Leland Wild
Nature preserve
188 acres3.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Norfolk
Norfolk has 24 miles of mapped trails, 1.6 for every square mile of land
16% of Norfolk’s land is conserved, about 1,568 acres. 563 acres are parks and preserves, 48 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Leland Wild (3.2 mi), Stoney Brook Wildflife Sanctuary (1.2 mi), Bristol Blake State Res (0.8 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #193 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
16%
1,568 acres · of 14.9 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
563 ac
48 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
80%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
13
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Norfolk?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Norfolk have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Norfolk is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #193 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Norfolk’s overall grade.
Conserved land16% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (24 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land48 acres of park per 1,000 residents (563 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home80% 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 93%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 32%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Norfolk’s 16% is ahead of 29% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 35% 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 Leland Wild, with 3.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Stoney Brook Wildflife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
87 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bristol Blake State Res
Nature preserve
145 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Campbell Forest
Nature preserve
43 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Apple Saint Forest
Nature preserve
41 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 13 parks & preserves
Leland Wild188 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStoney Brook Wildflife Sanctuary87 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBristol Blake State Res145 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsCampbell Forest43 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsApple Saint Forest41 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
City Mills Pond27 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary15 acres · Mass Audubon
DirectionsKunde Conservation Forest14 acres
Medway St9 acres
Town Ken"S Pond8 acres
Charles River Access7 acres
DirectionsComey"S Pond4 acres
Railroad Seekonk St1 acres
Who protects it
1,568 conserved acres
16% of Norfolk’s land. Who manages Norfolk’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city362 ac
Army Corps of Engineers318 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits76 ac
Private owners13 ac
Not recorded1,012 ac
State Other or Unknown · 724 acConservation Easement · 447 acLocal Other or Unknown · 173 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 171 acWatershed Protection Area · 94 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 232 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOC Land Use Change Area State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 724 | Restricted |
| Upland Game Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 99 | Restricted |
| Lind Farm Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 90 | Open |
| Norfolk Trout Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 72 | Restricted |
| Charles River Natural Valley Storage Area Watershed Protection Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 59 | Closed |
| Campbell Forest Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Maple Street Forest Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Gold Street Well 1 Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 31 | Restricted |
| Spruce St Well 2 Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 30 | Open |
| Freeman-Centennial School Athletic Fields Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 23 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
7 places to go in Norfolk
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Norfolk
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Norfolk
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Norfolk
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
13 lakes & rivers
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
11Baseball
6Basketball
3Soccer
2Tennis
1Multi-sport
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
WarelandsBuilding · listed 1977
About itStephen Turner HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itNorfolk Grange HallBuilding · listed 1989
About itWrentham State SchoolDistrict · listed 1994
About itSullivan's Corner Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2012
About itPondville CemeterySite · listed 2014
About itRockwood Road Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2017
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Norfolk: 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
February is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Norfolk →
Next door
Norfolk and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Wrentham104 miFranklin Town51 miWalpole49 miMedfield45 miNorfolk24 miMillis16 miMedway10 miMillis-Clicquot5.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 16% | 1.6 | 48 | 80% | A |
| Walpole | 18% | 2.4 | 75 | 88% | A+ |
| Franklin Town | 15% | 1.9 | 38 | 93% | A+ |
| Millis | 24% | 1.3 | 162 | 96% | A+ |
| Medway | 8% | 0.9 | 21 | 90% | A− |
| Millis-Clicquot | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wrentham | 13% | 4.8 | 192 | 96% | A+ |
| Medfield | 36% | 3.1 | 265 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Norfolk
Where can I hike in Norfolk?
The longest trail networks: Leland Wild, 3.2 miles; Stoney Brook Wildflife Sanctuary, 1.2 miles; Bristol Blake State Res, 0.8 miles; Campbell Forest, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Norfolk is conserved land?
16% 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 Norfolk’s trails?
Leland Wild and Stoney Brook Wildflife Sanctuary don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Norfolk?
51,376 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Norfolk or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 607 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Norfolk have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #193 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 Norfolk 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 →