Gloucester Water Supply Land
Managed by City of Gloucester
1,450 acres24.9 mi of trail
4x4 trailResdawg4x4 Ledge TrailsFishbone+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Gloucester
Gloucester has 115 miles of mapped trails, 4.4 for every square mile of land
32% of Gloucester’s land is conserved, about 5,272 acres. 5,174 acres are parks and preserves, 172 per 1,000 residents. 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #14 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
32%
5,272 acres · of 26.2 sq mi of land
Trails
115 mi
4.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,174 ac
172 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.1 mi
1.3 mi lanes · 2.5 mi paths
Highest peak
256 ft
Mount Ann
Lakes & rivers
37
51 beaches · 11 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Gloucester?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town4.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild32% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Room to roam172 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way30 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Gloucester have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Gloucester is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #14 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Gloucester near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Gloucester’s overall grade.
Conserved land32% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails4.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (115 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land172 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,174 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 95%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Gloucester’s 32% is ahead of 76% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 93% of them.
Water is 37% of Gloucester’s area (15 of 42 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 20%.
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 Gloucester Water Supply Land, with 24.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Tompson Street Reservation
Nature preserve
347 acres12.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Ravenswood Park
Nature preserve
589 acres8.8 mi of trail
Ledge Hill Trail (Orange)Magnolia Swamp Trail (Yellow)Fernwood Lake Trail (Blue)Boulder Field Trail (Red)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Babson Watershed
Nature preserve
684 acres7.8 mi of trail
Nellie's TrailArt's TrailBabson Boulder TrailMoraine Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Babson Boulders
Magnolia Woods Recreational Area
Managed by City of Gloucester
288 acres3.9 mi of trail
Yellow TrailBlue TrailOrange Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Norton Memorial Forest
Managed by New England Forestry Foundation
143 acres2.9 mi of trail
ManBearPig
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mount Ann Park
Managed by The Trustees Of Reservations
68 acres2.5 mi of trail
Black CoffeeSkinnyDipperYellow Arrow
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Dogtown Conservation Land
Nature preserve
165 acres2.4 mi of trail
Adams Pines Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Dogtown Woods
All 92 parks & preserves
Gloucester Water Supply Land1,450 acres · 24.9 mi of trail · City of Gloucester
DirectionsTompson Street Reservation347 acres · 12.9 mi of trail
DirectionsRavenswood Park589 acres · 8.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBabson Watershed684 acres · 7.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMagnolia Woods Recreational Area288 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · City of Gloucester
DirectionsNorton Memorial Forest143 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · New England Forestry Foundation
Mount Ann Park68 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · The Trustees Of Reservations
Dogtown Conservation Land165 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGoose Cove Reservoir Watershed267 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWallace Pond Water Supply Land121 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
Fernwood Lake Water Supply Land98 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
Bond Hill Reservoir Water Supply Land68 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Plum Cove Recreation Area57 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLawrence Mountain Reservation34 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRed Rocks Conservation Area29 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Stage Fort Park47 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsPoles Hill44 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMarble Road Conservation Area50 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Gloucester Conservation Commission
Annisquam Woods47 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Goose Cove Reservation20 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsCarter Reservation20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Stoney Cove Reservation19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsGabriel and Selma Kleimola Reservation19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary47 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Massachusetts Audubon Society
DirectionsSquam Rock Pasture12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Burnham's Field & Playground7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPresson Point23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Seine Field15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Susan's Point14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
