Myles Standish State Forest
Nature preserve
10,227 acres112.2 mi of trail
Pine Barrens PathBentley LoopCharge Pond Loop TrailCharge Pond Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Rhonda McCloughan (Pr41799) · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Plymouth
Plymouth has 577 miles of mapped trails, 6.0 for every square mile of land
37% of Plymouth’s land is conserved, about 22,878 acres. 6,429 acres are parks and preserves, 101 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Myles Standish State Forest (112.2 mi), Briggs Property (9.6 mi), Wildlands Trust - Halfway Pond Conservation Area (7.5 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #116 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
37%
22,878 acres · of 96.4 sq mi of land
Trails
577 mi
6.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,429 ac
101 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
78%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
20 mi
4.8 mi lanes · 15 mi paths
Highest peak
374 ft
Manomet Hill
Lakes & rivers
96
14 beaches · 7 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Plymouth?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Plymouth have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Plymouth is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #116 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 Plymouth’s overall grade.
Conserved land37% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails6.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (577 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land101 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,429 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home78% 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 97%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 59%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Plymouth’s 37% is ahead of 86% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 99% of them.
Water is 28% of Plymouth’s area (38 of 134 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 27%.
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 Myles Standish State Forest, with 112.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Briggs Property
Nature preserve
646 acres9.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Wildlands Trust - Halfway Pond Conservation Area
Nature preserve
454 acres7.5 mi of trail
Leona's LoopGramp's LoopThree Corner Pond Rd Connector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Wildlands Trust Halfway Pond Parking
Red Brook Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
146 acres6.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
207 acres4.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Mass Audubon
491 acres4.5 mi of trail
Voulunteer TrailMadar LoopRed Maple PathFarm Road Ramble+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Morton Park
Park
237 acres4 mi of trail
Valley PathHighland PathThe BowlPleasant Valley Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Russell Mill Pond
Nature preserve
149 acres3.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 65 parks & preserves
Myles Standish State Forest10,227 acres · 112.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBriggs Property646 acres · 9.6 mi of trail
Wildlands Trust - Halfway Pond Conservation Area454 acres · 7.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRed Brook Wildlife Management Area146 acres · 6.6 mi of trail
Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge207 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsTidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary491 acres · 4.5 mi of trail · Mass Audubon
DirectionsMorton Park237 acres · 4 mi of trail
DirectionsRussell Mill Pond149 acres · 3.9 mi of trail
Sly Pond Natural Heritage Area194 acres · 3.8 mi of trail
Plymouth Pine Hill Wildlife Conservation Easement186 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
Wildlands Trust - Emery Preserve West128 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle Island Pond156 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
Foothills Presereve83 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsManomet Recreation Area179 acres · 2 mi of trail
Watercourse Place Conservation Area119 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
Eel River Preserve65 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Town of Plymouth
Wildlands Trust - Six Ponds East Preserve78 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
Sawmill Pond Area61 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
Ellisville Harbor State Park94 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCenter Hill Preserve75 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Wildlands Trust - South Triangle Pond Conservation Area47 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Wildlands Trust
DirectionsWildlands Trust - Emery Preserve East35 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCleft Rock Park8 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Plimoth Patuxet103 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRocky Pond Conservation Area33 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Black Cat Preserve60 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Plymouth
Reid Pond Preserve35 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Plymouth Fire Tower9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Boot Pond Conservation Area66 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Harlow / Cooks Pond Natural Heritage Area52 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNelson Street Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBrewster Gardens Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsIndian Brook Conservation Area51 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Holmes Field29 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPilgrim Memorial State Park18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJenny Pond Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Forest11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Abner Pond10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Benjamin S. Harrison Memorial Preserve8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Center Hill4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Training Green2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFishermans Memorial Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSaint Catherine's Chapel Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Plymouth Long Beach93 acres
DirectionsGrassy Pond Nha (Plymouth)65 acres
Old Field Pond Preserve30 acres
Five Mile Pond27 acres
Elmer E. Raymond Playground24 acres
DirectionsHalfway Pond16 acres
Manomet Bird Observatory12 acres · Manomet, Inc
Fresh Pond Park11 acres
South Triangle Pond Natural Heritage Area10 acres
Stephens Field8 acres
DirectionsTaylor Ave. Wetlands6 acres
DirectionsSiever Field6 acres
DirectionsBartlett Pond6 acres
Emerson Field5 acres
Briggs Playground5 acres
DirectionsCedarville Landing4 acres
DirectionsHaskell Field3 acres
Directions898 State Road3 acres
Veterans Field2 acres
DirectionsEyster Parcel1 acres
Burton Park1 acres
Depot Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
22,878 conserved acres
37% of Plymouth’s land. Water is left out: Plymouth has 96.4 square miles of land and 37.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Plymouth’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,539 ac
State natural resources1,886 ac
State fish & wildlife1,623 ac
Town or city1,368 ac
State parks902 ac
State conservation784 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)416 ac
