Whipple Hill
Managed by Town of Lexington Conservation Department
115 acres5.9 mi of trail
Geology TrailACROSS Lexington Trail (blue)Farm/Wetland Loop (yellow)Conservation Trail (green)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Whipple Hill Parking Lot
Photo: Henry Hudson Kitson · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Lexington
22% of Lexington’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 66 miles of mapped trail cross Lexington, 4.0 per square mile of land. 22% of Lexington’s land is conserved, about 2,361 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #33 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
2,361 acres · of 16.4 sq mi of land
Trails
66 mi
4.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,106 ac
61 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
26 mi
2.8 mi lanes · 8.1 mi paths
Highest peak
361 ft
Whipple Hill
Lakes & rivers
11
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Lexington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild22% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town4.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way18 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lexington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lexington is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #33 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 Lexington’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails4.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (66 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land61 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,106 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all 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 89%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Lexington’s 22% is ahead of 53% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 89% 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 Whipple Hill, with 5.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Arlington's Great Meadows
Nature preserve
176 acres4.1 mi of trail
Circle Road PathWhite trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Minute Man National Historical Park
Managed by National Park Service
129 acres2.8 mi of trail
Battle Road TrailFiske Loop TrailMNHP connection trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Lower Vine Brook Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Lexington Conservation Commission
104 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Willard's Woods
Nature preserve
106 acres2.3 mi of trail
Hathaway PathACROSS Lexington Route NP
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Paint Mine Conservation Area
Nature preserve
49 acres2.2 mi of trail
Wet Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hayden Woods
Nature preserve
117 acres2.1 mi of trail
Hayden Avenue TrailHayden Ave. Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Katahdin Woods
Nature preserve
75 acres1.8 mi of trail
sewer berm path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 73 parks & preserves
Whipple Hill115 acres · 5.9 mi of trail · Town of Lexington Conservation Department
DirectionsArlington's Great Meadows176 acres · 4.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMinute Man National Historical Park129 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsLower Vine Brook Conservation Area104 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Town of Lexington Conservation Commission
DirectionsWillard's Woods106 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPaint Mine Conservation Area49 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHayden Woods117 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKatahdin Woods75 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsDunback Meadow Conservation Area161 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCranberry Hill Conservation Area23 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Town of Lexington
DirectionsLincoln Park37 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsDCR "Lot 1"46 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMeagherville Conservation Area92 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSimond's Brook Conservation Area58 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBeaver Brook North Reservation65 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsChiesa Farm23 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsJuniper Hill29 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Arlington Reservoir Area28 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Street Conservation Area26 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Lexington Conservation Commission
DirectionsSutherland Woods24 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Wright Farm15 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Farm12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Parker Meadow17 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsIdylwilde Conservation Area12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsJoyce Miller's Meadow9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Daisy Wilson Meadow8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Lexington Conservation Commission
Upper Vine Brook Conservation Area52 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCenter Recreation Complex20 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsShaker Glen16 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Tower Park16 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Wood Street Conservation Area9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Freemont St. Play Area12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Turning Mill Pond Conservation Area10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Marvin Street Play Area9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAdams Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGarfield Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLiberty Heights6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Vyne Brook Village6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCataldo Reservation5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsValley Road Recreation Area4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBurlington Strip6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBrown Homestead6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Orchard Lane Conservation Area4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPoplar Street Play Area4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBelfry Hill Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsConcord Ave. Conservation Area44 acres
Pheasant Brook Conservation Area35 acres · Town of Lexington Conservation Commission
DirectionsTophet Swamp Conservation Area28 acres · Town of Lexington Conservation Division
DirectionsJustin/Bernard Conservation Land24 acres
Swommonland Trust20 acres
Baskin Playground12 acres
Town Land11 acres
DirectionsWoodland Bird Sanctuary8 acres
DirectionsHartwell Avenue Conservation Restriction7 acres · Town of Lexington Conservation Commission
DirectionsKinneens Park6 acres
Franklin Park6 acres
DirectionsBowman Park5 acres · Town of Lexington Recreation Commission
Hastings Park4 acres
DirectionsBlossom Street Field4 acres
Fiske Hill Conservation Area3 acres
Ada Govan Bird Sanctuary3 acres
Lexington Battle Green3 acres
DirectionsPheasant Brook Pond Conservation Area2 acres · Town of Lexington Conservation Commission
