Mount Tom State Reservation
Nature preserve
1,608 acres23.8 mi of trail
NET/M&M Trail (white)Bray Loop TrailQuarry TrailKeystone Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Holyoke
41% of Holyoke’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. 85 miles of mapped trail cross Holyoke, 4.0 per square mile of land. 41% of Holyoke’s land is conserved, about 5,500 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #9 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
41%
5,500 acres · of 21.2 sq mi of land
Trails
85 mi
4.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,827 ac
128 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.9 mi
7.1 mi lanes · 0.1 mi paths
Highest peak
1,191 ft
Mount Tom
Lakes & rivers
13
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Holyoke?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Holyoke have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Holyoke is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #9 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Holyoke near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Holyoke’s overall grade.
Conserved land41% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails4.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (85 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land128 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,827 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)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 97%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Holyoke’s 41% is ahead of 91% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 89% of them.
Water is 7% of Holyoke’s area (2 of 23 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 38%.
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 Mount Tom State Reservation, with 23.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ashley Watershed
Nature preserve
1,432 acres13.6 mi of trail
NET/M&M Trail (white)Trolley TrailHellgate TrailLower Yeti Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
East Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
552 acres6.9 mi of trail
NET/M&M Trail (white)Trolley TrailPipeline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Whiting St Watershed
Nature preserve
364 acres4.6 mi of trail
NET/M&M Trail (white)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bear Hole Watershed
Nature preserve
172 acres3.5 mi of trail
Birds of PreyGreen Eggs and HamAdrenalize TrailNET/M&M Trail (white)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mount Tom Division
Nature preserve
141 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Community Field
Nature preserve
94 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mt. Tom Natural Heritage Area
Nature preserve
72 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 47 parks & preserves
Mount Tom State Reservation1,608 acres · 23.8 mi of trail
DirectionsAshley Watershed1,432 acres · 13.6 mi of trail
DirectionsEast Mountain Wildlife Management Area552 acres · 6.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWhiting St Watershed364 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBear Hole Watershed172 acres · 3.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Tom Division141 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
Community Field94 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMt. Tom Natural Heritage Area72 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle Tom Mountain75 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsPulaski Park12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSpringdale Park38 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWater Tower35 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
West Springfield Watershed Land4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Jones Point Park22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Dinosaur Footprints7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Trustees of Reservations
DirectionsHolyoke Heritage State Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRohan Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Carlos Vega Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge141 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Log Pond56 acres
DirectionsPilsudski Park19 acres
Gloutack Park13 acres
Crosier Field9 acres
DirectionsMacKenzie Field8 acres
DirectionsWell Field6 acres
DirectionsMitchell Field6 acres
DirectionsAnniversary Field4 acres
DirectionsWyatt Harper Park4 acres
DirectionsSheard Park (Lower)4 acres
DirectionsSouthampton Wildlife Management Area3 acres
McNally Field3 acres
DirectionsWard Vi Pool Park3 acres
DirectionsHolyoke Library Park3 acres
DirectionsVeterans' Memorial Park3 acres
DirectionsWistariahurst Gardens2 acres
DirectionsAvery Field2 acres
Kennedy Park2 acres
Joe Mayer Field2 acres
McNulty Park1 acres
DirectionsDeRoy Park1 acres
DirectionsWhiting Farms Road1 acres
DirectionsMorgan Street Park1 acres
Jackson Courts1 acres
Churchill Green1 acres
DirectionsKosciuzko Park1 acres
DirectionsPina Park1 acres
Valley Arena Park1 acres
Who protects it
5,500 conserved acres
41% of Holyoke’s land. Water is left out: Holyoke has 21.2 square miles of land and 1.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Holyoke’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city381 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service280 ac
State parks234 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits181 ac
State conservation95 ac
Joint88 ac
Private owners5 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 1,868 acState Park · 1,615 acConservation Easement · 653 acState Conservation Area · 595 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 280 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 475 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 157 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Tom State Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 1,609 | Open |
