Rice Sanctuary
Nature preserve
279 acres5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Peru
Few parks or trails are on the map in Peru
The biggest trail networks: Rice Sanctuary (5 mi), Peru Wildlife Management Area (4.2 mi), Middlefield State Forest (4.1 mi). 49% of Peru’s land is conserved, about 8,069 acres. 5,548 acres are parks and preserves, 8,806 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
49%
8,069 acres · of 25.9 sq mi of land
Trails
23 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,548 ac
8,806 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,231 ft
Haskell Hill
Lakes & rivers
2
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 Rice Sanctuary, with 5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Peru Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Department of Fish And Game
3,905 acres4.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Middlefield State Forest
Nature preserve
1,262 acres4.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Windsor Brook Wildlife Conservation Easement
Nature preserve
795 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Rice Sanctuary279 acres · 5 mi of trail
DirectionsPeru Wildlife Management Area3,905 acres · 4.2 mi of trail · Department of Fish And Game
Middlefield State Forest1,262 acres · 4.1 mi of trail
Windsor Brook Wildlife Conservation Easement795 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
Katz Memorial Forest38 acres
Ashmere Lake State Park22 acres
Who protects it
8,069 conserved acres
49% of Peru’s land. Who manages Peru’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife876 ac
State natural resources798 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits422 ac
Not recorded6,968 ac
State Conservation Area · 5,436 acConservation Easement · 2,096 acState Resource Management Area · 1,533 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,101 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 40 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peru Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 3,500 | Open |
| Peru State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,499 | Open |
| Middlefield State Forest State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,262 | Open |
| Tracy Pond Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 368 | Open |
| Rice Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 279 | Open |
| Katz Memorial Forest State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 38 | Open |
| Ashmere Lake State Park State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 22 | Open |
Things to do
6 places to go in Peru
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Peru
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Peru
Haskell Hill2,231 ft elevation
DirectionsFrench Hill2,215 ft elevation · In Peru Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsGarnet Hill2,175 ft elevation
DirectionsPeru Hill2,169 ft elevation
DirectionsBarret Hill1,880 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.1 mi
Garnet Hill Trail0.5 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
11Tennis
4Basketball
1Volleyball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Peru: May, July and August
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) | 30 | 33 | 41 | 54 | 66 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 69 | 57 | 45 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 5.1 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Peru →
Next door
Peru and its neighbors
Peru has the second most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hinsdale | 40% | 0.6 | 1,202 | 74% | A |
| Middlefield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Worthington | 37% | 0.4 | 4,475 | 66% | A |
| Washington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cummington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Peru
Where can I hike in Peru?
The longest trail networks: Rice Sanctuary, 5 miles; Peru Wildlife Management Area, 4.2 miles; Middlefield State Forest, 4.1 miles; Windsor Brook Wildlife Conservation Easement, 2.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Peru’s trails?
Rice Sanctuary and Peru Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Peru?
97,317 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Peru or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,915 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Peru 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 →