Noanet Woodlands
Nature preserve
602 acres15.9 mi of trail
Peabody LoopLarabee TrailNoanet Park TrailYellow Blaze Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Benjamin Caryl House · Photo: Tim Pierce · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Dover
39% of Dover’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. 77 miles of mapped trail cross Dover, 5.1 per square mile of land. 39% of Dover’s land is conserved, about 3,796 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #3 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
39%
3,796 acres · of 15.1 sq mi of land
Trails
77 mi
5.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,143 ac
530 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.5 mi
0.5 mi paths
Highest peak
449 ft
Snow Hill
Lakes & rivers
9
3 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Dover?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dover have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dover is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #3 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Dover near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Dover’s overall grade.
Conserved land39% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails5.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (77 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land530 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,143 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)#3 of 283
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Dover’s 39% is ahead of 89% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 98% 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 Noanet Woodlands, with 15.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hale Reservation
Nature preserve
621 acres13.6 mi of trail
PowerglideYellow Blaze TrailLower PowissettUpper Powissett+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wylde Woods
Managed by Town of Dover Conservation Commission
198 acres4.7 mi of trail
Blue TrailBlueberry Ridge TrailDover Valley TrailChestnut Oak Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Snow Hill Reservation
Managed by Dover Land Conservation Trust
142 acres3 mi of trail
Fire Tower TrailSnow's Hill TrailHale's Pond TrailChapel Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Medfield Charles River State Reservation
Nature preserve
120 acres2.7 mi of trail
Charles River Link TrailGas pipelne
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Peters Reservation
Managed by Trustees of Reservations
85 acres2.6 mi of trail
Blue Loop
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lot
Elm Bank Reservation
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
171 acres2.3 mi of trail
Riverside TrailOlmstead TrailHorseshoe TrailMeander Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 55 parks & preserves
Noanet Woodlands602 acres · 15.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHale Reservation621 acres · 13.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWylde Woods198 acres · 4.7 mi of trail · Town of Dover Conservation Commission
DirectionsSnow Hill Reservation142 acres · 3 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsMedfield Charles River State Reservation120 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
Peters Reservation85 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Trustees of Reservations
DirectionsChase Woodlands87 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsElm Bank Reservation171 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCaryl Park81 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Town of Dover Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsPowissett Farm123 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Trustees of Reservations
DirectionsLarrabee & Whiting Estates Conservation Area73 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Dover Conservation Commission
Dover Conservation Land117 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Town of Dover Conservation Commission
Russell Conservation Area27 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Porter Woodlands22 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsMass Horticultural Society Gardens at Elm Bank21 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsTrout Brook110 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Snow Hill Conservation Area89 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBlake Reservation36 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
The Donnelly Property20 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Sanger Conservation Area43 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Stone Conservation Area18 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Springdale Meadow24 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Dover Conservation Commission
Bartlett Pines16 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPegan Hill Reservation32 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Gregg Property41 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Springdale Field29 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Cashman Conservation Area15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Lewis Hill20 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Rocky Woods Reservation10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Chickering Fields10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCharles River Boat Landing7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Dover Conservation Commission
DirectionsFormer Medfield State Hospital Grounds2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Hale Education613 acres
Charles River Wildlife Management Area99 acres · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsValley Farm Conservation Area65 acres · Town of Dover Conservation Commission
Scott Conservation Land41 acres · Town of Dover Conservation Commission
DirectionsRichmond Property11 acres
