Iron Mine Brook Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
77 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Hanover
14% of Hanover’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. 24 miles of mapped trail cross Hanover, 1.6 per square mile of land. 1,216 acres are parks and preserves, 82 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #92 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
1,401 acres · of 15.5 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,216 ac
82 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.8 mi
0.8 mi paths
Highest peak
154 ft
Walnut Hill
Lakes & rivers
8
What kind of outdoors town is Hanover?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hanover have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hanover is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #92 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, conserved land lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hanover’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (24 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land82 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,216 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks 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)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 68%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Hanover’s 14% is ahead of 19% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 34% of them.
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 Iron Mine Brook Nature Preserve, with 2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Colby/Phillips Property
Nature preserve
146 acres1.7 mi of trail
Colby Phillips Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Plain St. Site
Nature preserve
55 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Merry Property
Nature preserve
55 acres1.3 mi of trail
Firehouse Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
River Path Conservation Area
Nature preserve
22 acres0.6 mi of trail
Indian Head River Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto IHRT Parking
Summer St. Conservation Area
Nature preserve
106 acres0.5 mi of trail
Forge Pond Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tindale Bog & Beach
Nature preserve
15 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto IHRT Parking
Wildlands Trust - Sylvester Field
Managed by Wildlands Trust
11 acres0.3 mi of trail
Wildlands Trust - Sylvester Field Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Wildlands Trust - Sylvester Field Parking Lot
All 35 parks & preserves
Iron Mine Brook Nature Preserve77 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsColby/Phillips Property146 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
Plain St. Site55 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Merry Property55 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
River Path Conservation Area22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSummer St. Conservation Area106 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsTindale Bog & Beach15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWildlands Trust - Sylvester Field11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Wildlands Trust
DirectionsInhabitants of Plymouth County5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWildlands Trust - Melzar Hatch Reservation41 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWildlands Trust - Longwater Woods Preserve38 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Ellis Playground13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Hell Swamp88 acres
Melody Woods41 acres
Rinear Property23 acres
Nick Tedeschi Sanctuary14 acres
DirectionsPine Island Swamp14 acres
Shinglemill Brook Swamp10 acres
Myrtle Street Playground6 acres
DirectionsBonney Conservation Land6 acres
Luddams Ford Park6 acres · Town of Hanover Conservation Commission
DirectionsDillingham Site6 acres
Emily Eliz. White Cons. Area5 acres
Shingle Mill Pond5 acres
Cross Street Site4 acres
EPA Research/Conservation Area3 acres
DirectionsSouth Shore Natural Sci. Ctr.3 acres
Fireworks Property3 acres · Town of Hanover Conservation Commission
Commonwealth of Massachusetts3 acres
DirectionsPlymouth Site3 acres
Old Pond Henderson2 acres
Briggs Field1 acres
DirectionsBonney Land1 acres
Hillside Drive Land1 acres
Luddams Ford1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,401 conserved acres
14% of Hanover’s land. Who manages Hanover’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city711 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits70 ac
Private owners6 ac
County3 ac
Other state land2 ac
Not recorded669 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 760 acWatershed Protection Area · 222 acLocal Park · 165 acResearch or Educational Area · 157 acPrivate Conservation · 56 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 14 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 8 of 83 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby Phillips Property Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 129 | Open |
| Broadway Well Site Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 98 | Unknown |
| Clark Land Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 91 | Open |
| Hell Swamp Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 88 | Open |
| Cedar & Jr. High Schools Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 75 | Open |
| Myrtle Street Fields Local Park | Town or city | 72 | Open |
| Merry Property Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 57 | Open |
| Plain St. Site Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Beal / Riverside Drive Well Property Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 48 | Unknown |
| Summer St. Site Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 46 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
13 places to go in Hanover
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Hanover
B. Everett Hall Playground
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Hanover
North River OverlookIn Iron Mine Brook Nature Preserve
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Hanover
Walnut Hill154 ft elevation
DirectionsRoundtop112 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.6 miHorses · 1.7 miUnpaved · 8.2 mi
Indian Head River Trail1.7 mi
Forge Pond Trail0.7 mi
Colby Phillips Trail0.5 mi
Mattakeeset Trail0.3 mi
Wildlands Trust - Sylvester Field Trail0.3 mi
Firehouse Loop Trail0.2 mi
Mattakeeset Trail side path0.1 mi
Biking & sports
0.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
21Baseball
9Tennis
5Basketball
2Soccer
1Lacrosse
1Football
1Softball
1Hockey rinks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hanover: 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 40 | 47 | 58 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 63 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 4.3 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
July is the driest month (3.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.3 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Hanover →
Next door
Hanover 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover | 14% | 1.6 | 82 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Norwell | 15% | 2.0 | 154 | 96% | A+ |
| Pembroke | 19% | 1.5 | 77 | 87% | A+ |
| Hanson | 20% | 2.5 | 148 | 93% | A+ |
| North Pembroke | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rockland | 11% | 1.5 | 22 | 91% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hanover
Where can I hike in Hanover?
The longest trail networks: Iron Mine Brook Nature Preserve, 2 miles; Colby/Phillips Property, 1.7 miles; Plain St. Site, 1.3 miles; Merry Property, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hanover is conserved land?
14% 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 Hanover’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at River Path Conservation Area (on leash) and Wildlands Trust - Sylvester Field (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hanover?
0.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Hanover?
37,009 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hanover or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,246 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hanover have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #92 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 Hanover 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 →