Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center
Nature preserve
746 acres13.9 mi of trail
Tooleybush Turnpike10th Mountain DivisionWest Slope TrailRose Ledge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Erving
Erving has 35 miles of mapped trails, 2.5 for every square mile of land
35% of Erving’s land is conserved, about 3,088 acres. 450 acres are parks and preserves, 264 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center (13.9 mi), Erving State Forest (11.5 mi), Poplar Mountain Conservation Area (2 mi).
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
35%
3,088 acres · of 13.8 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
2.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
450 ac
264 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
87%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.0 mi
4.0 mi lanes
Highest peak
1,191 ft
Hermit Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is Erving?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Erving have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Erving is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Erving’s overall grade.
Conserved land35% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land264 acres of park per 1,000 residents (450 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks 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 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Erving’s 35% is ahead of 81% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 66% 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 Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center, with 13.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Erving State Forest
Nature preserve
2,465 acres11.5 mi of trail
NET/M&M TrailHermits Castle TrailSpur
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Poplar Mountain Conservation Area
Nature preserve
162 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Connecticut River Greenway State Park
Nature preserve
155 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 8 parks & preserves
Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center746 acres · 13.9 mi of trail
DirectionsErving State Forest2,465 acres · 11.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPoplar Mountain Conservation Area162 acres · 2 mi of trail
Riverfront Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsConnecticut River Greenway State Park155 acres
DirectionsJack's Brook Forest68 acres
Town Land38 acres
DirectionsMillers River Access8 acres
Who protects it
3,088 conserved acres
35% of Erving’s land. Who manages Erving’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city312 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government132 ac
Other state land64 ac
Private owners30 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits14 ac
Not recorded2,719 ac
State Resource Management Area · 2,450 acLocal Other or Unknown · 208 acState Park · 160 acConservation Easement · 147 acForest Stewardship Easement · 132 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 174 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 37 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erving State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,450 | Open |
| Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 167 | Open |
| Connecticut River Greenway State Park State Park | Not recorded | 160 | Open |
| Laurel Lake Private Conservation | Not recorded | 22 | Unknown |
| Town of Erving Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 20 | Unknown |
| Erving Elementary School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 18 | Unknown |
| Unspecified State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
| Zilinski Field Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 13 | Open |
| Fire Station Field/Boy Scouts Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Millers River Access State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
16 places to go in Erving
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Erving
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Erving
OverlookIn Erving State Forest
DirectionsWaterfall
DirectionsPlus 4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Erving
Hermit Mountain1,191 ft elevation · In Erving State Forest
DirectionsRattlesnake Mountain1,024 ft elevation
DirectionsNorthfield Mountain1,010 ft elevation · In Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center
DirectionsPoplar Mountain961 ft elevation
DirectionsNorthfield MountainIn Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center
DirectionsPicnic areas in Erving
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
21 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 23.7 mi
NET/M&M Trail3.4 mi
Tooleybush Turnpike2.6 mi
10th Mountain Division1.7 mi
West Slope Trail1.3 mi
Rose Ledge Trail1.2 mi
Hemlock Hill1.0 mi
Rattlesnake Loop1.0 mi
Rock Oak Ramble0.9 mi
Lower Ledge Trail0.9 mi
Hermits Castle Trail0.8 mi
11 more trails
Sidewinder
0.7 miRed Trail
0.7 miSummit Trail
0.7 miHill N Dale
0.6 miBlue Trail
0.6 miBobcat Trail
0.4 miTalus Toe
0.2 miEcstasy Ramble
0.2 miCascade
0.2 miMohawk Path
0.2 miSpur
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Courts & fields
2Tennis
2Basketball
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Erving: 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 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Erving →
Next door
Erving 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erving | 35% | 2.5 | 264 | 87% | A+ |
| Wendell | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Montague | 43% | 2.3 | 782 | 79% | A+ |
| Millers Falls | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Gill | 23% | 2.0 | 296 | 49% | A |
| Northfield | 31% | 2.0 | 587 | 30% | A |
| Orange | 34% | 0.4 | 763 | 79% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Erving
Where can I hike in Erving?
The longest trail networks: Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center, 13.9 miles; Erving State Forest, 11.5 miles; Poplar Mountain Conservation Area, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Erving is conserved land?
35% 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 Erving’s trails?
Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center and Erving State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Erving?
4.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.0 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Erving?
63,841 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Erving or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,914 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Erving have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Erving 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 →