West Gloucester Open Space13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Memorial Woods4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Wingaersheek Beach185 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Gloucester
DirectionsNatti Woodland17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Rafe's Chasm Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Gloucester Department of Public Works
Swinsons Farm Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Boynton Island & Causeway9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Town Line Woodlot4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Harrison Avenue Conservation Area13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreen Street Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLanes Cove Landing4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
The Hill at Lobster Cove3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Captain Solomon Jacobs Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHarvey Reservation1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Fort Point Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMagnolia Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Whitemore Salt Marsh225 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Wingaersheek Uplands64 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Warren Reservation35 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Normans Woe Wildlife Sanctuary32 acres · Mass Audubon Society
Ram Island30 acres
Corliss Salt Marsh27 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Conservation Land23 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
DirectionsTommys Island22 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Long Wharf Landing18 acres
Brisson Salt Marsh17 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Coles Island17 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Clay Pit Landing15 acres
Young Farm Reservation14 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Curtis Salt Marsh13 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Two Penny Loaf12 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Marshall Reservation11 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Roses Woodlot10 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Great Ledge Reservation10 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
James Marsh Reservation10 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
City Owned Wetland9 acres
Maltz Saltmarsh7 acres
Spinney Reservation7 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
DirectionsBurke Playground & Field7 acres
Hodgkins Cove Landing6 acres
Essex Avenue Conservation Area6 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
DirectionsNelson Reservation5 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Green Street Landing and Marsh5 acres
Kettle Cove Field5 acres
Page-Potter Marsh5 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Hammond Castle Museum5 acres
Atwater Reservation4 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Collens Saltmarsh3 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Oval Playground & Palazola Field3 acres
Window On The Marsh3 acres
Norwood Heights Beach1 acres · Norwood Heights Trust
Stacy Boulevard1 acres
DirectionsStubby Knowles Landing1 acres
DirectionsBrown's Field & Apple Street Playground1 acres
Robbins1 acres · Mass Audubon Society
Governor's Park1 acres
DirectionsPlum Cove Landing1 acres
DirectionsSwett Woodlot1 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Toneatti Woodland1 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Robinson Reservation1 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Gordon Thomas Park1 acres
DirectionsFriend Street Playground1 acres
DirectionsKeith Trefry Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
5,272 conserved acres
32% of Gloucester’s land. Water is left out: Gloucester has 26.2 square miles of land and 15.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Gloucester’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,217 ac
Town or city401 ac
Other state land30 ac
State parks9 ac
Private owners6 ac
Not recorded3,690 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 2,104 acConservation Easement · 2,000 acPrivate Conservation · 761 acLocal Other or Unknown · 352 acLocal Park · 259 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,166 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 59 of 259 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucester Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 1,562 | Open |
| Wingaersheek Beach Local Park | Town or city | 152 | Open |
| Norton Memorial Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 142 | Open |
| Bass Rocks Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 111 | Restricted |
| Essex County Greenbelt Association Private Conservation | Not recorded | 101 | Restricted |
| Whitemore Salt Marsh State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 95 | Restricted |
| Dogtown Area Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 93 | Open |
| Gloucester Watershed Lands Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 91 | Open |
| Fernwood Lake Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 85 | Open |
| Wallace Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 84 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
104 places to go in Gloucester
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Gloucester
Coffins Beach
DirectionsCoffins Beach
DirectionsFolly Cove Shore Dive Site
DirectionsGood Harbor Beach
DirectionsNiles Beach
