Webster Conservation Area
Nature preserve
92 acres3.3 mi of trail
Green TrailBlue TrailRed TrailGreen/Blue Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Newton
Newton has 48 miles of mapped trails, 2.7 for every square mile of land
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 15% of Newton’s land is conserved, about 1,686 acres. The biggest trail networks: Webster Conservation Area (3.3 mi), Cold Spring Park (3.3 mi), Hammond Pond Reservation (2.3 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #190 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
1,686 acres · of 17.8 sq mi of land
Trails
48 mi
2.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,060 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
32 mi
18 mi lanes · 7.7 mi paths
Highest peak
322 ft
Waban Hill
Lakes & rivers
15
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Newton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town2.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 96% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.Land that stays wild15% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.History along the way177 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Newton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Newton is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #190 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 Newton’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (48 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land12 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,060 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 33%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Newton’s 15% is ahead of 23% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 70% of them.
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 Webster Conservation Area, with 3.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cold Spring Park
Managed by City of Newton Parks and Recreation Department
69 acres3.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hammond Pond Reservation
Nature preserve
52 acres2.3 mi of trail
Blue TrailRed Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Nahanton Park
Park
57 acres1.8 mi of trail
Rough Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Edmands Park
Park
36 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Cutler Park
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
86 acres1.6 mi of trail
Helen Heyn Riverway (Blue Heron)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sudbury Aqueduct Trail
Managed by Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
13 acres1.2 mi of trail
Sudbury Aqueduct TrailAquaduct Path (Dead End)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Auburndale Playground "The Cove"
Managed by City of Newton Parks and Recreation Department
35 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 72 parks & preserves
Webster Conservation Area92 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCold Spring Park69 acres · 3.3 mi of trail · City of Newton Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsHammond Pond Reservation52 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsNahanton Park57 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsEdmands Park36 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
Cutler Park86 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsSudbury Aqueduct Trail13 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
DirectionsAuburndale Playground "The Cove"35 acres · 1 mi of trail · City of Newton Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsHoughton Garden Conservation Area11 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Kennard Conservation Area32 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Newton
Flowed Meadow Conservation Area22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Newton
DirectionsNorumbega Conservation Area14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDolan Pond Conservation Area10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Newton Conservation Commission
DirectionsCabot Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Heartbreak Hill Park at Waban Hill Reservoir6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Helen Heyn Conservation Area34 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNewton Centre Playground17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Newton Parks and Recreation Department
Old Deer Park Conservation Area17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Newton Conservation Commission
Russell J. Halloran Sports and Recreation Complex16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Kennard Park16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Newton
Charles River Reservation15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Newton Highlands Playground13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsForte Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHunnewell Playground5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHemlock Gorge Reservation4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsForest Grove Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Waltham
Officer Bobby Braceland Playground8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCheesecake Brook Greenway8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCharles Cohen Conservation Area8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Stearns Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Oakdale Woods Conservation Area3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Boyd Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Crystal Lake Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFrank Barney Conservation Area2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Hunnewell Woods2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Newton Conservation Commission
DirectionsUpper Falls Riverwalk Conservation Area1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Varick Woods1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Saw Mill Brook Conservation Area28 acres · City of Newton
Weeks Park12 acres
Kesseler Woods Conservation Area12 acres · Newton Conservation Commission
Richard J. McGrath Park10 acres
DirectionsCharles River Wildlife Management Area7 acres · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsWebster Park7 acres
Hamilton Playground6 acres
Warren Lincoln Playground5 acres
Burr Park5 acres
DirectionsBaldpate Meadow Conservation Area5 acres
Hahn Brook Conservation Area4 acres
Joanne C. Pellegrini Memorial Playground4 acres
DirectionsGoddard-Christina Conservation Area4 acres
Farlow Park4 acres
DirectionsWest Newton Commons4 acres
DirectionsRichardson Playground3 acres
Emerson Playground2 acres
Pigeon Hill Park2 acres
Wellington Playground2 acres
