Wompatuck State Park
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
533 acres6.2 mi of trail
Bird TrailLandmine South Field Start
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Norwell
Norwell has 42 miles of mapped trails, 2.0 for every square mile of land
1,752 acres are parks and preserves, 154 per 1,000 residents. 15% of Norwell’s land is conserved, about 1,972 acres. 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #108 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
1,972 acres · of 20.9 sq mi of land
Trails
42 mi
2.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,752 ac
154 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.1 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 3.9 mi paths
Highest peak
233 ft
Judges Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Norwell?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Norwell have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Norwell is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #108 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 Norwell’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (42 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land154 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,752 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 62%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Norwell’s 15% is ahead of 22% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 52% 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 Wompatuck State Park, with 6.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Jacobs Pond Conservation Area
Nature preserve
336 acres3.8 mi of trail
Esker Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Norris Reservation
Nature preserve
116 acres2.5 mi of trail
River Loop TrailMcMullen TrailHilltop TrailEleanor's Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Stetson Meadows
Nature preserve
185 acres2.1 mi of trail
Twin Pine TrailHaskins Trail S10Haskins Trail S11Stetson Trail S2+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cuffee Hill Conservation Area
Nature preserve
184 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Donovan-Wildcat Conservation Area
Nature preserve
99 acres1.8 mi of trail
Donovan TrailWildcat TrailHilltop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Miller Conservation Land
Nature preserve
48 acres1.5 mi of trail
Miller Wood
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hatch Lots Conservation Area
Nature preserve
45 acres1.2 mi of trail
Hatch Lots Conservation AreaHatch Lots Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 29 parks & preserves
Wompatuck State Park533 acres · 6.2 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsJacobs Pond Conservation Area336 acres · 3.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNorris Reservation116 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsStetson Meadows185 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCuffee Hill Conservation Area184 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsDonovan-Wildcat Conservation Area99 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMiller Conservation Land48 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHatch Lots Conservation Area45 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFogg Forest Conservation Land38 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBlack Pond Bog Preserve87 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSimon Hill Conservation Land26 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsBurnt Plain Swamp131 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHowe Conservation Land17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Steffins Gift12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
The Hollow73 acres
North River Conservation Land68 acres
South Shore Natural Science Center28 acres
DirectionsKnapp Conservation Land18 acres
Cooper16 acres
Wildcat Park13 acres · Town of Norwell Conservation Commission
DirectionsEuerle Conservation Land10 acres
Turner Conservation Land9 acres
Gaffield Park8 acres
DirectionsLind7 acres
Proctor Gift5 acres
McKenna Marsh Conservation Area4 acres · Town of Hingham Conservation Commission
Hall Conservation Land4 acres
EPA Research/Conservation Area3 acres
DirectionsGreen Conservation Land3 acres
Who protects it
1,972 conserved acres
15% of Norwell’s land. Who manages Norwell’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city650 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits514 ac
Other state land137 ac
State parks1 ac
Not recorded963 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 585 acWatershed Protection Area · 423 acConservation Easement · 413 acPrivate Conservation · 234 acLocal Conservation Area · 218 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 290 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 94 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Dept Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 211 | Closed |
| Jacobs Pond Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 192 | Open |
| Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 187 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 141 | Open |
| Norwell Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 132 | Unknown |
| Norris Reservation Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 121 | Closed |
| Norwell High School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 97 | Open |
| Black Pond Bog Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 86 | Open |
| Sparrell & Junior High School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 54 | Open |
| Miller Conservation Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 51 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Norwell
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Norwell
Gaffield ParkIn Gaffield Park
DirectionsReynolds Playground
DirectionsPlus 1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Norwell
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Norwell
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Norwell
Judges Hill233 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Blue217 ft elevation
DirectionsBlack Pond Hill210 ft elevation
DirectionsOtis Hill190 ft elevation
DirectionsParadise Hill190 ft elevation
DirectionsCuffey Hill184 ft elevation · In Cuffee Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsSimon Hill171 ft elevation · In Simon Hill Conservation Land
DirectionsButtonwood Hill151 ft elevation
Directions4 more peaks
Wildcat Hill138 ft elevation · In Donovan-Wildcat Conservation Area
DirectionsTill Rock43 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Hill30 ft elevation · In Stetson Meadows
DirectionsTurner Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Norwell
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.2 miHorses · 5.1 miUnpaved · 16.0 mi
River Loop Trail1.1 mi
Simon Hill Trail1.0 mi
McKenna Marsh Trail0.9 mi
Hatch Lots Conservation Area0.7 mi
Miller Wood0.7 mi
Hilltop Trail0.7 mi
Wildcat Trail0.6 mi
Hatch Lots Trail0.6 mi
Donovan Trail0.5 mi
Twin Pine Trail0.5 mi
15 more trails
Gordon Pond Trail
0.5 miMcMullen Trail
0.5 miFogg Forest Loop
0.5 miBird Trail
0.5 miRec Trail
0.3 miEsker Trail
0.3 miHatch Lots - Simon Hill Connector
0.3 miEleanor's Path
0.3 miHaskins Trail S10
0.2 miFogg Cross path
0.2 miCentral Spur
0.2 miHaskins Trail S11
0.2 miStetson Trail S2
0.2 miLandmine South Field Start
0.2 miEMS Trail S7
0.1 miBiking & sports
7.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.9 mi
off-road bike paths
3.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
10Tennis
8Baseball
5Soccer
1Basketball
1Football
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Norwell: 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 40 | 47 | 58 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 52 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 4.3 | 3.9 | 5.3 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
July is the driest month (3.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.3 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Norwell →
Next door
Norwell and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hingham86 miMarshfield64 miNorwell42 miPembroke32 miScituate29 miHanover24 miNorth Pembroke1.9 miMarshfield Hills1.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwell | 15% | 2.0 | 154 | 96% | A+ |
| Hanover | 14% | 1.6 | 82 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Marshfield | 24% | 2.2 | 168 | 99%+ | A+ |
| North Pembroke | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pembroke | 19% | 1.5 | 77 | 87% | A+ |
| Marshfield Hills | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Scituate | 20% | 1.7 | 86 | 91% | A+ |
| Hingham | 20% | 3.9 | 105 | 94% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Norwell
Where can I hike in Norwell?
The longest trail networks: Wompatuck State Park, 6.2 miles; Jacobs Pond Conservation Area, 3.8 miles; Norris Reservation, 2.5 miles; Stetson Meadows, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Norwell 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 Norwell’s trails?
Wompatuck State Park and Jacobs Pond Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Norwell?
7.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes, 3.9 of off-road paths and 3.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Norwell?
33,910 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Norwell or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,752 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Norwell have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #108 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 Norwell 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 →