North Hill Marsh Recreational Area
Managed by Town of Duxbury
456 acres11 mi of trail
Kettle Hole LoopThe Roller CoasterPond LoopBarking Dog+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Duxbury
Duxbury has 55 miles of mapped trails, 2.3 for every square mile of land
28% of Duxbury’s land is conserved, about 4,238 acres. 2,917 acres are parks and preserves, 180 per 1,000 residents. 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #31 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
4,238 acres · of 23.7 sq mi of land
Trails
55 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,917 ac
180 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
161 ft
Captains Hill
Lakes & rivers
19
5 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Duxbury?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Duxbury have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Duxbury is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #31 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Duxbury near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Duxbury’s overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (55 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land180 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,917 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home99% of 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 89%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Duxbury’s 28% is ahead of 68% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 59% of them.
Water is 37% of Duxbury’s area (14 of 38 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 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 North Hill Marsh Recreational Area, with 11 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Waiting Hill Preserve
Nature preserve
146 acres4.9 mi of trail
TeeterDeadwoodTeeter BypassTeeter Extension+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
North Hill Marsh Sanctuary
Nature preserve
66 acres3.2 mi of trail
Pond LoopHigh RollerPitsPLT
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Round Pond Conservation Area
Nature preserve
51 acres1.8 mi of trail
Bay Circuit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Knapp Town Forest
Nature preserve
27 acres1.2 mi of trail
Pond Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ashdod Forest
Nature preserve
120 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Feinberg Bogs
Nature preserve
111 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Trout Farm Conservation Area
Nature preserve
66 acres0.5 mi of trail
Bay Circuit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 55 parks & preserves
North Hill Marsh Recreational Area456 acres · 11 mi of trail · Town of Duxbury
DirectionsWaiting Hill Preserve146 acres · 4.9 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Hill Marsh Sanctuary66 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
Round Pond Conservation Area51 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsKnapp Town Forest27 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAshdod Forest120 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Feinberg Bogs111 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Trout Farm Conservation Area66 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Mayflower Road Conservation Area27 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Duxbury
DirectionsBay Farm46 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLapham Woods36 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCow Tent Hill Preserve29 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLehr Conservation Area6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
West Brook Conservation Area55 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMerny Land15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Duxbury Beach Reservation255 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Land49 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Myles Standish Monument State Reservation28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Trout Farm Conservation Land122 acres
Thaddeus Chandler Sanctuary115 acres
DirectionsCommon Island103 acres
Keene's Brook Area Conservation Land92 acres · Town of Duxbury Conservation Commission
Old Garside Bogs63 acres
Old Meeting House Swamp37 acres
Whiton Woods33 acres
Laura Cushman Estate18 acres
DirectionsTrait Farm Conservation Area18 acres
Back River Conservation Land17 acres
Smith Land17 acres
Berrybrook School13 acres
O"Neil Farm11 acres
Marita Russell Sanctuary10 acres
Great Harry Foot Island9 acres
Fordville Conservation Area9 acres
Cushman Estate9 acres
DirectionsSkirt Meadow7 acres
Duck Hill River6 acres
Wadsworth Field Park4 acres
DirectionsBrewster Woods4 acres
Back River Marsh4 acres
Cotter3 acres
Great Wood Island3 acres
Long Island3 acres
Arthur Thurbur Land3 acres
DirectionsLittle Harry Foot Island2 acres
Scat Island2 acres
Isabelle Freeman Sanctuary1 acres
Town Green1 acres
Town Landing1 acres
Foster Land1 acres
Keenes Brook Conservation Area1 acres · Town of Duxbury Conservation Commission
Cushing Ice House Site1 acres
Crooker Memorial Park1 acres
Hunt Park1 acres · The Duxbury Rural & Historical Society
Annie Drew Dunham Park1 acres
Who protects it
4,238 conserved acres
28% of Duxbury’s land. Water is left out: Duxbury has 23.7 square miles of land and 13.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Duxbury’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,308 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,160 ac
Other state land253 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)250 ac