DirectionsHastings Sanctuary2 acres
DirectionsIvan St. Conservation Land2 acres
DirectionsLexington Conservation Commission1 acres
Muzzey Field1 acres
Directions14 MORGAN RD1 acres
DirectionsHammerhill Conservation Area1 acres · Town of Lexington Conservation Commission
DirectionsFletcher Park1 acres
DirectionsMunroe Park1 acres
Rindge Park1 acres
Justin Park1 acres
Who protects it
2,361 conserved acres
22% of Lexington’s land. Who manages Lexington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city368 ac
National Park Service102 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government4 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits3 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land2 ac
Not recorded1,970 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 1,469 acConservation Easement · 213 acWatershed Protection Area · 134 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 122 acResearch or Educational Area · 118 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 145 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 191 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunback Meadow Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 161 | Open |
| Hayden Woods Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 118 | Open |
| Whipple Hill Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 115 | Open |
| Willard Woods Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 105 | Open |
| Lower Vine Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 103 | Open |
| Minute Man National Historical Park Historic or Cultural Area | National Park Service | 101 | Restricted |
| Pine Meadows Golf Course Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 81 | Open |
| Lexington Golf Club Private Conservation | Not recorded | 67 | Restricted |
| Cambridge Reservoir Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 66 | Closed |
| Cambridge Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 64 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
59 places to go in Lexington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Lexington
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Lexington
Boston Sports Club Outdoor Pool
DirectionsChildren's PoolIn Center Recreation Complex
DirectionsDiving PoolIn Center Recreation Complex
DirectionsLap PoolIn Center Recreation Complex
DirectionsSun Valley Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Lexington
Adams PlaygroundIn Adams Park
DirectionsLexington Playcare Center Playground
DirectionsLincoln Fields PlaygroundIn Lincoln Park
DirectionsPlus 22 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Lexington
Observation DeckIn Paint Mine Conservation Area
DirectionsOchre Paint MineIn Paint Mine Conservation Area
Directionsstone foundationIn Paint Mine Conservation Area
DirectionsPlus 9 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Lexington
Whipple Hill361 ft elevation · In Whipple Hill
DirectionsLoring Hill358 ft elevation
DirectionsGranny Hill354 ft elevation
DirectionsFullers Hill344 ft elevation
DirectionsRobinson Hill335 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Independence331 ft elevation
DirectionsKatahdin Hill295 ft elevation
DirectionsCranberry Hill289 ft elevation · In Cranberry Hill Conservation Area
Directions7 more peaks
Munroe Hill289 ft elevation
DirectionsFiske Hill285 ft elevation · In Minute Man National Historical Park
DirectionsMerriam Hill279 ft elevation
DirectionsTurners Hill276 ft elevation
DirectionsBucks Hill246 ft elevation
DirectionsBelfry Hill230 ft elevation · In Belfry Hill Park
DirectionsMount Ephraim207 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Lexington
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 19.0 miUnpaved · 33.2 mi
Geology Trail1.5 mi
Western Greenway1.0 mi
Battle Road Trail0.9 mi
Shire Trail0.9 mi
ACROSS Lexington Trail (blue)0.9 mi
Farm/Wetland Loop (yellow)0.8 mi
Fiske Loop Trail0.7 mi
Conservation Trail (green)0.6 mi
White trail0.5 mi
Circle Road Path0.5 mi
15 more trails
Lower Lincoln Paths
0.5 miWright Farm Preliminary Path
0.5 miOld Hanscom Rail Bed
0.5 miBertucci Land trail
0.4 miOld Mill Road Hiking Trail
0.4 miChiesa Meadow Path
0.3 miBrookhaven Nature Trail
0.3 miEsker Trail
0.3 miHayden Avenue Trail
0.3 miPoor Farm Trail
0.3 miMeagherville track
0.2 miACROSS Route A
0.2 miTurning Mill Pond Trail
0.2 miTower Park Path
0.2 miFreemont Play Area Trail
0.2 miBiking & sports
26 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
8.1 mi
off-road bike paths
15 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
37Tennis
24Basketball
22Baseball
6Soccer
6Pickleball
1Skate park
1Tracks
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →18 places on the National Register, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 11 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Hancock SchoolBuilding · listed 1975
About itSanderson House and Munroe TavernBuilding · listed 1976
About itLexington Green Historic DistrictPlace · listed 1976
About itFollen Community ChurchBuilding · listed 1976
About itStone BuildingBuilding · listed 1976
About itSimonds TavernBuilding · listed 1976
About itGen. Samuel Chandler HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itWarren E. Sherburne HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itHouse at 45 Claremont AvenueBuilding · listed 1985
About it6 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Lexington: 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 | 39 | 46 | 59 | 69 | 78 | 84 | 82 | 74 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Lexington →
Next door
Lexington and its neighbors
Lexington has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lincoln81 miLexington66 miBedford48 miBurlington39 miWaltham38 miWoburn24 miWinchester21 miArlington9.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 22% | 4.0 | 61 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Burlington | 17% | 3.3 | 40 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Winchester | 20% | 3.5 | 22 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Woburn | 11% | 1.9 | 18 | 99%+ | A |
| Arlington | 10% | 1.8 | 6 | 99%+ | A |
| Lincoln | 37% | 5.7 | 408 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Bedford | 23% | 3.5 | 80 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Waltham | 18% | 2.9 | 13 | 99% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lexington
Where can I hike in Lexington?
The longest trail networks: Whipple Hill, 5.9 miles; Arlington's Great Meadows, 4.1 miles; Minute Man National Historical Park, 2.8 miles; Lower Vine Brook Conservation Area, 2.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lexington is conserved land?
22% 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 Lexington’s trails?
Whipple Hill and Arlington's Great Meadows don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lexington?
26 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.8 of painted or protected lanes, 8.1 of off-road paths and 15 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Lexington?
44,960 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lexington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,115 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lexington have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #33 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 Lexington 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 →