| Ashley Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 908 | Closed |
| East Mountain Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 510 | Open |
| Holyoke Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 447 | Closed |
| Whiting Street Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 368 | Closed |
| Silvio O. Conte National Fish And Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 280 | Restricted |
| Holyoke Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 114 | Restricted |
| Community Field Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 94 | Open |
| Wyckoff Park Golf And Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 92 | Restricted |
| Mt. Tom Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 83 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
63 places to go in Holyoke
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Holyoke
Pouliot PoolIn Ward Vi Pool Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Holyoke
Feldman Water Spray ParkIn Pulaski Park
DirectionsIngleside Playground
DirectionsWard 1 PlaygroundIn Pina Park
Directions33 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Holyoke
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Holyoke
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Holyoke
Dry KnollIn Mount Tom State Reservation
DirectionsGoat PeakIn Mount Tom State Reservation
DirectionsMt NonotuckIn Mount Tom State Reservation
DirectionsOverlookIn Bear Hole Watershed
DirectionsSnake Peak
DirectionsPlus 9 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Holyoke
Mount Tom1,191 ft elevation
DirectionsDeadtop1,093 ft elevation · In Mount Tom State Reservation
DirectionsWhiting Peak1,001 ft elevation · In Mount Tom State Reservation
DirectionsGoat Peak827 ft elevation · In Mount Tom State Reservation
DirectionsDry Knoll820 ft elevation · In Mount Tom State Reservation
DirectionsMount Nonotuck758 ft elevation · In Mount Tom State Reservation
DirectionsLittle Mountain610 ft elevation · In Mount Tom State Reservation
DirectionsCrafts Hill554 ft elevation
Directions2 more peaks
Cedar Knob420 ft elevation
DirectionsBradley Mountain374 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Holyoke
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Holyoke
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.7 miUnpaved · 34.6 mi
NET/M&M Trail (white)10.7 mi
Trolley Trail2.0 mi
Bray Loop Trail1.5 mi
Quarry Trail0.9 mi
Knox Trail0.9 mi
Keystone Trail0.9 mi
John McCool Trail0.8 mi
Birds of Prey0.8 mi
Kay Bee Trail0.7 mi
T. Bagg Trail0.7 mi
15 more trails
D.O.C. Trail
0.7 miGreen Eggs and Ham
0.7 miK & M Trail
0.7 miHellgate Trail
0.6 miBeau Bridge Trail
0.6 miBray Valley Trail
0.5 miPipeline Trail
0.5 miKeystone Extension
0.5 miDynamite Trail
0.4 miAdrenalize Trail
0.4 miMiddle Loop Trail
0.4 miUniversal Access Trail
0.3 miLower Yeti Trail
0.3 miKnox Extension
0.2 miOld NET/M&M Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.1 mi
off-road bike paths
0.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
34Tennis
27Baseball
16Basketball
5Pickleball
3Soccer
2Softball
1Football
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →15 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 14 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
WistariahurstBuilding · listed 1973
About itHolyoke City HallBuilding · listed 1975
About itCaledonia BuildingBuilding · listed 1979
About itHolyoke Canal SystemStructure · listed 1980
About itMaplewood HotelBuilding · listed 1983
About itUS Post Office-Holyoke MainBuilding · listed 1986
About itNorth High Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itClovis Robert BlockBuilding · listed 2002
About itFriedrich BlockBuilding · listed 2002
About itProspect ParkSite · listed 2004
About itHampden Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2012
About itWar Memorial BuildingBuilding · listed 2022
About it3 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Holyoke: 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) | 34 | 38 | 46 | 59 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Holyoke →
Next door
Holyoke and its neighbors
Holyoke has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Holyoke85 miSouth Hadley58 miWest Springfield Town55 miChicopee38 miEasthampton33 miSouthampton32 miWestfield31 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holyoke | 41% | 4.0 | 128 | 99%+ | A+ |
| South Hadley | 31% | 3.3 | 168 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Chicopee | 4% | 1.7 | 14 | 90% | A− |
| Southampton | 25% | 1.1 | 91 | 56% | A |
| Easthampton | 25% | 2.5 | 72 | 99%+ | A+ |
| West Springfield Town | 17% | 3.3 | 21 | 92% | A |
| Westfield | 17% | 0.7 | 37 | 85% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Holyoke
Where can I hike in Holyoke?
The longest trail networks: Mount Tom State Reservation, 23.8 miles; Ashley Watershed, 13.6 miles; East Mountain Wildlife Management Area, 6.9 miles; Whiting St Watershed, 4.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Holyoke is conserved land?
41% 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 Holyoke’s trails?
Mount Tom State Reservation and Ashley Watershed don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Holyoke?
7.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.1 of painted or protected lanes, 0.1 of off-road paths and 0.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Holyoke?
49,845 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Holyoke or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,025 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Holyoke have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #9 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 Holyoke 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 →