Saw Mill Hills Conservation Area
Nature preserve
723 acres15.1 mi of trail
Old Carriage TrailFlat RockThe Blue TrailThe White Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Northampton
Northampton has 118 miles of mapped trails, 3.5 for every square mile of land
30% of Northampton’s land is conserved, about 6,591 acres. 3,380 acres are parks and preserves, 109 per 1,000 residents. 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #42 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
30%
6,591 acres · of 34.2 sq mi of land
Trails
118 mi
3.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,380 ac
109 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
30 mi
13 mi lanes · 16 mi paths
Highest peak
814 ft
Mineral Hills
Lakes & rivers
12
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Northampton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Northampton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Northampton is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #42 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Northampton near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Northampton’s overall grade.
Conserved land30% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (118 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land109 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,380 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home98% 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 85%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Northampton’s 30% is ahead of 74% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 82% 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 Saw Mill Hills Conservation Area, with 15.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
Nature preserve
587 acres6.3 mi of trail
Marian Street Trail (blue)Hillside Trail (red)Lake Trail (blue)Old Telephone Line Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mineral Hill Conservation Area
Nature preserve
282 acres4.7 mi of trail
Summit TrailOogamak TrailRavine TrailNedobak Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
734 acres4.2 mi of trail
Robert LaPlam TrailSasafras Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Roberts Hill Conservation Area
Nature preserve
150 acres4.2 mi of trail
Pink TrailRed Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pine Grove Conservation Area
Nature preserve
232 acres3.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Roberts Reservoir Complex
Nature preserve
244 acres2.5 mi of trail
SpatulaDoghouseNo Man's LandSpork
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mill River Division
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
165 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 40 parks & preserves
Saw Mill Hills Conservation Area723 acres · 15.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFitzgerald Lake Conservation Area587 acres · 6.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMineral Hill Conservation Area282 acres · 4.7 mi of trail
DirectionsArcadia Wildlife Sanctuary734 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRoberts Hill Conservation Area150 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Grove Conservation Area232 acres · 3.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRoberts Reservoir Complex244 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
Mill River Division165 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Smith School V.A. Parcel177 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsMineral Hills Conservation Area90 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Look Memorial Park138 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPublic/Private Conservation Area10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Barrett St. Marsh26 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSmith College Athletic Fields18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPines Edge Conserv. Area16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsArcanum Field9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsChilds Park39 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsConnecticut River Greenway Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBeech Tree Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSilvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge165 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
J. Elwell Conservation Area124 acres
DirectionsMineral Hill Greenway121 acres
Elwell State Park85 acres
DirectionsRainbow Beach Conservation Area48 acres
Mill River Greenway43 acres
DirectionsRainbow Beach Natural Heritage Area33 acres
Florence Fields Recreation Area24 acres
DirectionsAquifer Protection Area18 acres
Maines Field17 acres
DirectionsRay Ellerbook Field15 acres
DirectionsSheperds Island15 acres
Roberts Meadow Conservation Area12 acres
Sheldon Field10 acres
DirectionsVeterans Field9 acres
DirectionsHatfield Line Conservation Area6 acres
Burke Conservation Area5 acres
DirectionsGutowski Conservation Area5 acres
Mary Brown's Dingle2 acres
DirectionsAgnes Fox Field1 acres
DirectionsPulaski Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
6,591 conserved acres
30% of Northampton’s land. Who manages Northampton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,947 ac
Town or city2,128 ac
Other state land1,283 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service515 ac
Joint175 ac
Private owners136 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)129 ac
Conservation Easement · 4,527 acAgricultural Easement · 1,726 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,514 acWatershed Protection Area · 505 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 480 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,365 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 23 of 371 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad Brook - Fitzgerald Lake Greenway Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 529 | Open |
| Silvio O. Conte National Fish And Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 480 | Restricted |
| Roberts Reservoir Complex Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 469 | Closed |
| Saw Mill Hills Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 468 | Open |
| Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 396 | Open |
| Roberts Hill Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 109 | Restricted |
| J Elwell Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 101 | Open |
| Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 95 | Open |
| Smith Vocational Agricultural High School field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 53 | Open |
| Three County Fairgrounds Private Conservation | Not recorded | 49 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Northampton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Northampton
David Musante Beach
DirectionsRainbow Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Northampton
Agnes Fox PlaygroundIn Agnes Fox Field
DirectionsSafety VillageIn Arcanum Field
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Northampton
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Northampton
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Northampton
Mineral Hills814 ft elevation
DirectionsSawmill Hills617 ft elevation
DirectionsRoberts Hill581 ft elevation · In Roberts Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsBaker Hill322 ft elevation
DirectionsRound Hill266 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Northampton
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 23.2 miHorses · 1.2 miUnpaved · 64.4 mi
Jeep Eater1.5 mi
Middle Path1.3 mi
Walnut Trees Path1.2 mi
Wild Side1.2 mi
Old Carriage Trail1.1 mi
Blue Blazed Loop Trail1.1 mi
Spatula1.1 mi
Flat Rock1.0 mi
Moms0.8 mi
Upper Trail0.7 mi
15 more trails
Kings Highway
0.7 miSummit Trail
0.7 miThe Blue Trail
0.7 miDingleberry
0.7 miThe White Trail
0.7 miMarian Street Trail (blue)
0.7 miJFK Loop
0.6 miHillside Trail (red)
0.6 miLowland Loop
0.6 miOogamak Trail
0.6 miSwamp Forest Trail
0.6 miLake Trail (blue)
0.5 miNo Man's Land
0.5 miDoghouse
0.4 miBrook Trail
0.4 miBiking & sports
30 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
13 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
16 mi
off-road bike paths
2.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
25Tennis
16Basketball
15Baseball
14Tracks
4Softball
4Volleyball
3Soccer
2Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →15 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Smith Alumnae GymnasiumBuilding · listed 1976
About itNorthampton Downtown Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1976
About itManse, TheBuilding · listed 1976
About itCalvin Coolidge HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itGrove Hill MansionBuilding · listed 1982
About itBuilding at 8-22 Graves AvenueBuilding · listed 1985
About itFort Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989
About itNorthampton State HospitalDistrict · listed 1994
About itMiss Florence DinerBuilding · listed 1999
About itShepherd and Damon Parsons Houses Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2001
About itDorsey-Jones HouseBuilding · listed 2005
About itRoss FarmBuilding · listed 2008
About it3 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Northampton: 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) | 34 | 38 | 46 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Northampton →
Next door
Northampton and its neighbors
Northampton has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton | 30% | 3.5 | 109 | 98% | A+ |
| Hadley | 42% | 2.6 | 354 | 65% | A+ |
| Easthampton | 25% | 2.5 | 72 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Hatfield | 16% | 2.6 | 121 | 59% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Northampton
Where can I hike in Northampton?
The longest trail networks: Saw Mill Hills Conservation Area, 15.1 miles; Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, 6.3 miles; Mineral Hill Conservation Area, 4.7 miles; Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, 4.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Northampton is conserved land?
30% 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 Northampton’s trails?
Saw Mill Hills Conservation Area and Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Northampton?
30 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of painted or protected lanes, 16 of off-road paths and 2.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Northampton?
66,291 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Northampton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,825 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Northampton have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #42 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 Northampton 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 →