Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
1,506 acres22.3 mi of trail
Plain Road BranchBartlett Road Branch
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Montague Plains Trailhead Parking
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Montague
43% of Montague’s land is conserved: 8,324 acres
6,637 acres are parks and preserves, 782 per 1,000 residents. 70 miles of mapped trail cross Montague, 2.3 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area (22.3 mi), Montague Wildlife Management Area (5.9 mi), Watershed Protection Area (5.7 mi).
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #97 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
43%
8,324 acres · of 30.1 sq mi of land
Trails
70 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,637 ac
782 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
79%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.2 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 2.9 mi paths
Highest peak
1,388 ft
Dry Hill
Lakes & rivers
6
What kind of outdoors town is Montague?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Montague have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Montague is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #97 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 Montague’s overall grade.
Conserved land43% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (70 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land782 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,637 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home79% 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 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 66%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Montague’s 43% is ahead of 94% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 60% 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 Montague Plains WMA, with 22.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Montague Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
1,828 acres5.9 mi of trail
Robert Frost Trail (Orange)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Watershed Protection Area
Nature preserve
1,483 acres5.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Montague State Forest
Nature preserve
604 acres3.9 mi of trail
Robert Frost Trail (Orange)Dry Hill Connector
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Carson Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
89 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Sawmill River Access
Nature preserve
56 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Connecticut River Greenway State Park
Nature preserve
253 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bitzer Fish Hatchery
Nature preserve
153 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 15 parks & preserves
Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area1,506 acres · 22.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMontague Wildlife Management Area1,828 acres · 5.9 mi of trail
Watershed Protection Area1,483 acres · 5.7 mi of trail
Montague State Forest604 acres · 3.9 mi of trail
Carson Conservation Restriction89 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Sawmill River Access56 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Connecticut River Greenway State Park253 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBitzer Fish Hatchery153 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Peskeomskut Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Unity Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Toby State Forest8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Millers Falls Riverfront Public Access2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Montague
DirectionsConnecticut River Access70 acres
Wendell State Forest1 acres
DirectionsLaurel Hill1 acres
Who protects it
8,324 conserved acres
43% of Montague’s land. Who manages Montague’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,492 ac
State parks710 ac
State conservation439 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)387 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits366 ac
Joint147 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government128 ac
State Conservation Area · 3,943 acAgricultural Easement · 1,907 acWatershed Protection Area · 1,501 acConservation Easement · 1,197 acState Resource Management Area · 715 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,606 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 8 of 205 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 2,011 | Open |
| Montague Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,933 | Open |
| Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 1,364 | Unknown |
| Montague State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 681 | Open |
| Montague Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 78 | Unknown |
| Bitzer Fish Hatchery State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 72 | Open |
| Montague High School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 71 | Open |
| Connecticut River Access - Montague State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 70 | Open |
| Thomas Memorial Golf And Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 62 | Unknown |
| Fishermans Access Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 61 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
18 places to go in Montague
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Montague
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Montague
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Peaks in Montague
Dry Hill1,388 ft elevation · In Montague State Forest
DirectionsCountry Hill1,129 ft elevation · In Watershed Protection Area
DirectionsChestnut Hill1,102 ft elevation · In Montague Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsStoddard Hill1,099 ft elevation · In Montague Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsPine Hill915 ft elevation · In Watershed Protection Area
DirectionsQuarry Hill791 ft elevation · In Watershed Protection Area
DirectionsHarvey Hill771 ft elevation · In Montague Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsWills Hill554 ft elevation · In Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area
Directions4 more peaks
Taylor Hill551 ft elevation
DirectionsEast Mineral Hill502 ft elevation
DirectionsWest Mineral Hill469 ft elevation · In Connecticut River Greenway State Park
DirectionsBare Hill459 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Montague
Hatchery Brook Primitive CampsiteAppalachian Mountain Club
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.8 miHorses · 1.2 miUnpaved · 12.8 mi
Robert Frost Trail (Orange)4.1 mi
Dry Hill Connector0.8 mi
Plain Road Branch0.4 mi
Bartlett Road Branch0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.9 mi
off-road bike paths
1.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
9Baseball
6Tennis
5Basketball
2Football
1Field hockey
1Soccer
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 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 Montague: 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 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 37 | 46 | 59 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 62 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Montague →
Next door
Montague and its neighbors
Montague has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Montague70 miDeerfield63 miWendell60 miGreenfield37 miErving35 miGill27 miTurners Falls3.1 miMillers Falls0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montague | 43% | 2.3 | 782 | 79% | A+ |
| Erving | 35% | 2.5 | 264 | 87% | A+ |
| Turners Falls | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wendell | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Deerfield | 19% | 1.9 | 245 | 60% | A |
| Gill | 23% | 2.0 | 296 | 49% | A |
| Millers Falls | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Greenfield | 20% | 1.7 | 59 | 93% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Montague
Where can I hike in Montague?
The longest trail networks: Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area, 22.3 miles; Montague Wildlife Management Area, 5.9 miles; Watershed Protection Area, 5.7 miles; Montague State Forest, 3.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Montague is conserved land?
43% 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 Montague’s trails?
Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area and Montague Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Montague?
5.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes, 2.9 of off-road paths and 1.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Montague?
60,003 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Montague or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,807 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Montague have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #97 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 Montague 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 →