
Acushnet Cedar Swamp3 acres
Mothas Park3 acres
Rockdale Heights3 acres
Sleepy Hollow2 acres
Headwaters Conservation Area1 acres
Bergh Reserve1 acres
Lincoln Park Greenspace1 acres
Who protects it
11,386 conserved acres
29% of Dartmouth’s land. Water is left out: Dartmouth has 60.9 square miles of land and 36.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Dartmouth’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits4,379 ac
Other state land2,178 ac
Town or city1,396 ac
State parks436 ac
State conservation394 ac
Joint175 ac
Private owners109 ac
Conservation Easement · 5,576 acAgricultural Easement · 2,391 acLocal Other or Unknown · 2,137 acPrivate Conservation · 1,230 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 959 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,581 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 86 of 591 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acushnet Cedar Swamp State Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 536 | Open |
| Town of Dartmouth Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 491 | Open |
| Dartmoor Farm Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 466 | Open |
| Dartmouth Regional Parks and Trails Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 297 | Open |
| New Bedford Park Local Park | Not recorded | 228 | Open |
| Interchurch Council Land Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 210 | Open |
| Demarest Lloyd State Park State Park | Not recorded | 198 | Open |
| Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 193 | Open |
| Acushnet Saw Mills Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 193 | Open |
| Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust Private Conservation | Not recorded | 188 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
78 places to go in Dartmouth
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Dartmouth
Little Beach
DirectionsRound Hill Beach
DirectionsRound Hill Beach
DirectionsRound Hill Beach
DirectionsRound Hill Beach
Directions52 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Public pools in Dartmouth
2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Dartmouth
9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Dartmouth
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Dartmouth
8 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Dartmouth
Ridge Hill210 ft elevation · In Ridge Hill Reserve
DirectionsYellow Hill210 ft elevation
DirectionsPinnacle Rock59 ft elevation
DirectionsRound Hill36 ft elevation
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Dartmouth
Helfand Farm Community GardensHours: sunrise-sunset · Fee
DirectionsWoodcart GardenTown of Dartmouth
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 10.3 mi
Red Trail5.0 mi
Blue Trail3.9 mi
Green Trail1.8 mi
Yellow Trail1.6 mi
Green Loop1.4 mi
Orange Trail1.3 mi
Woodland Loop Trail0.9 mi
Grassland Loop Trail0.9 mi
Boulder Loop Trail0.4 mi
Unmarked Trail0.3 mi
15 more trails
Slingshot
0.3 miTea Cup
0.2 miGreen Loop Connector
0.2 miLycopod Loop
0.2 miJammer
0.2 miDrifter
0.2 miDirect Connect
0.2 miTunnel Vision
0.2 miParking Lot Trail
0.2 miRough Cut
0.1 miThe Pit
0.1 miSwoop
0.1 miBlue/Yellow Trail
0.1 miFairy Forest
0.1 miTree Top Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
2.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
30Tennis
15Baseball
13Soccer
13Basketball
4Football
3Beach volleyball
3Lacrosse
1Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places 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.
Hill SchoolBuilding · listed 1980
About itPadanaram Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1985
About itRussells Mills Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1985
About itTucker Farm Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988
About itApponegansett Meeting HouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itHixville Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itRussell GarrisonSite · listed 2018
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Dartmouth: 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 40 | 47 | 56 | 66 | 75 | 82 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.5 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (3.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.1 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Dartmouth →
Next door
Dartmouth and its neighbors
Dartmouth has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Dartmouth59 miGosnold50 miWestport21 miNew Bedford10 miSmith Mills6.3 miNorth Westport0.5 miBliss Corner0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth | 29% | 1.0 | 169 | 84% | A+ |
| Westport | 23% | 0.4 | 157 | 68% | A |
| New Bedford | 19% | 0.5 | 22 | 92% | A |
| North Westport | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bliss Corner | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Smith Mills | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Gosnold | — 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 Dartmouth
Where can I hike in Dartmouth?
The longest trail networks: Destruction Brook Woods, 7.2 miles; Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, 7 miles; Ridge Hill Reserve, 5.1 miles; McBratney Land, 2.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dartmouth is conserved land?
29% 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 Dartmouth’s trails?
Destruction Brook Woods and Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dartmouth?
2.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.1 of painted or protected lanes and 0.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Dartmouth?
40,329 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dartmouth or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,207 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Dartmouth have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #164 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 Dartmouth 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 →