Not recorded2,429 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 2,082 acConservation Easement · 1,317 acAgricultural Easement · 373 acLocal Conservation Area · 356 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 348 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 877 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 26 of 305 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossroads For Kids Property Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 355 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 347 | Open |
| Town of Duxbury Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 280 | Open |
| Duxbury Bogs Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 195 | Open |
| North Hill Country Club Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 190 | Restricted |
| Trout Farm Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 188 | Open |
| Camp Wing Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 159 | Restricted |
| Duxbury Yacht Club Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 139 | Restricted |
| Ashdod Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 124 | Open |
| Waiting Hill Preserve Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 118 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Duxbury
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Duxbury
Plus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Duxbury
Clancy Family Playground
DirectionsKeene St Playground
DirectionsLincoln St Playground
DirectionsLincoln St Playground
DirectionsPlus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Duxbury
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Duxbury
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Duxbury
Captains Hill161 ft elevation · In Myles Standish Monument State Reservation
DirectionsWaiting Hill118 ft elevation · In North Hill Marsh Sanctuary
DirectionsNorth Hill82 ft elevation · In North Hill Marsh Recreational Area
DirectionsHardin Hill52 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill46 ft elevation
DirectionsAbrams Hill43 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
16 named trails and 19 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 25.6 miHorses · 13.3 miUnpaved · 6.4 mi
Pond Loop2.5 mi
Bay Circuit Trail2.3 mi
Kettle Hole Loop1.2 mi
The Roller Coaster1.0 mi
Teeter1.0 mi
PLT0.7 mi
Barking Dog0.7 mi
Deadwood0.6 mi
High Roller0.4 mi
Pits0.4 mi
6 more trails
Pump Track
0.3 miCow Tent Trail
0.3 miWaiting Hill Trail
0.3 miTeeter Bypass
0.3 miTeeter Extension
0.3 miCrater
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bluefish River ReservoirreservoirCranberry Factory PondreservoirHalls Brook ReservoirreservoirIsland Creek PondKeene PondLorings Bogs PondMerry Bog ReservoirreservoirMill PondreservoirNorth Hill Marsh PondreservoirPetersons Saw Mill PondreservoirPhillips Mill PondreservoirPine LakereservoirPit PondreservoirReed Bog ReservoirreservoirRound PondreservoirSouth River ReservoirreservoirWright ReservoirreservoirBluefish RiverGreen Harbor River
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
25Tennis
14Baseball
9Pickleball
7Soccer
6Basketball
3Multi-sport
1Lacrosse
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →15 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
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.
Capt. Gershom Bradford HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itCapt. Gamaliel Bradford HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itKing Caesar HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itAlexander Standish HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itFirst Parish ChurchBuilding · listed 1978
About itCaptain Daniel Bradford HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itOld Shipbuilder's Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itPillsbury Summer HouseBuilding · listed 2004
About itWright Memorial LibraryBuilding · listed 2007
About itTarklin SchoolBuilding · listed 2009
About it3 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Duxbury: 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 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 40 | 46 | 57 | 67 | 76 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 62 | 52 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.9 |
July is the driest month (3.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.2 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Duxbury →
Next door
Duxbury and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Plymouth577 miMarshfield64 miDuxbury55 miKingston32 miPembroke32 miNorth Plymouth2.1 miSouth Duxbury1.0 miGreen Harbor0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duxbury | 28% | 2.3 | 180 | 99% | A+ |
| Pembroke | 19% | 1.5 | 77 | 87% | A+ |
| Plymouth | 37% | 6.0 | 101 | 78% | A+ |
| Kingston | 19% | 1.7 | 74 | 93% | A+ |
| Marshfield | 24% | 2.2 | 168 | 99%+ | A+ |
| North Plymouth | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| South Duxbury | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Green Harbor | — 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 Duxbury
Where can I hike in Duxbury?
The longest trail networks: North Hill Marsh Recreational Area, 11 miles; Waiting Hill Preserve, 4.9 miles; North Hill Marsh Sanctuary, 3.2 miles; Round Pond Conservation Area, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Duxbury is conserved land?
28% 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 Duxbury’s trails?
North Hill Marsh Recreational Area and Waiting Hill Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Duxbury?
34,185 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Duxbury or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,427 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Duxbury have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 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 Duxbury 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 →