Leominster State Forest
Managed by DCR - Division Of State Parks And Recreation
1,302 acres11.3 mi of trail
Mamouth Brook TrailBlack Bear RunChestnut Loop TrailRocky Pond Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Nick Allen · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Leominster
35% of Leominster’s land is conserved: 6,507 acres
69 miles of mapped trail cross Leominster, 2.4 per square mile of land. 2,179 acres are parks and preserves, 50 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Leominster State Forest (11.3 mi), Doyle Community Park and Center (4.2 mi), Barrett Park (3.7 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #123 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
35%
6,507 acres · of 28.8 sq mi of land
Trails
69 mi
2.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,179 ac
50 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
89%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.7 mi
2.0 mi lanes · 2.6 mi paths
Highest peak
1,132 ft
South Monoosnoc Hill
Lakes & rivers
15
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Leominster?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Leominster have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Leominster is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #123 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Leominster’s overall grade.
Conserved land35% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (69 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land50 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,179 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home89% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 97%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 57%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Leominster’s 35% is ahead of 82% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 62% of them.
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 Leominster State Forest, with 11.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Doyle Community Park and Center
Nature preserve
152 acres4.2 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Barrett Park
Park
117 acres3.7 mi of trail
Gardner Hill Loop TrailColburn Loop TrailWaterfall Loop TrailLower Elm Street Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Coulter Estate
Nature preserve
143 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sholan Farms
Nature preserve
165 acres2.6 mi of trail
Monoosnoc Ridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Sholan Frams parking
Nashua Valley Conservation Area
Nature preserve
236 acres2 mi of trail
Monoosnoc Ridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wekepeke Wildlife Conservation Easement
Nature preserve
107 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Monoosnoc Acres
Nature preserve
110 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 29 parks & preserves
Leominster State Forest1,302 acres · 11.3 mi of trail · DCR - Division Of State Parks And Recreation
Doyle Community Park and Center152 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBarrett Park117 acres · 3.7 mi of trail
DirectionsCoulter Estate143 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsSholan Farms165 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsNashua Valley Conservation Area236 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsWekepeke Wildlife Conservation Easement107 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
Monoosnoc Acres110 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Doyle Field22 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLincoln Woods Wildlife Sanctuary63 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNotown Reservoir204 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Mt. Elam Road50 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Bartlett Swamp200 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Mechanic & Laurel Street Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsProspect Park Conservation Area26 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Carter Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJohnny Ro Veterans Memorial Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMonument Square1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRt 190 Cons.Area31 acres
Fournier Park22 acres
DirectionsFall Brook Cons. Area16 acres
DirectionsOld Smith Pond13 acres
McLaughlin Field - Babe Ruth Baseball13 acres
DirectionsProspect Park11 acres
Eagles Field11 acres
DirectionsTwelvth Street Field4 acres
DirectionsDesantis Field3 acres
DirectionsFairfield Park2 acres
Eastern Ave. Park2 acres
Who protects it
6,507 conserved acres
35% of Leominster’s land. Who manages Leominster’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land421 ac
State parks412 ac
State conservation369 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits292 ac
Town or city187 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government94 ac
State fish & wildlife90 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 2,048 acState Resource Management Area · 1,448 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,050 acConservation Easement · 856 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 509 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 655 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 9 of 138 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leominster State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,443 | Open |
| Notown Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 767 | Closed |
| Fall Brook Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 447 | Closed |
| Nashua Valley Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 321 | Open |
| Haynes Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 294 | Closed |
| Leominster Sportsmens Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 249 | Restricted |
| City of Leominster Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 199 | Closed |
| Grandview Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 195 | Restricted |
| Johnny Appleseed State Park State Park | State parks | 187 | Open |
| Bartlett Swamp Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 178 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
43 places to go in Leominster
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Leominster
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Leominster
1 public pool without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Leominster
B.B. Kidz Klub
DirectionsFay Scharmett Memorial Playground
DirectionsPlus 18 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Leominster
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Leominster
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Leominster
Granite Water TroughIn Barrett Park
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Leominster
South Monoosnoc Hill1,132 ft elevation
DirectionsBayberry Hill1,068 ft elevation
DirectionsRocky Hill1,066 ft elevation
DirectionsNorth Monoosnoc Hill955 ft elevation
DirectionsPalmer Hill899 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill850 ft elevation · In Coulter Estate
DirectionsSheldon Hill738 ft elevation
DirectionsBee Hill728 ft elevation · In Sholan Farms
Directions6 more peaks
Carter Hill722 ft elevation
DirectionsGardner Hill640 ft elevation · In Barrett Park
DirectionsLegate Hill630 ft elevation
DirectionsJocelyn Hill591 ft elevation
DirectionsMonoosnoc Hills581 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill535 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Leominster
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Leominster
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
17 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.5 miHorses · 3.7 miUnpaved · 22.7 mi
Monoosnoc Ridge Trail5.6 mi
Mamouth Brook Trail0.8 mi
Gardner Hill Loop Trail0.8 mi
Black Bear Run0.6 mi
Colburn Loop Trail0.6 mi
Chestnut Loop Trail0.6 mi
Vernal Pool Loop0.6 mi
Elizabeth Lincoln Loop0.5 mi
Rocky Pond Trail0.4 mi
Waterfall Loop Trail0.4 mi
7 more trails
Red Oak Trail
0.3 miLower Elm Street Trail
0.3 miNotown Rd.
0.2 miBall Hill Trail
0.2 miBayberry Hill Trail
0.2 miHell's Highway
0.2 miLimbo Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bartlett PondreservoirColburn PondreservoirDistributing ReservoirreservoirFall Brook ReservoirreservoirGoodfellow PondreservoirHaynes ReservoirreservoirHeywood ReservoirreservoirLake SamosetreservoirMorse ReservoirreservoirNotown ReservoirreservoirPierce PondRockwell PondRocky PondSimonds PondreservoirNorth Nashua River
Biking & sports
4.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
21Baseball
9Tennis
8Basketball
6Pickleball
5Soccer
2Softball
2Football
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →12 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.
Monument Square Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1982
About itWachusett Shirt CompanyBuilding · listed 1982
About itWellington Piano Case Company BuildingBuilding · listed 1984
About itWhitney, F. A., Carriage Company Complex Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988
About itCluett Peabody & CompanyBuilding · listed 1989
About itWhitney & CompanyBuilding · listed 1989
About itFrances H. and Jonathan Drake HouseBuilding · listed 2008
About itPine Grove CemeterySite · listed 2008
About itJewett Piano Company BuildingBuilding · listed 2019
About itLeominster High SchoolBuilding · listed 2021
About itW. S. Reed Toy Company-Wachusett Shirt Company Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2021
About itEarl Company FactoryBuilding · listed 2025
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Leominster: 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) | 34 | 37 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Leominster →
Next door
Leominster and its neighbors
Leominster has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Leominster
Where can I hike in Leominster?
The longest trail networks: Leominster State Forest, 11.3 miles; Doyle Community Park and Center, 4.2 miles; Barrett Park, 3.7 miles; Coulter Estate, 3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Leominster is conserved land?
35% 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 Leominster’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Doyle Community Park and Center (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Leominster?
4.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.0 of painted or protected lanes and 2.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Leominster?
59,483 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Leominster or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,673 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Leominster have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #123 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 Leominster 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 →