Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Massachusetts Audobon Society
324 acres4.2 mi of trail
Charles River LoopGlacial Hill TrailBoundary TrailIndian Brook Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Natick
Natick has 30 miles of mapped trails, 2.0 for every square mile of land
21% of Natick’s land is conserved, about 2,022 acres. 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 1,631 acres are parks and preserves, 44 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #119 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
2,022 acres · of 15.0 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
2.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,631 ac
44 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.3 mi
4.8 mi lanes · 4.4 mi paths
Highest peak
410 ft
Pegan Hill
Lakes & rivers
13
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Natick?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Natick have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Natick is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #119 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Natick’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land44 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,631 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home97% 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 97%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 58%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Natick’s 21% is ahead of 50% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 53% of them.
Water is 6% of Natick’s area (1 of 16 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 20%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to 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 Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, with 4.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hunnewell Town Forest
Nature preserve
104 acres4 mi of trail
Main TrailLower Loop TrailSummit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cochituate State Park
Managed by MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
442 acres1.3 mi of trail
Henry Wilson TrailMiddlesex Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pickerel Pond Conservation Area
Nature preserve
170 acres1.3 mi of trail
Cochituate Aqueduct Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pegan Hill Reservation
Nature preserve
50 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Coolidge Hill Park
Managed by Town of Natick Parks and Recreation Department
21 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Natick Town Forest
Managed by Town of Natick
40 acres1.1 mi of trail
Timothy Coolidge Hill
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tony Anniballi Memorial Park at Pegan Cove
Managed by Town of Natick
22 acres1.1 mi of trail
North Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 30 parks & preserves
Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary324 acres · 4.2 mi of trail · Massachusetts Audobon Society
DirectionsHunnewell Town Forest104 acres · 4 mi of trail
DirectionsCochituate State Park442 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsPickerel Pond Conservation Area170 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPegan Hill Reservation50 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCoolidge Hill Park21 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Town of Natick Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsNatick Town Forest40 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of Natick
DirectionsTony Anniballi Memorial Park at Pegan Cove22 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of Natick
DirectionsSudbury Aqueduct Trail21 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Mumford Wildlife Forest32 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsCoolidge Park19 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Town of Natick Parks and Recreation Department
Hunnewell Woods42 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Middlesex Path Greenway10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsNatick Common2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEast Playground6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBroad Hill Reservoir6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lewis Hill5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Dover Land Conservation Trust
Murphy Playground4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Town Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lookout Ridge11 acres
Hunnewell Field Playground10 acres
Cole Recreation Center10 acres
DirectionsJohn J. Lane Park7 acres
DirectionsLincoln School6 acres
Mary Bunker Park5 acres
Coolidge Field4 acres
Navy Yard Playground3 acres · Town of Natick
DirectionsAlbee E. Loker Park2 acres
Morses Pond Land1 acres · Town of Wellesley
West Hill Park1 acres
Who protects it
2,022 conserved acres
21% of Natick’s land. Water is left out: Natick has 15.0 square miles of land and 1.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Natick’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits425 ac
Town or city303 ac
Other state land210 ac
Private owners2 ac
Not recorded1,421 ac
State Park · 661 acConservation Easement · 505 acPrivate Conservation · 384 acAgricultural Easement · 210 acLocal Other or Unknown · 177 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 420 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 121 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cochituate State Park State Park | Not recorded | 660 | Open |
| Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 318 | Restricted |
| Sunkaway Conservation Area Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 96 | Open |
| Sassamon Trace Golf Course Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 78 | Restricted |
| Pegan Hill Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 34 | Closed |
| Mumford Wildlife Forest Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 33 | Closed |
| Natick High School Recreational Fields And Grounds Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 32 | Restricted |
| Natick Community Organic Farm Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Coolidge Hill Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
39 places to go in Natick
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Natick
Memorial BeachIn Natick Town Forest
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Natick
Lilja Elementary School
DirectionsMemorial School Playground
DirectionsNature Play AreaIn Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsPlus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Natick
FIDO Dog ParkIn Cochituate State Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Natick
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Natick
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Natick
Pegan Hill410 ft elevation · In Pegan Hill Reservation
DirectionsBroad Hill315 ft elevation · In Broad Hill Reservoir
DirectionsPleasant Hill308 ft elevation · In Hunnewell Town Forest
DirectionsDrury Hill302 ft elevation
DirectionsSteep Rock Hill289 ft elevation
DirectionsCarver Hill285 ft elevation
DirectionsTrain Hill285 ft elevation
DirectionsCoolidge Hill256 ft elevation · In Coolidge Hill Park
Directions5 more peaks
Steep Rock243 ft elevation
DirectionsEverett Hill233 ft elevation
DirectionsPatten Hill223 ft elevation
DirectionsEliot Hill187 ft elevation
DirectionsEmersons Cliff167 ft elevation
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Natick
Community gardens of John J. Lane ParkIn John J. Lane Park
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
23 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.6 miUnpaved · 9.9 mi
Eisenmenger Trail1.9 mi
Main Trail1.3 mi
Charles River Loop1.0 mi
Timothy Coolidge Hill0.8 mi
Lower Loop Trail0.8 mi
Cochituate Aqueduct Trail0.8 mi
North Trail0.7 mi
Glacial Hill Trail0.7 mi
Takawambpait North0.6 mi
Middlesex Path0.6 mi
13 more trails
Boundary Trail
0.5 miIndian Brook Trail
0.4 miHultman Aquaduct Path
0.4 miSummit Trail
0.3 miHenry Wilson Trail
0.3 miOld Orchard Trail
0.3 miTakawambpait South
0.3 miSudbury Aqueduct Path
0.3 miMary Ann Morse Path
0.3 miHigh School Link
0.2 miMarsh Trail
0.1 miBlueberry Swamp Loop
0.1 miHemlock Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
9.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.4 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
15Baseball
10Soccer
10Basketball
7Tennis
1Beach volleyball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 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 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Natick Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1977
About itClark HousesBuilding · listed 1978
About itRobert Jenison HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itRev. Stephen Badger HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itJohn Eliot Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itHunnewell Estates Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988
About itStephen Bacon HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itCasey's DinerBuilding · listed 1999
About itWilson, Henry, Shoe ShopBuilding · listed 2000
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Natick: 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) | 37 | 39 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Natick →
Next door
Natick and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Weston92 miDover77 miFramingham71 miWayland57 miSherborn55 miWellesley41 miNatick30 miCochituate11 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natick | 21% | 2.0 | 44 | 97% | A+ |
| Sherborn | 23% | 3.5 | 497 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Wayland | 41% | 3.8 | 106 | 98% | A+ |
| Cochituate | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Framingham | 21% | 2.8 | 26 | 98% | A+ |
| Dover | 39% | 5.1 | 530 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Wellesley | 18% | 4.1 | 25 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Weston | 24% | 5.5 | 143 | 98% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Natick
Where can I hike in Natick?
The longest trail networks: Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 4.2 miles; Hunnewell Town Forest, 4 miles; Cochituate State Park, 1.3 miles; Pickerel Pond Conservation Area, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Natick is conserved land?
21% 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 Natick’s trails?
Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary and Hunnewell Town Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Natick?
9.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.8 of painted or protected lanes, 4.4 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Natick?
52,419 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Natick or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,632 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Natick have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #119 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 Natick 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 →