Cabot Conservation Area11 acres · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Strawberry Hill Street Conservation Area10 acres · Town of Dover Conservation Commission
The Reidy Property8 acres · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Charles River Conservation Land7 acres
Ttor Conservation Area7 acres
Channing Pond Park6 acres · Town of Dover Parks and Recreation Department
Sheldon Conservation Area6 acres
Ben David Farm6 acres · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Stewart Conservation Area5 acres
Apog Conservation Area4 acres · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Olsen Property3 acres · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Thomas Property3 acres
Otis/Maude Conservation Area3 acres
Sullivan Conservation Area3 acres · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Hallagan Property2 acres · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Bickford-Ballou Park2 acres
Edgewater Drive Conservation Area1 acres · Town of Dover Conservation Commission
Charles River Conservation Area1 acres · Town of Dover Conservation Commission
DirectionsWho protects it
3,796 conserved acres
39% of Dover’s land. Who manages Dover’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,143 ac
Other state land211 ac
Town or city179 ac
State conservation60 ac
Army Corps of Engineers60 ac
Private owners9 ac
Not recorded2,912 ac
Private Conservation · 1,968 acConservation Easement · 1,125 acLocal Other or Unknown · 744 acState Park · 339 acAgricultural Easement · 106 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 777 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 9 of 180 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hale Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 598 | Open |
| Noanet Woodlands Private Conservation | Not recorded | 572 | Open |
| Medfield Charles River State Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 226 | Open |
| Snow Hill Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 216 | Open |
| Dover Land Conservation Trust 1 Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 188 | Closed |
| Elm Bank Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 114 | Open |
| Wylde Woods Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 107 | Open |
| Peters Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 90 | Open |
| Channing Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 88 | Open |
| Chase Woodlands Private Conservation | Not recorded | 87 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
21 places to go in Dover
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Dover
Powissett BeachIn Hale Reservation
DirectionsShapiro BeachIn Hale Reservation
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Dover
Caryl School
DirectionsPlus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Dover
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Dover
Noanet Peak viewpointIn Noanet Woodlands
DirectionsPeaks in Dover
Snow Hill449 ft elevation · In Snow Hill Reservation
DirectionsStrawberry Hill374 ft elevation · In Larrabee & Whiting Estates Conservation Area
DirectionsPowissett Peak367 ft elevation · In Hale Reservation
DirectionsOak Hill364 ft elevation · In Snow Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsNoanet Peak361 ft elevation · In Noanet Woodlands
DirectionsNimrod's Rock344 ft elevation · In Hale Reservation
DirectionsMiller Hill325 ft elevation
DirectionsJuniper Hill289 ft elevation
Directions1 more peak
Oak Hill272 ft elevation · In Hale Reservation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Dover
JCC Camp GrossmanIn Hale Reservation
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 28.6 miHorses · 4.4 miUnpaved · 31.4 mi
Peabody Loop1.9 mi
Charles River Link Trail1.8 mi
Yellow Blaze Trail1.7 mi
Blue Trail1.7 mi
Noanet Park Trail1.7 mi
Riverside Trail1.5 mi
Fire Tower Trail1.4 mi
Larabee Trail1.4 mi
Red Loop1.2 mi
Blue Loop1.1 mi
15 more trails
Strawberry Hill Trail
1.0 miDover Valley Trail
1.0 miDonelly's Trail
0.9 miSnow's Hill Trail
0.8 miPowerglide
0.8 miSpringdale Meadow Trail
0.6 miDead end
0.5 miBlueberry Ridge Trail
0.5 miGas pipeline
0.5 miLower Powissett
0.5 miSawyer Loop
0.4 miBartlett Pines Dover Land Conservation Trust
0.4 miHunt Drive Trail
0.4 miRice's Loop
0.4 miWalker Ridge Spur
0.3 miBiking & sports
0.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
9Tennis
9Soccer
6Baseball
4Basketball
2Volleyball
1Football
1Field hockey
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Dover: 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 39 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Dover →
Next door
Dover and its neighbors
Dover has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 39% | 5.1 | 530 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Needham | 24% | 3.7 | 47 | 99% | A+ |
| Wellesley | 18% | 4.1 | 25 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Sherborn | 23% | 3.5 | 497 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Walpole | 18% | 2.4 | 75 | 88% | A+ |
| Natick | 21% | 2.0 | 44 | 97% | A+ |
| Medfield | 36% | 3.1 | 265 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Westwood | 18% | 2.6 | 72 | 99% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dover
Where can I hike in Dover?
The longest trail networks: Noanet Woodlands, 15.9 miles; Hale Reservation, 13.6 miles; Wylde Woods, 4.7 miles; Snow Hill Reservation, 3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dover is conserved land?
39% 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 Dover’s trails?
Noanet Woodlands and Hale Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dover?
0.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Dover?
56,924 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dover or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,157 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Dover have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #3 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 Dover 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 →