Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
Managed by DCR - Division Of Water Supply Protection
30,380 acres15 mi of trail
Rabbit Run Rail BedBliss Road BranchNET Trail (white)
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: The original uploader was ColWilliam at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5A−Outdoors
Outdoors in New Salem
More than half of New Salem’s land is conserved: 81%
81% of New Salem’s land is conserved, about 23,266 acres. 292 acres are parks and preserves, 277 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Quabbin Reservoir Reservation (15 mi), Poor Farm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary (1 mi).
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
81%
23,266 acres · of 44.8 sq mi of land
Trails
17 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
292 ac
277 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
49%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,266 ft
Packard Mountain
Lakes & rivers
4
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is New Salem?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does New Salem have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, New Salem is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of New Salem’s overall grade.
Conserved land81% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (17 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4BPark land277 acres of park per 1,000 residents (292 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home49% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 85%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so New Salem’s 81% is ahead of 100% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 3% of them.
Water is 24% of New Salem’s area (14 of 59 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 62%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Quabbin Reservoir Reservation, with 15 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Poor Farm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Mass Audubon
53 acres1 mi of trail
Double Oak TrailFred Lenher Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
New Salem State Forest
Nature preserve
126 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Eagleville Barrens Conservation Area
Nature preserve
85 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Quabbin Reservoir Reservation30,380 acres · 15 mi of trail · DCR - Division Of Water Supply Protection
DirectionsPoor Farm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary53 acres · 1 mi of trail · Mass Audubon
DirectionsNew Salem State Forest126 acres
Eagleville Barrens Conservation Area85 acres
Lake Rohunta Wildlife Conservation Easement72 acres
Federated Women's Club State Forest11 acres
DirectionsBear's Den6 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
23,266 conserved acres
81% of New Salem’s land. Water is left out: New Salem has 44.8 square miles of land and 13.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages New Salem’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation1,175 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits313 ac
State parks169 ac
Other state land91 ac
State natural resources69 ac
State fish & wildlife69 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government34 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 21,927 acConservation Easement · 1,463 acState Resource Management Area · 200 acRecreation or Education Easement · 189 acAgricultural Easement · 91 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,100 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 124 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quabbin Reservoir Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 21,751 | Restricted |
| Quabbin Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | State conservation | 135 | Closed |
| New Salem State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 126 | Open |
| Whetstone Wood Trust~ Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 77 | Unknown |
| Shutesbury State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 64 | Open |
| Farm Hill Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 54 | Open |
| Nelson/Mt Grace Watershed Preservation Restriction Watershed Protection Area | State conservation | 25 | Closed |
| New Salem Academy Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 18 | Open |
| Massachusetts Audubon Society Private Conservation | Not recorded | 16 | Unknown |
| Madeiras/Mt Grace Watershed Preservation Restriction Watershed Protection Area | State conservation | 14 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in New Salem
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in New Salem
3 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in New Salem
Bear's Den FallsIn Bear's Den
DirectionsScenic views in New Salem
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in New Salem
Packard Mountain1,266 ft elevation
DirectionsPoor Farm Hill1,260 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsPrescott Hill1,102 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsMount Pleasant1,099 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsLighthouse Hill1,056 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsBials Hill1,050 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsHarris Hill984 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsFisk Hill971 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
Directions11 more peaks
Andrews Hill925 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsMount L907 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsRuss Mountain885 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsRattlesnake Hill827 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsMount Ram820 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsFairview Hill774 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsBrowns Hill764 ft elevation
DirectionsPitman Hill764 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsAdams Hills748 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsBassett Hill682 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsGays Hill650 ft elevation · In Quabbin Reservoir Reservation
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.0 miUnpaved · 12.0 mi
Rabbit Run Rail Bed1.2 mi
Bliss Road Branch0.9 mi
Double Oak Trail0.6 mi
Fred Lenher Trail0.4 mi
NET Trail (white)0.2 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
2Soccer
1Tennis
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in New Salem: 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 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 37 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in New Salem →
Next door
New Salem and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Belchertown94 miPetersham74 miPelham72 miShutesbury72 miWendell60 miAthol38 miWare23 miNew Salem17 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Salem | 81% | 0.4 | 277 | 49% | A− |
| Petersham | 77% | 1.4 | 4,590 | 74% | A+ |
| Pelham | 61% | 2.9 | 1,542 | 89% | A+ |
| Belchertown | 24% | 1.8 | 185 | 67% | A |
| Ware | 30% | 0.7 | 119 | 76% | A |
| Shutesbury | 60% | 2.7 | 952 | 63% | A+ |
| Wendell | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Athol | 29% | 1.2 | 411 | 80% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in New Salem
Where can I hike in New Salem?
The longest trail networks: Quabbin Reservoir Reservation, 15 miles; Poor Farm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of New Salem is conserved land?
81% 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 New Salem’s trails?
Quabbin Reservoir Reservation and Poor Farm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near New Salem?
92,465 acres of parks and open public land lie inside New Salem or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 431 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does New Salem have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 New Salem 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 →