Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
106 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Hudson
Hudson has 22 miles of mapped trails, 1.9 for every square mile of land
14% of Hudson’s land is conserved, about 1,067 acres. 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest (2.8 mi), Danforth Creek Property (2.1 mi), Old North Road Conservation Land (0.8 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #178 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
1,067 acres · of 11.5 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
485 ac
24 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.6 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 6.3 mi paths
Highest peak
449 ft
Phillips Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hudson?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hudson have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hudson is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #178 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hudson’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (22 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land24 acres of park per 1,000 residents (485 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home95% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 37%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Hudson’s 14% is ahead of 21% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 47% 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 Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest, with 2.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Danforth Creek Property
Nature preserve
62 acres2.1 mi of trail
Danforth LoopDanforth
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Old North Road Conservation Land
Nature preserve
25 acres0.8 mi of trail
Cart PathDeer LoopFern GullyPipeline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
41 acres0.6 mi of trail
Fisher Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Goodale Memorial Forest
Nature preserve
30 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Riverside Park
Park
29 acres0.5 mi of trail
Assabet river nature trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Morse Property
Nature preserve
15 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 27 parks & preserves
Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest106 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsDanforth Creek Property62 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOld North Road Conservation Land25 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge41 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Goodale Memorial Forest30 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Park29 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMorse Property15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsChestnut Street Natural Area17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Buteau Conservation Land14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsO"Donnell Field14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWood Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsApsley Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFosgate Town Forest21 acres
Albertini/Meers Conservation Area16 acres · Hudson Land Trust
Potash Hill Water Tank14 acres
Kane Well12 acres · Town of Hudson
DirectionsForest Avenue Conservation Area11 acres
Buteau Land11 acres
DirectionsRivers Edge Estate Former Driving Range11 acres
Rounttop Water Tank8 acres
Crystal Springs4 acres
Boutwell Memorial Park4 acres
DirectionsPierce Estates4 acres
DirectionsMoulton Field3 acres
Cherry Street Field and Playground3 acres
DirectionsCellucci Park1 acres
DirectionsHudson Skate Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,067 conserved acres
14% of Hudson’s land. Who manages Hudson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city168 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits107 ac
State parks104 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service80 ac
Not recorded784 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 333 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 260 acState Resource Management Area · 208 acConservation Easement · 96 acLocal Other or Unknown · 80 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 69 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 67 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Oak Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 206 | Restricted |
| Hudson Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 166 | Closed |
| Maynard Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 128 | Closed |
| Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 104 | Open |
| Marlborough Sudbury State Forest State Resource Management Area | State parks | 104 | Open |
| Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 80 | Restricted |
| Hudson Rod And Gun Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 41 | Restricted |
| Ft. Meadow Lake Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| N.E. Forestry Land Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 33 | Open |
| St Michaels Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 25 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
23 places to go in Hudson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hudson
Centennial Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Hudson
8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Hudson
Hudson Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Hudson
Canoe and kayak lanch point
DirectionsCar top boat Only LaunchIn Riverside Park
DirectionsWaterfalls in Hudson
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Hudson
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Hudson
Phillips Hill449 ft elevation · In Danforth Creek Property
DirectionsPotash Hill449 ft elevation
DirectionsRound Top Hill397 ft elevation · In Rounttop Water Tank
DirectionsWhitney Hill338 ft elevation
DirectionsPope Hill335 ft elevation
DirectionsGospel Hill194 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Hudson
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Hudson
Hudson Community GardenIn Apsley Park · Town of Hudson
DirectionsTrails & water
11 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.8 miUnpaved · 10.8 mi
Danforth Loop1.1 mi
Red Blazed Trail0.5 mi
Assabet river nature trail0.5 mi
Fisher Trail0.3 mi
Cart Path0.3 mi
Deer Loop0.2 mi
Danforth0.2 mi
Fern Gully0.2 mi
Pipeline Trail0.1 mi
Access Trail0.1 mi
1 more trails
Central Massachusetts Branch
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.3 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
13Tennis
10Baseball
10Pickleball
5Soccer
4Tracks
3Softball
2Football
1Basketball
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).
When to get out
The best walking months in Hudson: 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 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Hudson →
Next door
Hudson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson | 14% | 1.9 | 24 | 95% | A |
| Stow | 32% | 4.2 | 241 | 85% | A+ |
| Berlin | 29% | 2.7 | 368 | 97% | A+ |
| Bolton | 29% | 3.2 | 358 | 88% | A+ |
| Marlborough | 19% | 2.8 | 35 | 95% | A+ |
| Sudbury | 29% | 2.4 | 126 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hudson
Where can I hike in Hudson?
The longest trail networks: Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest, 2.8 miles; Danforth Creek Property, 2.1 miles; Old North Road Conservation Land, 0.8 miles; Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hudson 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 Hudson’s trails?
Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest and Danforth Creek Property don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hudson?
6.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes, 6.3 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Hudson?
45,526 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hudson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 551 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hudson have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #178 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 Hudson 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 →