Paul C. Jones Working Forest
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
3,019 acres16.6 mi of trail
M&M Trail (Old Route)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Brian Zbriger · CC BY-SA 2.5A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Leverett
Leverett has 67 miles of mapped trails, 2.9 for every square mile of land
1,208 acres are parks and preserves, 751 per 1,000 residents. 37% of Leverett’s land is conserved, about 5,427 acres. The biggest trail networks: Paul C. Jones Working Forest (16.6 mi), Cave Hill Conservation Area (2.6 mi), Smith Conservation Restriction (1.5 mi).
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
37%
5,427 acres · of 22.8 sq mi of land
Trails
67 mi
2.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,208 ac
751 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
88%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,247 ft
Brushy Mountain
Lakes & rivers
1
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Leverett?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town2.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 97% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild37% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Room to roam751 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way6 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Leverett have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Leverett is among the top 1% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Leverett’s overall grade.
Conserved land37% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (67 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land751 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,208 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home88% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Leverett’s 37% is ahead of 87% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 74% 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 Paul C. Jones Working Forest, with 16.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cave Hill Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Leverett Conservation Commission
103 acres2.6 mi of trail
Vernal Pool TrailTown Farm LoopWest TrailUpper Cliff Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Cave Hill Conservation Area Parking
Smith Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
115 acres1.5 mi of trail
M&M Trail (Old Route)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Dan Glazier Forest
Nature preserve
55 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dan Glazier ForestDan Glazier Forest Cutoff
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Walter Cowls Jones Working Forest
Nature preserve
69 acres1.2 mi of trail
M&M Trail (Old Route)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
4-H Forest Conservation Area
Nature preserve
36 acres1.1 mi of trail
Teewaddle Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Gordon King Life Estate
Nature preserve
66 acres1 mi of trail
Gordon King Meadow TrailAdams Pine Grove Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Roaring Brook Conservation Area
Nature preserve
56 acres0.9 mi of trail
M&M Trail (Old Route)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 45 parks & preserves
Paul C. Jones Working Forest3,019 acres · 16.6 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
Cave Hill Conservation Area103 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Town of Leverett Conservation Commission
DirectionsSmith Conservation Restriction115 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsDan Glazier Forest55 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWalter Cowls Jones Working Forest69 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
4-H Forest Conservation Area36 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Gordon King Life Estate66 acres · 1 mi of trail
Roaring Brook Conservation Area56 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsLong Hill Natural Area38 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
East Leverett Meadow Conservation Area31 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Ellamoose Repose23 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Montague Wildlife Management Area150 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Rattlesnake Gutter Conservation Area43 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Cronen-Marvell Family Conservation Area18 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Whitney Road Conservation Area26 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Williams Family Conservation Area18 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Rattlesnake Hill Conservation Area18 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Bates Sanctuary16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Mount Toby Wildlife Management Area365 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Brushy Mountain Wildlife Management Area94 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Mount Toby State Forest127 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Ruth McIntire Conservation Area57 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Mosher Conservation Area14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Humphry Preserve10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Long Plain Road Cons. Area10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
David And Mary Field Conservation Area4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Leverett Conservation Commission
DirectionsStoddard Hill Cons. Area14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Carlyle A and Edith A Field Conservation Area1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Leverett Conservation Commission