State Resource Management Area · 10,744 acConservation Easement · 7,042 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 1,746 acPrivate Conservation · 1,549 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,446 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 5,271 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 28 of 467 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myles Standish State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 10,601 | Open |
| Camp Squanto Private Conservation | Not recorded | 437 | Restricted |
| SE Pine Barrens Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 433 | Open |
| Halfway Pond Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 416 | Open |
| Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 410 | Restricted |
| Pine Hills Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 348 | Restricted |
| Town of Plymouth Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 242 | Unknown |
| Old Sandwich Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 241 | Restricted |
| Waverly Oaks Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 225 | Restricted |
| Red Brook Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 207 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
60 places to go in Plymouth
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Plymouth
Colony Beach
DirectionsMain Beach
DirectionsPilgrim Beach
DirectionsPilgrim Shorefront
DirectionsPlymouth BeachIn Plymouth Long Beach
DirectionsSaquish Beach
DirectionsStephens Field BeachIn Stephens Field
DirectionsSurfside Beach
DirectionsPlus 6 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Plymouth
Allerton/Sever St. Playground
DirectionsButtermilk Bay Playground
DirectionsHolmes Playground
DirectionsSirrico Playground
DirectionsSplash PadIn Nelson Street Park
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Plymouth
Cedarville Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Plymouth
Little Long Pond Boat Access
DirectionsLong Pond Boat Launch
DirectionsNelson Memorial Park Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Plymouth
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Plymouth
Manomet Hill374 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hills312 ft elevation
DirectionsFlagg Hill210 ft elevation
DirectionsPinnacle Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsMountain Hill200 ft elevation
DirectionsSparrow Hill200 ft elevation
DirectionsTelegraph Hill180 ft elevation
DirectionsHio Hill177 ft elevation
Directions9 more peaks
Bay Hill174 ft elevation
DirectionsIndian Hill161 ft elevation
DirectionsFederal Hill154 ft elevation · In Myles Standish State Forest
DirectionsTower Hill154 ft elevation
DirectionsBurying Hill112 ft elevation
DirectionsWatson Hill98 ft elevation
DirectionsEagle Hill43 ft elevation
DirectionsColes Hill26 ft elevation
DirectionsPlum Hills23 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Plymouth
Pinewood Lodge & Campgrounds
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 52 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 36.1 miHorses · 1.1 miUnpaved · 206.4 mi
Pine Barrens Path6.3 mi
Pilgrim Loop5.9 mi
Energetic Sauce5.0 mi
Emery West Red Trail2.3 mi
Dawn's Light2.1 mi
Bloody Pond CA Trail2.1 mi
Pine Hills Powerlines2.0 mi
Leona's Loop1.9 mi
Plimoth Backcountry Trail1.9 mi
Gramp's Loop1.8 mi
15 more trails
Super D
1.8 miRedemption
1.8 miCrosswinds Trail
1.6 miBentley Loop
1.6 miWildlands Trust- South Triangle Pond Conservation Area Trail
1.3 miEast Head Loop
1.3 miPrime Time DH
1.3 miKennard Reservoir East Trail
1.2 miCleft Rock DH
1.2 miPower Lines
1.1 miFoothills Preserve Path
1.1 miSizzler
1.1 miThe Grind
1.0 miMoto DH
1.0 miVoulunteer Trail
1.0 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Abner PondArms House PondreservoirBartlett PondpondBeaver Dam PondreservoirBesse Bog ReservoirreservoirBig Rocky PondBig Sandy PondBig West PondpondBillington SeapondBloody PondBoot PondBriggs ReservoirreservoirBriggs Reservoir Number 2reservoirBumps PondpondCattle PondCharge PondClifford Road PondreservoirColbys PondpondCold Bottom PondreservoirCollege PondCooks PondreservoirCotton PondpondCrooked PondpondCurlew PondDarby PondDeer PondDoctors PondpondEast Head PondreservoirEel River PondElbow PondEllis PondEllisville HarborEzekiel PondFawn PondFearing PondFederal PondFive Mile PondForge PondFresh Meadow PondreservoirFresh PondreservoirFrogfoot Brook ReservoirreservoirGallows PondGrassy PondpondGrassy West PondpondGreat Herring PondGreat Island PondGreat South PondreservoirGunners Exchange PondHalfway PondpondHallfield PondpondBeaver Dam BrookEel River
Biking & sports
20 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
15 mi
off-road bike paths
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
71Tennis
31Baseball
24Basketball
11Soccer
9Pickleball
3Football
2Multi-sport
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →23 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 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Plymouth RockObject · listed 1970
About itOld County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itPilgrim HallBuilding · listed 1972
About itNational Monument to the ForefathersObject · listed 1974
About itJabez Howland HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itRichard Sparrow HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itHarlow Old Fort HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itPlymouth Antiquarian HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itHillsideBuilding · listed 1975
About itBartlett-Russell-Hedge HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itPlymouth Light StationStructure · listed 1977
About it11 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Plymouth: 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 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 40 | 46 | 57 | 67 | 76 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 63 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
July is the driest month (3.2 in) and the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.2 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Plymouth →
Next door
Plymouth and its neighbors
Plymouth has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Plymouth577 miBourne188 miWareham115 miCarver93 miDuxbury55 miKingston32 miWhite Island Shores7.8 miNorth Plymouth2.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth | 37% | 6.0 | 101 | 78% | A+ |
| Carver | 15% | 2.5 | 77 | 55% | A |
| Wareham | 20% | 3.2 | 114 | 95% | A+ |
| Duxbury | 28% | 2.3 | 180 | 99% | A+ |
| North Plymouth | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| White Island Shores | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Kingston | 19% | 1.7 | 74 | 93% | A+ |
| Bourne | 46% | 4.6 | 113 | 96% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Plymouth
Where can I hike in Plymouth?
The longest trail networks: Myles Standish State Forest, 112.2 miles; Briggs Property, 9.6 miles; Wildlands Trust - Halfway Pond Conservation Area, 7.5 miles; Red Brook Wildlife Management Area, 6.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Plymouth is conserved land?
37% 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 Plymouth’s trails?
Myles Standish State Forest and Briggs Property don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Plymouth?
20 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.8 of painted or protected lanes, 15 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Plymouth?
64,342 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Plymouth or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 18,921 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Plymouth have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #116 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 Plymouth 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 →