Apple Knoll Farm
Nature preserve
306 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Millis
24% of Millis’ land is conserved: 1,843 acres
1,444 acres are parks and preserves, 162 per 1,000 residents. 16 miles of mapped trail cross Millis, 1.3 per square mile of land. 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #105 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
1,843 acres · of 12.0 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,444 ac
162 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
167 ft
Schoolhouse Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
What kind of outdoors town is Millis?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild24% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Room to roam162 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 86% of U.S. towns.History along the way5 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Millis have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Millis is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #105 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Millis’ overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (16 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land162 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,444 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 63%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Millis’ 24% is ahead of 60% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 27% 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 Apple Knoll Farm, with 1.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Village Street Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Millis Conservation Commission
36 acres1.1 mi of trail
Long trail - 1/2 mileBlack Loop Trail - 1/3 mileRed Diamond Loop Trail - 1/3 mile
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bridge Island Meadows
Nature preserve
83 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Cedariver
Nature preserve
46 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Pleasant Meadows Farm Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Millis Conservation Commission
25 acres0.9 mi of trail
Red Loop TrailBlue Loop TrailYellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Millborn Farm
Managed by Trustees of Reservations
63 acres0.8 mi of trail
Discovery LoopWoodland Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Charles River Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
354 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Charles River Natural Valley Storage Area
Managed by Town of Medfield Conservation Commission
587 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 17 parks & preserves
Apple Knoll Farm306 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
Village Street Conservation Area36 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of Millis Conservation Commission
DirectionsBridge Island Meadows83 acres · 1 mi of trail
Cedariver46 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsPleasant Meadows Farm Conservation Area25 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Millis Conservation Commission
DirectionsMillborn Farm63 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Trustees of Reservations
Charles River Wildlife Management Area354 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Charles River Natural Valley Storage Area587 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Medfield Conservation Commission
DirectionsOak Grove Farm15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Millis
DirectionsSouth End Pond10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pleasant Street Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Millis Conservation Commission
Charles River Natural Valley Storage Area - Great Black Swamp170 acres
DirectionsTangerini's Spring Street Farm68 acres
DirectionsShattuck Reservation11 acres
DirectionsPleasant Street Conservation Area8 acres · Town of Millis Conservation Commission
DirectionsConservation Land6 acres
Dewey Farm Conservation Land5 acres · Town of Millis
Who protects it
1,843 conserved acres
24% of Millis’ land. Who manages Millis’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Army Corps of Engineers1,986 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits893 ac
Town or city133 ac
Other state land68 ac
Not recorded183 ac
Conservation Easement · 2,783 acLocal Park · 123 acUnknown Easement · 96 acPrivate Conservation · 94 acAgricultural Easement · 68 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,531 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 113 of 163 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millis Park Local Park | Town or city | 107 | Open |
| Bridge Island Meadows Private Conservation | Not recorded | 84 | Open |
| Pleasant Meadows Farm Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 24 | Open |
| Millis Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
| Prospect Hill Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 19 | Open |
| School Recreation Fields And Courts Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 17 | Open |
| Richardsons Pond Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Henry L Shattuck Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 10 | Open |
| Pleasant Street Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
| Town of Millis 1 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 5 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
6 places to go in Millis
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Millis
Oak GroveIn Oak Grove Farm
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Millis
Wag-A-Brew
DirectionsPeaks in Millis
Schoolhouse Hill167 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
10 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.4 mi
Discovery Loop0.4 mi
Red Loop Trail0.4 mi
Woodland Trail0.4 mi
Long trail - 1/2 mile0.4 mi
Black Loop Trail - 1/3 mile0.3 mi
Blue Loop Trail0.3 mi
Red Diamond Loop Trail - 1/3 mile0.3 mi
Yellow Trail0.2 mi
Proposed walking path0.2 mi
Proposed Walking 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
11Pickleball
7Baseball
4Tennis
4Basketball
3Soccer
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places 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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Millis: April 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 39 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Millis →
Next door
Millis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millis | 24% | 1.3 | 162 | 96% | A+ |
| Medfield | 36% | 3.1 | 265 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Norfolk | 16% | 1.6 | 48 | 80% | A |
| Millis-Clicquot | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Medway | 8% | 0.9 | 21 | 90% | A− |
| Sherborn | 23% | 3.5 | 497 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Holliston | 24% | 2.6 | 120 | 98% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Millis
Where can I hike in Millis?
The longest trail networks: Apple Knoll Farm, 1.9 miles; Village Street Conservation Area, 1.1 miles; Bridge Island Meadows, 1 miles; Cedariver, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Millis is conserved land?
24% 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 Millis’ trails?
Apple Knoll Farm and Village Street Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Millis?
46,753 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Millis or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,512 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Millis have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #105 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 Millis 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 →