Blue Hills Reservation
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
1,702 acres37.2 mi of trail
Wolcott PathNorth Skyline TrailHeadquarters PathCoon Hollow Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jameslwoodward · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Milton
Milton has 53 miles of mapped trails, 4.1 for every square mile of land
40% of Milton’s land is conserved, about 3,373 acres. 2,485 acres are parks and preserves, 87 per 1,000 residents. 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #36 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
40%
3,373 acres · of 13.0 sq mi of land
Trails
53 mi
4.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,485 ac
87 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
25 mi
15 mi lanes · 3.5 mi paths
Highest peak
509 ft
Hancock Hill
Lakes & rivers
10
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Milton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town4.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild40% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Parks close to home98% of residents live within a half mile of a park.History along the way24 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Milton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Milton is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #36 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 Milton’s overall grade.
Conserved land40% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails4.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (53 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land87 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,485 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home98% 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 88%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Milton’s 40% is ahead of 91% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 90% 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 Blue Hills Reservation, with 37.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cunningham Park
Park
83 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Eustis-Jeffries Conservation Land
Managed by Town of Milton Conservation Commission
68 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Neponset River Reservation
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
115 acres0.8 mi of trail
Burma Road Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Neponset River Estuary
Nature preserve
214 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Town Parking
All 21 parks & preserves
Blue Hills Reservation1,702 acres · 37.2 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCunningham Park83 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsEustis-Jeffries Conservation Land68 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Milton Conservation Commission
Neponset River Reservation115 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNeponset River Estuary214 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn L. Kelly Field11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGovernor Hutchinson's Field9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Milton Town Forest73 acres
Harland Street Conservation Area72 acres
Eustis Estate Museum and Study Center59 acres · Historic New England
Turners Pond26 acres
DirectionsForbes Woods23 acres
DirectionsAndrews Park12 acres
DirectionsFlatley Field7 acres
DirectionsBrush Hill Road Playground5 acres
Shields Park5 acres
DirectionsNeponset Esplanade Park5 acres
Pierce Reservation4 acres
Mary C. Lane Playground3 acres
DirectionsCrane Park2 acres
Joseph Manning Park1 acres · Town of Milton
DirectionsWho protects it
3,373 conserved acres
40% of Milton’s land. Who manages Milton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city631 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits205 ac
State parks175 ac
State conservation164 ac
Other state land26 ac
Joint1 ac
Not recorded2,609 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,223 acState Park · 793 acConservation Easement · 736 acLocal Other or Unknown · 255 acRecreation or Education Easement · 175 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 542 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 127 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Hills Reservation State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,638 | Open |
| Neponset River Reservation State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 323 | Open |
| Wollaston Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 149 | Restricted |
| Milton Cemetery Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 98 | Open |
| Cunningham Park Private Conservation | Not recorded | 90 | Open |
| Milton Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 72 | Open |
| Harland Street Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 60 | Open |
| Presidents Golf Course State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 55 | Restricted |
| Popes Pond Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Town of Milton Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 31 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
32 places to go in Milton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Milton
Caldwell PoolIn Cunningham Park
DirectionsShamrock Swim Club
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Milton
Shields Park & PlaygroundIn Shields Park
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Milton
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Milton
Eliot TowerIn Blue Hills Reservation
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Milton
Hancock Hill509 ft elevation · In Blue Hills Reservation
DirectionsHemenway Hill459 ft elevation · In Blue Hills Reservation
DirectionsWolcott Hill433 ft elevation · In Blue Hills Reservation
DirectionsHoughton Hill423 ft elevation · In Blue Hills Reservation
DirectionsBreeze Hill279 ft elevation · In Blue Hills Reservation
DirectionsAcademy Hill125 ft elevation
DirectionsMilton Hill112 ft elevation
DirectionsBrush Hill72 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Milton
6 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Milton
1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
23 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 16.8 miUnpaved · 20.8 mi
Headquarters Path1.6 mi
Wolcott Path1.3 mi
North Skyline Trail1.3 mi
Coon Hollow Path0.9 mi
Skyline Trail South0.8 mi
Chestnut Run Path0.6 mi
Burma Road Trail0.6 mi
Wildcat Notch Trail0.5 mi
Half Way Path0.5 mi
Breakneck Ledge Path0.5 mi
13 more trails
Jeffries Trail
0.5 miPuddle Path
0.4 miBorder Path
0.4 miBrookwood Trail
0.3 miBase Path
0.3 miHill Path
0.3 miAccord Path
0.2 miTucker Hill Path
0.2 miBartol Path
0.2 miCarberry Path
0.2 miSouth Skyline Trail
0.2 miWendell Park
0.1 miRed Dot Loop
0.1 miBiking & sports
25 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
15 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.5 mi
off-road bike paths
6.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
40Tennis
20Baseball
13Soccer
8Basketball
6Football
1Field hockey
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →24 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 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Suffolk Resolves HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itDr. Amos Holbrook HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itHutchinson's, Gov. Thomas, Ha-haStructure · listed 1975
About itBlue Hills HeadquartersBuilding · listed 1980
About itBrookwood FarmBuilding · listed 1980
About itComfort StationBuilding · listed 1980
About itEliot Memorial BridgeStructure · listed 1980
About itGreat Blue Hill Observation TowerBuilding · listed 1980
About itMetropolitan District Commission StableBuilding · listed 1980
About itRefreshment PavillionBuilding · listed 1980
About itBelcher-Rowe HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About it12 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Milton: 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 47 | 58 | 69 | 77 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.9 |
July is the driest month (3.5 in) and the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Milton →
Next door
Milton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton | 40% | 4.1 | 87 | 98% | A+ |
| Boston | 18% | 1.9 | 8 | 99%+ | A |
| Randolph Town | 24% | 2.2 | 28 | 93% | A+ |
| Quincy | 35% | 4.5 | 34 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Milton
Where can I hike in Milton?
The longest trail networks: Blue Hills Reservation, 37.2 miles; Cunningham Park, 0.9 miles; Eustis-Jeffries Conservation Land, 0.9 miles; Neponset River Reservation, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Milton is conserved land?
40% 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 Milton’s trails?
Blue Hills Reservation and Cunningham Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Milton?
25 miles of bike routes are on the map: 15 of painted or protected lanes, 3.5 of off-road paths and 6.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Milton?
46,356 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Milton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,596 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Milton have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #36 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 Milton 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 →