Lane Forest
Managed by Town of Lunenburg
169 acres5.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Lunenburg
Lunenburg has 63 miles of mapped trails, 2.4 for every square mile of land
2,712 acres are parks and preserves, 228 per 1,000 residents. 23% of Lunenburg’s land is conserved, about 3,893 acres. 93% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #75 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
23%
3,893 acres · of 26.4 sq mi of land
Trails
63 mi
2.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,712 ac
228 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
93%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.8 mi
0.8 mi lanes
Highest peak
597 ft
Clarks Hill
Lakes & rivers
9
4 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Lunenburg?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lunenburg have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lunenburg is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #75 of 283 in Massachusetts. 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 Lunenburg’s overall grade.
Conserved land23% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (63 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land228 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,712 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home93% 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 74%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Lunenburg’s 23% is ahead of 56% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 63% 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 Lane Forest, with 5.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Table Rock Conservation Area
Managed by Lunenburg Conservation Commission
259 acres5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Cowdrey Conservation Area
Nature preserve
312 acres4.7 mi of trail
Cowdrey WestMuskrat Swamp TrailBeaver Trail (maintenance needed)Mayflower Ridge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Large Town Forest
Nature preserve
301 acres4.6 mi of trail
BlueGreenRed
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Small Town Forest
Nature preserve
256 acres3.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Robbs Hill Conservation Land
Nature preserve
129 acres2.9 mi of trail
Robbs Hill Northern LoopRobbs Hill Southern LoopRobbs Hill to RonchettiRobbs Hill Ridge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hunting Hills Wildlife Conservation Easement
Nature preserve
119 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Holden Trust Conservation Land
Nature preserve
28 acres1 mi of trail
Robbs Hill Southern LoopHolden Trust TrailRobbs Hill to Ronchetti Pass NorthHolden Trust Eastern Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 27 parks & preserves
Lane Forest169 acres · 5.3 mi of trail · Town of Lunenburg
DirectionsTable Rock Conservation Area259 acres · 5 mi of trail · Lunenburg Conservation Commission
Cowdrey Conservation Area312 acres · 4.7 mi of trail
DirectionsLarge Town Forest301 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
Small Town Forest256 acres · 3.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRobbs Hill Conservation Land129 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHunting Hills Wildlife Conservation Easement119 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Holden Trust Conservation Land28 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsPeabody Conservation Area21 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · North Country Conservation Trust
Proctor Park24 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Turner Pond Conservation Area36 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Clarkes Hill17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Marshall Park28 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Lunenburg Parks Commission
DirectionsFairbanks Gift9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Rayno Property58 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lunenburg Conservation
Page Street Trailhead1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Owner unknown
Woodruff Conservation Area114 acres
Laurel Bank Cons. Area63 acres
Harris Conserv. Area61 acres
DirectionsConservation Land61 acres
Northfield Rd Park58 acres · Lunenburg Parks
Rayno40 acres
Howard St Access to Mulpus Brook15 acres · Lunenburg Conservation Commission
Ben Normand Park5 acres
DirectionsWallis Park2 acres
Brian Mcnally Park2 acres
Lower Lunenburg Town Common1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,893 conserved acres
23% of Lunenburg’s land. Who manages Lunenburg’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,509 ac
Town or city247 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits233 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)101 ac
State natural resources53 ac
State fish & wildlife53 ac
Not recorded2,710 ac
Agricultural Easement · 1,611 acState Conservation Area · 1,134 acLocal Other or Unknown · 635 acLocal Resource Management Area · 440 acConservation Easement · 406 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,036 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Lunenburg Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 317 | Open |
| Cowdrey Nature Center State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 311 | Open |
| Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 292 | Open |
| Table Rock Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 258 | Open |
| Lunenburg Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 209 | Open |
| Settlers Creek Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 200 | Restricted |
| Lane Property at Lunenburg Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 166 | Open |
| Willard Brook State Forest State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 135 | Open |
| Lunenburg Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 130 | Closed |
| Woodruff Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 112 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Lunenburg
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Lunenburg
Hemlock Beach
DirectionsLunenburg Town Beach
DirectionsThe Beach at Arrive
DirectionsWilder Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Lunenburg
11 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Lunenburg
Clarks Hill597 ft elevation
DirectionsTurkey Hill568 ft elevation
DirectionsFlat Hill528 ft elevation
DirectionsNichols Hill522 ft elevation
DirectionsHunting Hill518 ft elevation
DirectionsRobbs Hill417 ft elevation
DirectionsCowdray Hill400 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.1 miHorses · 5.1 miUnpaved · 25.6 mi
No Name1.4 mi
The Berm1.0 mi
Robbs Hill Southern Loop0.9 mi
Blue0.8 mi
Robbs Hill Northern Loop0.7 mi
Green0.6 mi
Cowdrey West0.6 mi
Muskrat Swamp Trail0.5 mi
Beaver Trail (maintenance needed)0.5 mi
Little Turnpike Road Historical0.4 mi
15 more trails
Robbs Hill to Ronchetti
0.4 miStone Bridge Loop (red0
0.4 miMayflower Ridge Trail
0.4 miPearl Hill Brook Trail
0.3 miEast Parimeter Trail
0.3 miHolden Trust Eastern Trail
0.3 miTall Timber Trail
0.3 miRed
0.3 miRobbs Hill Ridge Trail
0.3 miRobbs Hill to Ronchetti Pass North
0.2 miLower Swamp Trail
0.2 miBrook Trail
0.2 miRobbs Hill Access
0.2 miSnowmobile Trail
0.2 miMulpus Brook Trail (blue)
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Courts & fields
8Tennis
5Basketball
4Baseball
4Soccer
2Softball
1Tracks
1Lacrosse
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Lunenburg Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Lunenburg: 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 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 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 Lunenburg →
Next door
Lunenburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunenburg | 23% | 2.4 | 228 | 93% | A+ |
| Fitchburg | 20% | 1.5 | 33 | 93% | A+ |
| Leominster | 35% | 2.4 | 50 | 89% | A+ |
| Shirley | 28% | 1.7 | 390 | 95% | A+ |
| Townsend | 24% | 2.4 | 555 | 89% | A+ |
| Ashby | 32% | 1.0 | 792 | 82% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lunenburg
Where can I hike in Lunenburg?
The longest trail networks: Lane Forest, 5.3 miles; Table Rock Conservation Area, 5 miles; Cowdrey Conservation Area, 4.7 miles; Large Town Forest, 4.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lunenburg is conserved land?
23% 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 Lunenburg’s trails?
Lane Forest and Table Rock Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lunenburg?
0.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Lunenburg?
63,584 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lunenburg or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,713 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lunenburg have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #75 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 Lunenburg 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 →