Laurel Hill61 acres
Bill Rivers Conservation Area58 acres
Adams Family Conservation Area20 acres
Scheffey Conservation Area20 acres
Schuyler Cr17 acres
Stetson Adams Memorial Woodlot11 acres
Mount Toby Conservation Area9 acres
Cheyette Conservation Restriction7 acres
Halpern Cr7 acres
Doolittle Brook Conservation Area5 acres
Heronemus Conservation Area5 acres
Sawmill River Cons. Area4 acres
Philip And Catherine Woodard Conservation Area3 acres · Town of Leverett Conservation Commission
Kuzmeski Conservation Restriction3 acres
Lois and Joe Barnes Conservation Area2 acres · Town of Leverett Conservation Commission
DirectionsPozar Cr1 acres
Putney Road Conservation Area1 acres · Town of Leverett Conservation Commission
Who protects it
5,427 conserved acres
37% of Leverett’s land. Who manages Leverett’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources3,024 ac
State fish & wildlife2,917 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,379 ac
Joint201 ac
State parks185 ac
Town or city148 ac
State conservation124 ac
Conservation Easement · 7,831 acState Conservation Area · 492 acLocal Other or Unknown · 354 acPrivate Conservation · 316 acRecreation or Education Easement · 124 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,063 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 16 of 111 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Toby Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 216 | Unknown |
| Montague Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 176 | Open |
| Brushy Mountain Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 100 | Open |
| UMass/Demonstration Forest State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 93 | Open |
| Leverett Pond State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 91 | Open |
| Ruth McIntire Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 61 | Open |
| Laurel Hill Private Conservation | Not recorded | 57 | Open |
| Dan Glazier Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 55 | Unknown |
| Roaring Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 54 | Open |
| Long Hill Natural Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 38 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
13 places to go in Leverett
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Leverett
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Leverett
Leverett Pond Boat Launch
DirectionsScenic views in Leverett
Rock FormationsIn Rattlesnake Gutter Conservation Area
DirectionsPeaks in Leverett
Brushy Mountain1,247 ft elevation · In Paul C. Jones Working Forest
DirectionsMorse Hill1,201 ft elevation
DirectionsJackson Hill915 ft elevation
DirectionsJoshua Hill846 ft elevation · In Mount Toby Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsJanuary Hills840 ft elevation · In Walter Cowls Jones Working Forest
DirectionsStoddard Hill827 ft elevation · In Montague Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsIngraham Hill804 ft elevation
DirectionsRyans Hill646 ft elevation
Directions1 more peak
Stacy Mountain597 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.4 miUnpaved · 8.6 mi
M&M Trail (Old Route)4.5 mi
M&M Trail (old route)2.1 mi
Robert Frost Trail1.5 mi
Dan Glazier Forest1.4 mi
Teewaddle Trail1.1 mi
Robert Frost Trail (Orange)1.0 mi
East Leverett Meadow Loop0.9 mi
Ed Field Trail0.9 mi
Whitney Road [discontinued]0.7 mi
Vernal Pool Trail0.7 mi
15 more trails
Adams Pine Grove Trail
0.5 miGoding Trail
0.5 miRattlesnake Hill Inner Loop
0.5 miTown Farm Loop
0.5 miNET/M&M Trail (white)
0.4 miWest Trail
0.4 miBroad Hill Road (unimproved track)
0.4 miGordon King Meadow Trail
0.3 miMarvell Family Loop
0.3 miMarvell Family Cliff Loop
0.3 miRattlesnake Hill Outer Loop
0.2 miConnector Trail
0.2 miUpper Cliff Trail
0.2 miJewel Loop
0.2 miWoodard's Corner Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Tennis
1Baseball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Leverett Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2008
About itEast Leverett Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2014
About itMoore's Corner Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2014
About itNorth Leverett Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2014
About itLong Plain CemeterySite · listed 2020
About itNorth CemeterySite · listed 2020
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Leverett: May and July 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 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 81 | 73 | 61 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Leverett →
Next door
Leverett and its neighbors
Leverett has the second most mapped trails of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leverett | 37% | 2.9 | 751 | 88% | A+ |
| Sunderland | 42% | 2.5 | 214 | 47% | A |
| Amherst Town | 35% | 4.0 | 95 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Leverett
Where can I hike in Leverett?
The longest trail networks: Paul C. Jones Working Forest, 16.6 miles; Cave Hill Conservation Area, 2.6 miles; Smith Conservation Restriction, 1.5 miles; Dan Glazier Forest, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Leverett is conserved land?
37% 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 Leverett’s trails?
Paul C. Jones Working Forest and Cave Hill Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Leverett?
53,992 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Leverett or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,521 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Leverett have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Leverett 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 →