Willowdale State Forest
Nature preserve
2,188 acres41.7 mi of trail
Willowdale Road WestTornadoFoundTurtle Hill+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Linebrook Parking
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Ipswich
More than half of Ipswich’s land is conserved: 51%
51% of Ipswich’s land is conserved, about 10,529 acres. 103 miles of mapped trail cross Ipswich, 3.2 per square mile of land. 4,400 acres are parks and preserves, 316 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #9 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
51%
10,529 acres · of 32.1 sq mi of land
Trails
103 mi
3.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,400 ac
316 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.3 mi
1.3 mi paths
Highest peak
243 ft
Turkey Hill
Lakes & rivers
27
16 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Ipswich?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Ipswich have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ipswich is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #9 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Ipswich near the top nationally; conserved land ranks highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Ipswich’s overall grade.
Conserved land51% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (103 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land316 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,400 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home98% 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 97%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Ipswich’s 51% is ahead of 98% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% of them.
Water is 24% of Ipswich’s area (10 of 42 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 39%.
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 Willowdale State Forest, with 41.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Crane Estate
Nature preserve
1,682 acres10.7 mi of trail
Red TrailGreen TrailCedar Point Access TrailYellow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Dow / Bull Brook Reservoir Lands
Nature preserve
349 acres3.7 mi of trail
Bull Brook Reservoir TrailBay Circuit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Appleton Farms
Nature preserve
490 acres3.3 mi of trail
The Plains LoopFarmstead LoopBriar Hill trailGrass Rides Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Nature preserve
1,009 acres2.4 mi of trail
Stage Island TrailPines TrailsLot 5 BoardwalkLot 6 Boardwalk+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Pines Lot
Julia Bird Reservation
Nature preserve
56 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Daniel Boone Park
Park
65 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Kamon Farm Conservation Area
Nature preserve
97 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 82 parks & preserves
Willowdale State Forest2,188 acres · 41.7 mi of trail
DirectionsCrane Estate1,682 acres · 10.7 mi of trail
DirectionsDow / Bull Brook Reservoir Lands349 acres · 3.7 mi of trail
Appleton Farms490 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
DirectionsParker River National Wildlife Refuge1,009 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsJulia Bird Reservation56 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
Daniel Boone Park65 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
Kamon Farm Conservation Area97 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsStrawberry Hill Conservation Area69 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCastle Neck River Reservation33 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPony Express Farm Athletic Fields28 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHamlin Reservaton151 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsGreenwood Farm206 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsElizabeth How Reservation17 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsCastle Neck River Wildlife Management Area51 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · MassWildlife
DirectionsDow Brook Conservation Area38 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLinebrook Woods Conservation Area73 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsNichols Field16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Ipswich
Ipswich Town Farm353 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Echo Reservation31 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsProspect Hill24 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Turkey Hill Conservation Area21 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Lynch Property22 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Williams36 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Sally's Pond4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsConservation Land75 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
DirectionsShady Creek Conservation Area40 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Hood Farm Conservation Area25 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Essex Road Well21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Clark Pond Conservation Area13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTopsfield Town Forest4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Great Neck Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreat Marsh North Wildlife Management Area248 acres
Goodale Orchard Conservation Restriction106 acres
DirectionsGreat Neck Conservation Area81 acres
DirectionsSally Weatherall Reservation57 acres
Town Conservation Land47 acres
Marsh Hundreds38 acres
Jewett Hill34 acres
DirectionsClaire McKiernan Memorial33 acres
Sea Pines Conservation Area32 acres
Ross Property29 acres
Goodale Memorial24 acres
Candlewood Farms Realty Trust24 acres
Smith Salt Marsh21 acres
Bewer Reservation21 acres
DirectionsAppleton Estates Conservation Area20 acres
Sally Wentworth Memorial Site20 acres
Selig Memorial19 acres
Rice Reservation17 acres
Paine Creek Marsh14 acres
Bialek Park14 acres
DirectionsPine Swamp Road Conservation Area13 acres
Bird Pasture13 acres
DirectionsBrown12 acres
Bagwell Island12 acres
Lunt11 acres
Willowdale Circle11 acres
Jewett Marsh10 acres
Common Fields Conservation Restriction10 acres
Island10 acres
Stankus Woodland9 acres
DeAngelis Saltmarsh7 acres
Raymond Fields7 acres
Gaskins Reservation6 acres
Pine Swamp5 acres
Rowley River5 acres
Heartbreak Hill Reservation4 acres
Bradley Palmer State Park3 acres
DirectionsBerkson Property3 acres
Roland Clark3 acres
Hog Island3 acres
Young3 acres
North Town Green2 acres
DirectionsFord Field2 acres
Benjamin Howe Memorial Park2 acres
John J. Donovan Reservation1 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
DirectionsMurray Saltmarsh1 acres
Meadowbrook Conservation Area1 acres
Giles Firman Park1 acres
Greens Point1 acres
Father Ryc Park1 acres
Who protects it
10,529 conserved acres
