Nevins Bird Sanctuary
Nature preserve
31 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Methuen Memorial Music Hall · Photo: EraserGirl · Public domainBOutdoors
Outdoors in Methuen
Methuen has 15 miles of mapped trails, 0.7 for every square mile of land
7% of Methuen’s land is conserved, about 960 acres. 406 acres are parks and preserves, 7.6 per 1,000 residents. 71% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns · #281 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
960 acres · of 22.2 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
406 ac
7.6 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
71%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.3 mi
2.3 mi lanes · 2.0 mi paths
Highest peak
344 ft
Reservoir Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Methuen?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Methuen have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Methuen is ahead of 63% of U.S. towns, #281 of 283 in Massachusetts. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Methuen’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (15 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land7.6 acres of park per 1,000 residents (406 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home71% 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 63%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)#281 of 283
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Methuen’s 7% is ahead of 3% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 10% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B+. 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 Nevins Bird Sanctuary, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 18 parks & preserves
Nevins Bird Sanctuary31 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Francis Morse Park18 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Park9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSpicket Falls River Walk Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsConservation Land499 acres
DirectionsHomestead Ave Land39 acres
Veterans Memorial Park33 acres · City Of Methuen
DirectionsSable Run30 acres · City Of Methuen
Olympic Village Land26 acres · City Of Methuen
Tenney Estate Park26 acres · Commonwealth Of Massachusetts
Gill Ave Playground15 acres
Pine Island12 acres
Ashford Street Playground5 acres
Potter Field3 acres
DirectionsSchruender Park3 acres
Shorty Degaspe Park2 acres
Chelmsford St Playground1 acres
Tenney St Playground1 acres
Who protects it
960 conserved acres
7% of Methuen’s land. Who manages Methuen’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land280 ac
Town or city267 ac
State parks26 ac
Private owners5 ac
Not recorded543 ac
Private Other or Unknown · 281 acAgricultural Easement · 280 acLocal Other or Unknown · 176 acLocal Park · 96 acPrivate Historic or Cultural · 82 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 163 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 78 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory Hill Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 148 | Restricted |
| Town Forest Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 111 | Open |
| Merrimack Valley Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 105 | Restricted |
| St Mary's Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 46 | Restricted |
| Francis Morse Park Local Park | Not recorded | 35 | Open |
| Elmwood Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 31 | Open |
| Methuen Rod and Gun Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 28 | Restricted |
| Bird Sanctuary Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 28 | Open |
| Methuen High School Athletic Fields Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 26 | Open |
| Lawrence Heritage State Park State Park | State parks | 26 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Methuen
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Methuen
CGS School Playground
DirectionsPlus 7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Methuen
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Peaks in Methuen
Reservoir Hill344 ft elevation
DirectionsPie Hill246 ft elevation
DirectionsMeetinghouse Hill230 ft elevation
DirectionsLone Tree Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsDaddy Frye Hill197 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill79 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Methuen
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
7 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
20Tennis
19Baseball
5Soccer
3Basketball
3Softball
2Equestrian
2Pickleball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →43 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
First Church CongregationalBuilding · listed 1978
About itMethuen Memorial Music HallBuilding · listed 1978
About itAbbot-Baker HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itAsie Swan HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itCapt. Oliver Emerson HomesteadBuilding · listed 1984
About itDaddy Frye's Hill CemeterySite · listed 1984
About itFirst Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 1984
About itG.B. Emmons HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itGeorge A. Waldo HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itHenry C. Nevins Home for Aged and IncurablesBuilding · listed 1984
About itHouse 15-19 Park StreetBuilding · listed 1984
About itHouse at 10 Park StreetBuilding · listed 1984
About it31 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Methuen: 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 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 62 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Methuen →
Next door
Methuen and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Andover135 miNorth Andover97 miHaverhill68 miPelham48 miDracut21 miMethuen15 miLawrence15 miSalem13 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methuen | 7% | 0.7 | 8 | 71% | B |
| Andover | 17% | 4.4 | 68 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Haverhill | 19% | 2.1 | 10 | 85% | A |
| North Andover | 21% | 3.7 | 73 | 96% | A+ |
| Lawrence | 9% | 2.2 | 4 | 99% | A− |
| Dracut | 15% | 1.0 | 13 | 83% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Methuen
Where can I hike in Methuen?
The longest trail networks: Nevins Bird Sanctuary, 0.7 miles; Francis Morse Park, 0.4 miles; Riverside Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Methuen is conserved land?
7% 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 Methuen’s trails?
Nevins Bird Sanctuary and Francis Morse Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Methuen?
4.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.3 of painted or protected lanes and 2.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Methuen?
33,143 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Methuen or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 411 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Methuen have?
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #281 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 Methuen 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 →