Reading Town Forest
Nature preserve
303 acres6.8 mi of trail
(Ridge)Gas Pipeline
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Terageorge · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Reading
Reading has 18 miles of mapped trails, 1.8 for every square mile of land
17% of Reading’s land is conserved, about 1,099 acres. 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 1,360 acres are parks and preserves, 53 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #127 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
1,099 acres · of 10.0 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,360 ac
53 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.9 mi
1.9 mi lanes
Highest peak
220 ft
Bear Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Reading?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 92% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild17% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Parks close to home96% of residents live within a half mile of a park.History along the way85 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Reading have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Reading is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #127 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Reading’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land53 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,360 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks 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 97%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 55%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Reading’s 17% is ahead of 32% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 44% of them.
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 Reading Town Forest, with 6.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bare Meadow Conservation Area
Nature preserve
110 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kurchian Woods
Nature preserve
43 acres2.1 mi of trail
WhitePipeline
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pinevale
Nature preserve
17 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Maillet Conservation Area
Nature preserve
19 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Marion Woods
Nature preserve
8 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 36 parks & preserves
Reading Town Forest303 acres · 6.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBare Meadow Conservation Area110 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKurchian Woods43 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPinevale17 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Maillet Conservation Area19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsBirch Meadow Park24 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMarion Woods8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMemorial Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHiggins Property9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Nichols Wood Lot4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLob's Pound Mill Site19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAnderson Meadow7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Cedar Swamp426 acres · Town of North Reading
DirectionsSouth Cedar Swamp110 acres
Timberneck Swamp102 acres
Fairbanks Marsh32 acres
DirectionsBoyd Lot19 acres
Thelin Bird Sanctuary12 acres
DirectionsConservation Land9 acres
Sledge Woods8 acres
DirectionsSturges Park7 acres
DirectionsLongwood Conservation Area7 acres · Town of Reading
Goodale Marsh7 acres
Xavier/Aberjona River6 acres
Washington Park5 acres
DirectionsHunt Memorial Park4 acres
DirectionsQueralo4 acres
Sheehan/Aberjona River4 acres
Schneider Woods3 acres
Fienemann Ice Pond2 acres
Mattera Conservation Area2 acres
DirectionsTown Common2 acres
DirectionsStone Lot1 acres
Criterion Rd & Aberjona/Woodla1 acres
Willow Street1 acres
DirectionsLeach Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,099 conserved acres
17% of Reading’s land. Who manages Reading’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city269 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits28 ac
Not recorded873 ac
Local Resource Management Area · 278 acLocal Other or Unknown · 278 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 202 acConservation Easement · 113 acPrivate Conservation · 74 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 68 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 9 of 124 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 278 | Open |
| Meadow Brook Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 147 | Restricted |
| Bear Meadow Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 77 | Open |
| Reading Rifle And Revolver Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 54 | Restricted |
| Bare Meadow Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 40 | Open |
| Fairbanks Marsh Private Conservation | Not recorded | 31 | Restricted |
| Birch Meadow Playing Fields Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Town of Reading Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 22 | Open |
| Revay / Water Dept Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
| Lobs Pound Mill Site Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 19 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Reading
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Reading
The Tot LotHours: sunrise-sunset · In Birch Meadow Park
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Reading
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Reading
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Reading
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Reading
Bear Hill220 ft elevation
DirectionsDobbins Hill220 ft elevation
DirectionsScotland Hill180 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Woods Hills157 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Reading
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.8 miHorses · 0.5 miUnpaved · 7.9 mi
White0.4 mi
Pipeline0.3 mi
Gas Pipeline0.2 mi
(Ridge)0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
1.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Courts & fields
22Tennis
18Baseball
8Pickleball
5Basketball
5Soccer
3Football
1Lacrosse
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →85 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.
Parker TavernBuilding · listed 1975
About itAlden Batchelder HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itAsa M. Cook HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itBatchelder HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itBattell HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itBenjamin Beard HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itBoston and Maine Railroad DepotBuilding · listed 1984
About itBowser GazeboStructure · listed 1984
About itBrackett HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itCarroll-Hartshorn HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itCarter MansionBuilding · listed 1984
About itCharles Manning HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About it73 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Reading: 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 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 39 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 62 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Reading →
Next door
Reading and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 17% | 1.8 | 53 | 96% | A+ |
| North Reading | 11% | 1.9 | 50 | 94% | A+ |
| Wakefield | 13% | 1.5 | 15 | 99%+ | A |
| Woburn | 11% | 1.9 | 18 | 99%+ | A |
| Lynnfield | 28% | 1.9 | 41 | 96% | A+ |
| Wilmington | 12% | 1.0 | 29 | 91% | A |
| Stoneham | 33% | 6.5 | 44 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Reading
Where can I hike in Reading?
The longest trail networks: Reading Town Forest, 6.8 miles; Bare Meadow Conservation Area, 2.3 miles; Kurchian Woods, 2.1 miles; Pinevale, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Reading is conserved land?
17% 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 Reading’s trails?
Reading Town Forest and Bare Meadow Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Reading?
1.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.9 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Reading?
37,735 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Reading or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,361 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Reading have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #127 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 Reading 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 →