Chaffin Park2 acres
DirectionsDavis Playground1 acres
DirectionsWashington Park1 acres
Islington Oval1 acres
Claflin Park1 acres
Waban/Alban Island1 acres
Elmwood Park1 acres
DirectionsHyde Playground1 acres
DirectionsLinwood Park1 acres
DirectionsAuburndale Yard Conservation Area1 acres
River Street Playground1 acres
Elgin Street Conservation Area1 acres
Newton Centre Green1 acres
DirectionsKerry Court Conservation Area1 acres
Veterans Memorial Park1 acres
Ordway Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,686 conserved acres
15% of Newton’s land. Who manages Newton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city336 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits192 ac
Private owners22 ac
State parks7 ac
Not recorded1,338 ac
Private Other or Unknown · 532 acLocal Other or Unknown · 391 acConservation Easement · 274 acState Park · 228 acLocal Park · 151 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 157 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 21 of 185 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles River Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 214 | Closed |
| Brae Burn Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 186 | Unknown |
| Woodland Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 131 | Unknown |
| Webster Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 105 | Open |
| Newton Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 97 | Open |
| Cutler Park Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 86 | Open |
| Charles River Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 83 | Open |
| Hammond Pond Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 59 | Open |
| Kennard Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| Flowed Meadow Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 44 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
75 places to go in Newton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Newton
Crystal Lake BeachIn Crystal Lake Park
DirectionsPublic pools in Newton
Gath PoolIn Russell J. Halloran Sports and Recreation Complex
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Newton
Auburndale PlaygroundIn Auburndale Playground "The Cove"
DirectionsCountryside Playground
DirectionsReverend Ford Playground
DirectionsThompsonville Playground
DirectionsWeeks PlaygroundIn Weeks Park
Directions52 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Newton
Walker Park
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Newton
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Newton
Echo Bridge
DirectionsPeaks in Newton
Waban Hill322 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Pate Hill295 ft elevation
DirectionsChestnut Hill282 ft elevation
DirectionsOak Hill276 ft elevation
DirectionsBeacon Hill220 ft elevation
DirectionsWinchester Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Ida200 ft elevation
DirectionsInstitution Hill197 ft elevation
Directions2 more peaks
Nonantum Hill190 ft elevation
DirectionsMoffatt Hill108 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Newton
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Newton
Yvonne’s Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
24 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.8 miUnpaved · 22.7 mi
Cochituate Aqueduct Trail2.3 mi
Sudbury Aqueduct Trail1.3 mi
Blue Trail1.1 mi
Green Trail0.8 mi
Red Trail0.6 mi
Charles River Greenway0.4 mi
Helen Heyn Riverway (Blue Heron)0.4 mi
Pony Truss Trail0.4 mi
Helen Heyn Riverway0.3 mi
Staniford Loop0.2 mi
14 more trails
Rough Path
0.2 miTwo Bridges Trail
0.1 miWilson Treeway
0.1 miSwamp Trail
0.1 miRiverwalk
0.1 miOak Hill Pathway
0.1 miWaban Hill Path
0.1 miGreen/Blue Trail
0.1 miIrene's Bluff Trail
0.1 miCumberland Footpath
0.1 miAquaduct Path (Dead End)
0.1 miWebster Park Path
0.1 miZervas Trail Extension
0.1 miPicnic Area
0.1 miBiking & sports
32 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
18 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
7.7 mi
off-road bike paths
6.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
East Coast Greenway (MA)Bike route
0.6 miCharles River PathBike route
0.6 miCourts & fields
101Tennis
40Baseball
33Basketball
16Soccer
10Pickleball
5Football
3Softball
2Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →177 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 25 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Jackson HomesteadBuilding · listed 1973
About itDr. Henry Jacob Bigelow HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itCapt. Edward Durant HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itWoodland, Newton Highlands, and Newton Centre Railroad Stations, and Baggage and Express BuildingDistrict · listed 1976
About itNathaniel Topliff Allen HomesteadBuilding · listed 1978
About itColby HallBuilding · listed 1978
About itWare Paper MillBuilding · listed 1978
About itWinslow-Haskell MansionBuilding · listed 1979
About itPeirce SchoolBuilding · listed 1979
About itSt. Mary's Church and CemeteryBuilding · listed 1980
About itFirst Baptist Church in NewtonBuilding · listed 1982
About it165 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Newton: 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 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Newton →
Next door
Newton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | 15% | 2.7 | 12 | 99%+ | A |
| Needham | 24% | 3.7 | 47 | 99% | A+ |
| Wellesley | 18% | 4.1 | 25 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Weston | 24% | 5.5 | 143 | 98% | A+ |
| Watertown | 13% | 3.4 | 6 | 99%+ | A |
| Boston | 18% | 1.9 | 8 | 99%+ | A |
| Brookline | 20% | 2.4 | 7 | 99%+ | A |
| Waltham | 18% | 2.9 | 13 | 99% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Newton
Where can I hike in Newton?
The longest trail networks: Webster Conservation Area, 3.3 miles; Cold Spring Park, 3.3 miles; Hammond Pond Reservation, 2.3 miles; Nahanton Park, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Newton is conserved land?
15% 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 Newton’s trails?
Webster Conservation Area and Cold Spring Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Newton?
32 miles of bike routes are on the map: 18 of painted or protected lanes, 7.7 of off-road paths and 6.8 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: East Coast Greenway (MA) and Charles River Path.
Is there public land near Newton?
54,864 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Newton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,103 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Newton have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #190 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 Newton 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 →