Misery Island Reservation
Park
72 acres2.6 mi of trail
Red LoopBlue Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Photo: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Salem
26% of Salem’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 27 miles of mapped trail cross Salem, 3.2 per square mile of land. 26% of Salem’s land is conserved, about 1,376 acres.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #105 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
26%
1,376 acres · of 8.3 sq mi of land
Trails
27 mi
3.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
870 ac
19 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
18 mi
9.5 mi lanes · 6.6 mi paths
Highest peak
112 ft
Gallows Hill
Lakes & rivers
8
52 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Salem?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild26% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town3.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 98% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way47 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Salem have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Salem is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #105 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 Salem’s overall grade.
Conserved land26% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (27 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land19 acres of park per 1,000 residents (870 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13BParks close to homeVirtually all 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 63%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Salem’s 26% is ahead of 65% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 78% of them.
Water is more than half of Salem’s area (10 of 18 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 12%.
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 Misery Island Reservation, with 2.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Salem Woods
Park
119 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Spring Pond Water Department Land
Nature preserve
75 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Forest River Conservation Area
Managed by City of Salem Conservation Commission
100 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Alumni Hill Lot
Salem Common
Park
9 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 39 parks & preserves
Misery Island Reservation72 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSalem Woods119 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
Spring Pond Water Department Land75 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
Forest River Conservation Area100 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · City of Salem Conservation Commission
DirectionsFort Lee17 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSalem Willows Park25 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsSalem Common9 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Gallows Hill Park23 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsForest River Conservation Area Connector40 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWinter Island Maritime Park21 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsForest River Park30 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLeslie's Retreat Park7 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSalem Maritime National Historical Park7 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMcGrath Park23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPalmer Cove Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSplaine Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Thompsons Meadow73 acres
DirectionsConservation Land30 acres · City of Salem Conservation Commission
Mack Park26 acres
DirectionsMcCabe Park12 acres
Irzyk Park5 acres
DirectionsFurlong Park4 acres
Castle Hill Park4 acres
Collins Cove Park3 acres
DirectionsMcGlew Park2 acres
Lead Mills Conservation Area1 acres
Lafayette Park1 acres
DirectionsBroad Street Park1 acres
Pickman Park1 acres
Charlotte Forten Park1 acres · City of Salem
DirectionsDavid J. Beattie Park1 acres
Mary Jane Lee Park1 acres
DirectionsDibiase Park1 acres
Great Haste Island1 acres
Jeggle Island1 acres
Gonyea Park1 acres
Armory Park1 acres
DirectionsRemond Park1 acres
Bakers Island Lot1 acres
Who protects it
1,376 conserved acres
26% of Salem’s land. Water is left out: Salem has 8.3 square miles of land and 10.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Salem’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city232 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land12 ac
National Park Service10 ac
Private owners1 ac
Not recorded1,165 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 596 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 159 acWatershed Protection Area · 151 acLocal Park · 150 acPrivate Conservation · 147 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 60 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olde Salem Green Municipal Golf Course Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 253 | Open |
| Kernwood Cc And Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 159 | Restricted |
| Forest River Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 97 | Open |
| The Meadow Golf Course Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 92 | Open |
| Thompsons Meadow Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 80 | Open |
| St Marys Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 79 | Open |
| Spring Pond Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 72 | Unknown |
| Camp Lion Private Conservation | Not recorded | 71 | Restricted |
| Great Misery Island Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 69 | Restricted |
| Harmony Grove Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 54 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
92 places to go in Salem
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Salem
Collins Cove Beach
DirectionsDead Horse BeachIn Salem Willows Park
DirectionsFort Pickering BeachIn Salem Willows Park
DirectionsGlendale Cove Beach
DirectionsJuniper Beach
DirectionsPebble BeachIn Winter Island Maritime Park
DirectionsSalem Willows Beach
DirectionsSouth Beach
Directions2 more beaches
Waikiki Beach
DirectionsWillow Ave Beach
Directions52 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Public pools in Salem
Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Salem
Cabot Farm Playground
DirectionsJuniper Point Playground
DirectionsMansell PlaygroundIn Gallows Hill Park
DirectionsOld SlideIn Forest River Park
DirectionsRainbow Terrace Playground
DirectionsWitchcraft Heights Playground
DirectionsPlus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Salem
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Salem
Kernwood Marina
DirectionsSalem Harbor Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Salem
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Salem
Gallows Hill112 ft elevation
DirectionsLedge Hill92 ft elevation · In Mack Park
DirectionsLegg Hill92 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Salem
9 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Salem
1 campground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Salem
Pickman Park Community GardenIn Pickman Park
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.7 mi
Red Loop1.3 mi
Blue Loop0.5 mi
Avenue G East0.1 mi
Altrea Path0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
18 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.6 mi
off-road bike paths
2.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
East Coast Greenway (MA)Bike route
0.5 miCourts & fields
12Basketball
11Tennis
6Baseball
6Soccer
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →47 places on the National Register, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 20 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Salem Maritime National Historic SiteDistrict · listed 1966
About itEssex Insitiute Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1972
About itOld Town Hall Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1972
About itFort PickeringSite · listed 1973
About it35 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Salem: 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) | 37 | 39 | 45 | 56 | 66 | 75 | 81 | 79 | 73 | 62 | 51 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.8 |
August is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.8 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Salem →
Next door
Salem and its neighbors
Salem 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | 26% | 3.2 | 19 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Beverly | 19% | 3.1 | 26 | 98% | A+ |
| Marblehead | 11% | 1.9 | 10 | 99%+ | A |
| Peabody | 15% | 1.3 | 14 | 98% | A |
| Danvers | 20% | 1.1 | 26 | 98% | A |
| Swampscott | 18% | 1.6 | 9 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Salem
Where can I hike in Salem?
The longest trail networks: Misery Island Reservation, 2.6 miles; Salem Woods, 2.3 miles; Spring Pond Water Department Land, 1.7 miles; Forest River Conservation Area, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Salem is conserved land?
26% 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 Salem’s trails?
Misery Island Reservation and Salem Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Salem?
18 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.5 of painted or protected lanes, 6.6 of off-road paths and 2.3 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: East Coast Greenway (MA).
Is there public land near Salem?
35,250 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Salem or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 870 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Salem have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #105 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 Salem 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 →