Needham Town Forest
Managed by Town of Needham
189 acres9.7 mi of trail
Red PathBlue TrailGreen TrailOrange Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Needham
Needham has 45 miles of mapped trails, 3.7 for every square mile of land
24% of Needham’s land is conserved, about 1,871 acres. 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 1,520 acres are parks and preserves, 47 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #65 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
1,871 acres · of 12.3 sq mi of land
Trails
45 mi
3.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,520 ac
47 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.6 mi
5.7 mi lanes · 1.5 mi paths
Highest peak
302 ft
Bird's Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
What kind of outdoors town is Needham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Needham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Needham is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #65 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 Needham’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (45 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land47 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,520 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home99% 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 77%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Needham’s 24% is ahead of 58% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 85% 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 Needham Town Forest, with 9.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cutler Park
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
472 acres8.3 mi of trail
Blue Heron TrailHealthy Heart Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ridge Hill Reservation
Managed by Town of Needham
421 acres6.6 mi of trail
Esker TrailBeard TrailNorth TrailField View Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Greendale Greenway
Nature preserve
67 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Charles River Peninsula
Managed by Trustees of Reservations
31 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Red Wing Bay Parking
Upper Charles River Reservation
Nature preserve
23 acres1.2 mi of trail
Blue Heron Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sudbury Aqueduct Trail
Managed by Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
21 acres1.2 mi of trail
Sudbury Aqueduct TrailSudbury PathSudbury Aqueduct Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rosemary Lake
Nature preserve
37 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 33 parks & preserves
Needham Town Forest189 acres · 9.7 mi of trail · Town of Needham
DirectionsCutler Park472 acres · 8.3 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsRidge Hill Reservation421 acres · 6.6 mi of trail · Town of Needham
DirectionsGreendale Greenway67 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
Charles River Peninsula31 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Trustees of Reservations
DirectionsUpper Charles River Reservation23 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSudbury Aqueduct Trail21 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
DirectionsRosemary Lake37 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNeedham Reservoir19 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHemlock Gorge Reservation9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsFarley Pond Reservation26 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Needham
Needham Conservation Land48 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDeFazio Park32 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGuernsey Sanctuary14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Charles River Wildlife Management Area45 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
Wellesley Water Land51 acres
DirectionsSweet Preserve18 acres
Memorial Park12 acres · Town of Needham
DirectionsWalker-Gordon Field11 acres
DirectionsCricket Field6 acres
DirectionsChester F. Mills Field6 acres
DirectionsRosemary Glen6 acres
Claxton Field6 acres · Town of Needham
DirectionsVillage Falls Park3 acres
DirectionsRebecca Perry Park3 acres
Greene's Field2 acres
DirectionsAvery Field2 acres
Dwight Field1 acres
Riverside Park1 acres
Red Wing Bay1 acres
DirectionsHatfield Park1 acres
Town Hall Common1 acres
DirectionsVesta Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,871 conserved acres
24% of Needham’s land. Who manages Needham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits127 ac
Town or city89 ac
Private owners44 ac
State conservation27 ac
State parks11 ac
Not recorded1,663 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 609 acState Park · 494 acResearch or Educational Area · 193 acWatershed Protection Area · 189 acConservation Easement · 165 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 116 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 21 of 103 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutler Park Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 463 | Open |
| Ridge Hill Reservation Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 390 | Open |
| Babson College Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 106 | Restricted |
| Needham Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 69 | Closed |
| Wellesley Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 66 | Closed |
| Sudbury Aqueduct Watershed Protection Area | State conservation | 54 | Closed |
| Needham Colf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 49 | Restricted |
| Newman Elementary School Playground Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 49 | Open |
| Charles River Peninsula Private Conservation | Not recorded | 34 | Open |
| Boy Scout Camp Private Conservation | Not recorded | 34 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
26 places to go in Needham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Needham
Needham Town PoolIn Rosemary Lake
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Needham
DeFazio Tot LotIn DeFazio Park
DirectionsPhilip V. Robey Playground
DirectionsPlus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Needham
Needham Dog ParkIn Ridge Hill Reservation
DirectionsScenic views in Needham
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Needham
Bird's Hill302 ft elevation
DirectionsNorth Hill253 ft elevation
DirectionsHigh Rock233 ft elevation · In Needham Town Forest
DirectionsRidge Hill148 ft elevation · In Ridge Hill Reservation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 17.7 miUnpaved · 11.7 mi
Blue Heron Trail4.6 mi
Bay Colony Rail Trail1.5 mi
Esker Trail1.3 mi
Healthy Heart Trail1.2 mi
Red Path1.0 mi
Blue Trail1.0 mi
Green Trail0.6 mi
Sudbury Aqueduct Trail0.5 mi
Beard Trail0.5 mi
Needham Accessible Reservoir Trail0.5 mi
15 more trails
Orange Trail
0.4 miNorth Trail
0.4 miCharles River Trail
0.4 miField View Trail
0.4 miYellow Trail
0.4 miMuir Path Trail
0.3 miHornbeam Trail
0.3 miSudbury Path
0.3 miSudbury Aqueduct Path
0.3 miSwamp Trail
0.2 miChestnut Trail
0.2 miDrumlin Trail
0.2 miPeach Trail
0.2 miAnne Volante Conservation Area Trail
0.2 miMeadow Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
7.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.5 mi
off-road bike paths
0.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Yellow TriangleBike route
6.8 miCourts & fields
22Tennis
21Baseball
9Basketball
8Soccer
2Football
2Lacrosse
1Multi-sport
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →13 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Echo BridgeStructure · listed 1980
About itDavis Mills HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itTownsend HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itTolman-Gay HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itAmos Fuller HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itJames Smith HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itNeedham Street BridgeStructure · listed 1986
About itEmery Grover BuildingBuilding · listed 1987
About itRobert Fuller HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About itIsrael Whitney HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itMcIntosh Corner Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989
About itKingsbury-Whitaker HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About it1 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Needham: 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 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Needham →
Next door
Needham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needham | 24% | 3.7 | 47 | 99% | A+ |
| Dover | 39% | 5.1 | 530 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Newton | 15% | 2.7 | 12 | 99%+ | A |
| Dedham | 22% | 2.0 | 43 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Wellesley | 18% | 4.1 | 25 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Westwood | 18% | 2.6 | 72 | 99% | A+ |
| Boston | 18% | 1.9 | 8 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Needham
Where can I hike in Needham?
The longest trail networks: Needham Town Forest, 9.7 miles; Cutler Park, 8.3 miles; Ridge Hill Reservation, 6.6 miles; Greendale Greenway, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Needham 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 Needham’s trails?
Needham Town Forest and Cutler Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Needham?
7.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.7 of painted or protected lanes, 1.5 of off-road paths and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Yellow Triangle.
Is there public land near Needham?
52,894 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Needham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,531 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Needham have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #65 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 Needham 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 →