51% of Ipswich’s land. Water is left out: Ipswich has 32.1 square miles of land and 10.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Ipswich’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,960 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service2,560 ac
Town or city1,832 ac
State parks665 ac
State conservation445 ac
Joint313 ac
Other state land101 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,855 acState Conservation Area · 2,676 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 2,560 acState Resource Management Area · 2,206 acRecreation or Education Easement · 1,038 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,738 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 58 of 392 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parker River National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 2,560 | Restricted |
| Willowdale State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,200 | Open |
| Crane Beach on the Crane Estate State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 985 | Open |
| Appleton Farms Private Conservation | Not recorded | 714 | Open |
| Castle Hill on the Crane Estate State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 365 | Open |
| Great Marsh North Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 286 | Open |
| Ipswich Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 231 | Unknown |
| Greenwood Farm Reservation State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 190 | Open |
| Dow Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 164 | Open |
| Ipswich Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 141 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
58 places to go in Ipswich
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Ipswich
Clark BeachIn Clark Pond Conservation Area
DirectionsCrane BeachIn Crane Estate
DirectionsIpswich Bar
DirectionsSteep Hill BeachIn Crane Estate
DirectionsStoney PointIn Crane Estate
DirectionsThe KnobbsIn Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsPlus 10 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Ipswich
7 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Ipswich
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Ipswich
Stage Island Pool OverlookIn Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsPlus 5 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Ipswich
Turkey Hill243 ft elevation · In Turkey Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsTurner Hill230 ft elevation
DirectionsBush Hill200 ft elevation
DirectionsJewett Hill190 ft elevation
DirectionsBartholomew Hill174 ft elevation · In Willowdale State Forest
DirectionsScott Hill171 ft elevation
DirectionsHeartbreak Hill164 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Turners Hill161 ft elevation
Directions15 more peaks
Bear Hill157 ft elevation
DirectionsCastle Hill151 ft elevation · In Crane Estate
DirectionsTimber Hill148 ft elevation
DirectionsTilton Hill135 ft elevation
DirectionsNorth Ridge112 ft elevation
DirectionsSteep Hill112 ft elevation · In Crane Estate
DirectionsPlover Hill108 ft elevation
DirectionsPigeon Hill98 ft elevation · In Appleton Farms
DirectionsMiddle Hill75 ft elevation · In Crane Estate
DirectionsBar Head49 ft elevation
DirectionsCross Farm Hill33 ft elevation · In Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsTreadwell Island20 ft elevation
DirectionsTown Hill7 ft elevation
DirectionsEagle Hill
DirectionsWigwam HillIn Crane Estate
DirectionsPicnic areas in Ipswich
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 27 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 23.5 miHorses · 15.8 miUnpaved · 39.0 mi
Red Trail2.1 mi
Green Trail1.7 mi
Willowdale Road West1.7 mi
Tornado1.2 mi
Found1.0 mi
Maplecroft Trail1.0 mi
Sandy Point Loop0.9 mi
Turtle Hill0.9 mi
Stage Island Trail0.9 mi
Displacement0.9 mi
15 more trails
Root Canal
0.9 miThe Plains Loop
0.9 miHamlin Reservation Trail
0.8 miCedar Point Access Trail
0.8 miStinger
0.7 miFernFoot
0.7 miYellow Trail
0.7 miThunderpass
0.7 miBull Brook Path
0.6 miBull Brook Reservoir Trail
0.6 miSandy Point Path
0.6 mi"G" Spot
0.6 miBay Circuit Trail
0.5 miRandall's Crossing
0.5 miSlope Side
0.5 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bull Brook ReservoirreservoirClark PondpondDow Brook ReservoirreservoirEagle Hill CoveHood PondIpswich River ReservoirreservoirNeck CovePlum Island SoundRantoul PondreservoirSally PondStage Island PoolpondCastle Neck RiverEagle Hill RiverEel RunEgypt RiverGrape Island CreekIpswich RiverLabor in Vain CreekMiles RiverNew CutOld ChannelPailiet CreekRoger Island RiverRowley RiverShip ChannelStacy CreekThird Creek
Biking & sports
1.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
22Tennis
12Baseball
6Basketball
1Football
1Pickleball
1Skate park
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →32 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 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Choate BridgeStructure · listed 1972
About itBailey HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itBenjamin Grant HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itBrown's ManorBuilding · listed 1980
About itBurnham-Patch HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itDr. John Calef HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itEast End Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itHeard-Lakeman HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itHigh Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itMeetinghouse Green Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About it20 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Ipswich: 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 | 56 | 66 | 75 | 80 | 79 | 72 | 61 | 50 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Ipswich →
Next door
Ipswich and its neighbors
Ipswich has the second most mapped trails of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | 51% | 3.2 | 316 | 98% | A+ |
| Essex | 31% | 2.7 | 372 | 91% | A+ |
| Hamilton | 38% | 4.4 | 229 | 84% | A+ |
| Rowley | 36% | 1.6 | 362 | 94% | A+ |
| Topsfield | 37% | 2.5 | 222 | 87% | A+ |
| Gloucester | 32% | 4.4 | 172 | 99% | A+ |
| Boxford | 24% | 3.5 | 307 | 91% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ipswich
Where can I hike in Ipswich?
The longest trail networks: Willowdale State Forest, 41.7 miles; Crane Estate, 10.7 miles; Dow / Bull Brook Reservoir Lands, 3.7 miles; Appleton Farms, 3.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ipswich is conserved land?
51% 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 Ipswich’s trails?
Willowdale State Forest and Crane Estate don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Ipswich?
1.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Ipswich?
50,849 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ipswich or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,031 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Ipswich 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 Ipswich 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 →