Hubbardston State Forest
Nature preserve
991 acres7.9 mi of trail
Over the BridgeCopper Mine TrailOld Cross TrailMill Pond Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Rev. Samuel Gay House · Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Hubbardston
46% of Hubbardston’s land is conserved: 12,145 acres
1,948 acres are parks and preserves, 446 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Hubbardston State Forest (7.9 mi), Ware River Watershed (6.2 mi), Hidden Meadow (1.9 mi). 32 miles of mapped trail cross Hubbardston, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #210 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
46%
12,145 acres · of 41.1 sq mi of land
Trails
32 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,948 ac
446 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.5 mi
0.8 mi lanes · 1.8 mi paths
Highest peak
1,312 ft
Canesto Hill
Lakes & rivers
14
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Hubbardston?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hubbardston have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hubbardston is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #210 of 283 in Massachusetts. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hubbardston’s overall grade.
Conserved land46% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (32 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land446 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,948 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home54% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 91%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 26%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Hubbardston’s 46% is ahead of 96% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 12% 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 Hubbardston State Forest, with 7.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ware River Watershed
Nature preserve
8,836 acres6.2 mi of trail
Midstate TrailMain Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hidden Meadow
Nature preserve
150 acres1.9 mi of trail
Blue TrailOrange TrailTrail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mount Jefferson Conservation Area
Nature preserve
244 acres1.7 mi of trail
Behind the Chimney TrailGates Hill Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Henry's Grove Preserve
Nature preserve
97 acres1.5 mi of trail
Main TrailHenry's Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Underwood Conservation Area
Nature preserve
65 acres1.4 mi of trail
Nonesuch Loop (yellow)The Wild Walk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Malone Road Conservation Area
Nature preserve
73 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Curtis Recreation Field
Park
12 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 13 parks & preserves
Hubbardston State Forest991 acres · 7.9 mi of trail
Ware River Watershed8,836 acres · 6.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHidden Meadow150 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Jefferson Conservation Area244 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
Henry's Grove Preserve97 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsUnderwood Conservation Area65 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMalone Road Conservation Area73 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Curtis Recreation Field12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsNatty Brook Access88 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPhillipston Wildlife Management Area135 acres
Barre Falls Project Area50 acres
DirectionsScot HilaryAgricultural Preservation Restriction21 acres
Moosehorn Pond Access8 acres
Who protects it
12,145 conserved acres
46% of Hubbardston’s land. Who manages Hubbardston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation781 ac
State natural resources751 ac
Joint466 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government262 ac
State parks149 ac
Other state land103 ac
Town or city101 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 9,010 acConservation Easement · 1,734 acState Resource Management Area · 1,157 acState Conservation Area · 531 acForest Stewardship Easement · 401 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,040 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 176 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ware River Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 8,418 | Restricted |
| Hubbardston State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,157 | Open |
| Mare Meadow Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 405 | Open |
| Hubbardston Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 359 | Restricted |
| Phillipston Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 172 | Open |
| Fitchburg Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 135 | Unknown |
| Natty Brook Access State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 95 | Open |
| Wachusett Mountain State Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 91 | Open |
| Malone Road Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 70 | Open |
| Fitchburg Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 59 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
16 places to go in Hubbardston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hubbardston
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Hubbardston
5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Hubbardston
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Hubbardston
Canesto Hill1,312 ft elevation · In Hubbardston State Forest
DirectionsPrentiss Hill1,266 ft elevation
DirectionsRagged Hill1,266 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Jefferson1,207 ft elevation · In Mount Jefferson Conservation Area
DirectionsPerry Hill1,125 ft elevation
DirectionsComet Hill1,073 ft elevation
DirectionsFairweather Hill1,053 ft elevation · In Ware River Watershed
DirectionsSimonds Hill1,033 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
19 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.1 miHorses · 6.1 miUnpaved · 5.8 mi
Midstate Trail1.7 mi
Over the Bridge1.6 mi
Gates Hill Trail1.0 mi
Nonesuch Loop (yellow)1.0 mi
Main Trail1.0 mi
Copper Mine Trail0.9 mi
Blue Trail0.8 mi
Old Cross Trail0.8 mi
Orange Trail0.8 mi
Behind the Chimney Trail0.8 mi
9 more trails
Mill Pond Trail
0.8 miHenry's Trail
0.5 miMuzzy Ridge Trail
0.5 miCanesto Brook Trail
0.4 miCanesto Hill Trail
0.4 miTrail
0.2 miThe Wild Walk
0.2 miLink Trail
0.2 miDogwood Road South
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
5Basketball
3Baseball
3Equestrian
1Soccer
1Skate park
1Softball
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 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 Hubbardston: 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) | 33 | 35 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Hubbardston →
Next door
Hubbardston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubbardston | 46% | 0.8 | 446 | 54% | A |
| Princeton | 49% | 1.9 | 1,031 | 72% | A+ |
| Barre | 41% | 0.6 | 758 | 68% | A |
| Gardner | 33% | 1.2 | 164 | 91% | A+ |
| Westminster | 31% | 1.4 | 256 | 73% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hubbardston
Where can I hike in Hubbardston?
The longest trail networks: Hubbardston State Forest, 7.9 miles; Ware River Watershed, 6.2 miles; Hidden Meadow, 1.9 miles; Mount Jefferson Conservation Area, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hubbardston is conserved land?
46% 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 Hubbardston’s trails?
Hubbardston State Forest and Ware River Watershed don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hubbardston?
2.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes and 1.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Hubbardston?
61,185 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hubbardston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,905 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hubbardston have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #210 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 Hubbardston 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 →