DirectionsRocky Neck Beach
DirectionsWingaersheek BeachIn Wingaersheek Beach
Directions51 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Playgrounds in Gloucester
Benjamin Smith Playground
DirectionsElizabeth Road Playground
DirectionsGanine Doucette PlaygroundIn Green Street Park
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Gloucester
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Gloucester
Corliss Landing
DirectionsFreshwater Cove Landing
DirectionsLanes Cove Boat Ramp
DirectionsLong Wharf LandingIn Long Wharf Landing
DirectionsPlus 7 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Gloucester
Eagle RockIn Tompson Street Reservation
DirectionsPlus 10 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Gloucester
Mount Ann256 ft elevation · In Mount Ann Park
DirectionsRed Rock230 ft elevation · In Gloucester Water Supply Land
DirectionsRailcut Hill184 ft elevation
DirectionsHeap of Rocks Hill180 ft elevation · In Gloucester Water Supply Land
DirectionsMount Avalon180 ft elevation · In Tompson Street Reservation
DirectionsTompson Mountain154 ft elevation · In Tompson Street Reservation
DirectionsBond Hill148 ft elevation
DirectionsSunset Hill105 ft elevation · In Poles Hill
Directions4 more peaks
Beacon Hill72 ft elevation
DirectionsFerry Hill49 ft elevation
DirectionsTwopenny Loaf43 ft elevation · In Wingaersheek Uplands
DirectionsWolf Hill10 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Gloucester
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Gloucester
Camp Pinehurst
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 37 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 36.5 miHorses · 15.9 miUnpaved · 47.4 mi
4x4 trail2.8 mi
Fernwood Lake Trail (Blue)1.8 mi
Resdawg1.7 mi
4x4 Ledge Trails1.5 mi
Fishbone1.2 mi
Ledge Hill Trail (Orange)1.1 mi
Magnolia Swamp Trail (Yellow)1.1 mi
The Gloucester Spot1.1 mi
Passing Gas0.9 mi
Nellie's Trail0.9 mi
15 more trails
Polaris
0.9 miBlue Trail
0.8 miArt's Trail
0.8 miNSA
0.8 miStoneman
0.7 miYellow Trail
0.7 miGranite Top
0.7 miBabson Boulder Trail
0.7 miWallace Drop In
0.7 miMoraine Trail
0.6 miBoulder Field Trail (Red)
0.6 miBlack Coffee
0.6 miMongrel
0.5 miSusan's Point
0.5 miTalking Trash
0.5 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Babson ReservoirreservoirBarker Co QuarriesBarker ReservoirBay State PitBay State QuarryBlood Ledge QuarryBuswell PondreservoirButman Pit / Manship QuarryCanney Pit / Canney QuarryCheve's Pit / Hancock QuarryCheve's ReservoirCow PitDays PondDevil's Rock PitDykes PondreservoirFaulk & Mason PitsFernwood LakereservoirGoose Cove ResevoirreservoirHaskell PondreservoirKlondike Quarry / Old Pit QuarryLangsford PondLily PondreservoirLong PitLower Banjo PondMill PondreservoirNelson's Pit QuarryNiles PondSherburne MotionsSpring PitStrangman PondUpper Banjo PondValley PitVernon's Pit QuarryWallace PondreservoirWest PondreservoirAnnisquam RiverBlynman Canal
Biking & sports
4.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.5 mi
off-road bike paths
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
14Tennis
9Baseball
6Pickleball
5Basketball
2Beach volleyball
1Soccer
1Football
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →30 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 34 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Fitz Henry (formerly known as Fitz Hugh) Lane HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itGloucester City HallBuilding · listed 1973
About itHammond CastleBuilding · listed 1973
About itFront Street BlockDistrict · listed 1974
About itOak Grove CemeteryDistrict · listed 1975
About itBeauportBuilding · listed 1976
About itPuritan HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itCentral Gloucester Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1982
About itGeorge O. Stacy HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itAnnisquam Harbor Light StationStructure · listed 1987
About it18 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Gloucester: 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) | 36 | 38 | 45 | 55 | 65 | 74 | 79 | 78 | 72 | 61 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (3.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Gloucester →
Next door
Gloucester and its neighbors
Gloucester has the most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucester | 32% | 4.4 | 172 | 99% | A+ |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | 19% | 4.7 | 106 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Rockport | 27% | 7.6 | 68 | 94% | A+ |
| Essex | 31% | 2.7 | 372 | 91% | A+ |
| Ipswich | 51% | 3.2 | 316 | 98% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Gloucester
Where can I hike in Gloucester?
The longest trail networks: Gloucester Water Supply Land, 24.9 miles; Tompson Street Reservation, 12.9 miles; Ravenswood Park, 8.8 miles; Babson Watershed, 7.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Gloucester is conserved land?
32% 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 Gloucester’s trails?
Gloucester Water Supply Land and Tompson Street Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Gloucester?
4.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.3 of painted or protected lanes, 2.5 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Gloucester?
23,519 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gloucester or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,486 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Gloucester have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #14 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 Gloucester 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 →