Middlefield State Forest
Nature preserve
2,331 acres4.1 mi of trail
Factory Brook Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Middlefield
Few parks or trails are on the map in Middlefield
The biggest trail networks: Middlefield State Forest (4.1 mi), Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area (3.6 mi), Fox Den Wildlife Management Area (0.6 mi). 48% of Middlefield’s land is conserved, about 7,382 acres. 2,826 acres are parks and preserves, 8,028 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
48%
7,382 acres · of 24.1 sq mi of land
Trails
11 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,826 ac
8,028 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,998 ft
Pelton Hill
Lakes & rivers
2
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 Middlefield State Forest, with 4.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
848 acres3.6 mi of trail
Keystone Arch Bridges TrailPontoosuc TurnpikeBoston and Albany Railroad
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Fox Den Wildlife Management Area
Managed by MassWildlife
1,724 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Boulder Grange Conservation Area
Nature preserve
466 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 10 parks & preserves
Middlefield State Forest2,331 acres · 4.1 mi of trail
Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area848 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
DirectionsFox Den Wildlife Management Area1,724 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · MassWildlife
Glendale Falls72 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBoulder Grange Conservation Area466 acres
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge134 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Westfield River Division134 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Westfield Preserve84 acres
McElwain-Olsen Property70 acres
Arthur Pease Road Conservation Area23 acres
Who protects it
7,382 conserved acres
48% of Middlefield’s land. Who manages Middlefield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,476 ac
Other state land716 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service273 ac
State fish & wildlife59 ac
State parks17 ac
Not recorded5,686 ac
State Resource Management Area · 2,938 acState Conservation Area · 2,716 acPrivate Conservation · 1,173 acAgricultural Easement · 716 acConservation Easement · 406 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 492 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 68 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlefield State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,442 | Open |
| Fox Den Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,830 | Open |
| Coles Brook Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 893 | Restricted |
| Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 886 | Open |
| Peru State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 496 | Open |
| Silvio O. Conte National Fish And Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 273 | Restricted |
| Glendale Brook Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 176 | Restricted |
| Glendale Falls Private Conservation | Not recorded | 73 | Open |
| French Family Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 19 | Open |
| Middlefield Fairgrounds Private Conservation | Not recorded | 9 | Restricted |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
7 places to go in Middlefield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Waterfalls in Middlefield
Glendale FallsIn Glendale Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Middlefield
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Middlefield
Pelton Hill1,998 ft elevation · In Fox Den Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsJohnnycake Hill1,673 ft elevation
DirectionsCollins Hill1,490 ft elevation
DirectionsWalnut Hill1,391 ft elevation · In Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsWest Hill1,296 ft elevation · In Middlefield State Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.7 mi
Factory Brook Loop Trail1.9 mi
Keystone Arch Bridges Trail1.5 mi
Pontoosuc Turnpike1.4 mi
Boston and Albany Railroad0.2 mi
Glendale Falls Path0.1 mi
Lakes & 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
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Middlefield: May and July
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) | 30 | 33 | 41 | 55 | 66 | 74 | 79 | 77 | 70 | 58 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 5.0 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Middlefield →
Next door
Middlefield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlefield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Becket | 24% | 0.7 | 1,162 | 28% | A− |
| Worthington | 37% | 0.4 | 4,475 | 66% | A |
| Peru | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chester | 31% | 0.7 | 4,779 | 74% | A |
| Washington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Middlefield
Where can I hike in Middlefield?
The longest trail networks: Middlefield State Forest, 4.1 miles; Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area, 3.6 miles; Fox Den Wildlife Management Area, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Middlefield’s trails?
Middlefield State Forest and Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Middlefield?
87,286 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Middlefield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,729 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Middlefield 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 →