Breakheart Reservation
Nature preserve
608 acres11.5 mi of trail
Ridge TrailAsh PathNorth 40 LoopFox Run+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Saugus
Saugus has 31 miles of mapped trails, 2.9 for every square mile of land
20% of Saugus’ land is conserved, about 1,406 acres. 1,435 acres are parks and preserves, 50 per 1,000 residents. 94% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #113 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
20%
1,406 acres · of 10.8 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
2.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,435 ac
50 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.6 mi
2.6 mi paths
Highest peak
286 ft
Castle Rock
Lakes & rivers
8
2 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Saugus?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Saugus have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Saugus is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #113 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 Saugus’ overall grade.
Conserved land20% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (31 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land50 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,435 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home94% 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 60%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Saugus’ 20% is ahead of 48% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 74% of them.
Water is 8% of Saugus’ area (1 of 12 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 19%.
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 Breakheart Reservation, with 11.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lynn Woods Reservation
Nature preserve
326 acres4.2 mi of trail
Birch Pond Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Rumney Marsh Reservation
Nature preserve
521 acres2.2 mi of trail
Rumney Marsh Restoration
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Curley Property
Nature preserve
54 acres1.2 mi of trail
Saugus River TrailSaugus River Trail (Yellow Blaze)Blue Blaze
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Prankers Pond
Nature preserve
53 acres0.7 mi of trail
Saugus River TrailPrankers Pond Path
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
Managed by National Park Service
13 acres0.5 mi of trail
Saugus Iron Works Nature Path
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 17 parks & preserves
Breakheart Reservation608 acres · 11.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLynn Woods Reservation326 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRumney Marsh Reservation521 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCurley Property54 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPrankers Pond53 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsBucchiere Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNear Birch Pond Conservation Land16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Vinegar Hill23 acres
Town Conservation Land11 acres
DirectionsSaugus River Reservation7 acres
DirectionsStackpole Field5 acres
Golden Hills4 acres
Stocker Playground4 acres
DirectionsGlen Park Kettlehole2 acres
Salters Mill1 acres
Grandview Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,406 conserved acres
20% of Saugus’ land. Water is left out: Saugus has 10.8 square miles of land and 1.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Saugus’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city48 ac
National Park Service13 ac
State parks8 ac
State conservation5 ac
Not recorded1,336 ac
State Conservation Area · 528 acWatershed Protection Area · 372 acLocal Other or Unknown · 185 acState Park · 117 acResearch or Educational Area · 83 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 5 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 68 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rumney Marsh Reservation State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 521 | Open |
| Near Walden Pond Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 196 | Closed |
| Near Birch Pond Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 176 | Closed |
| Breakheart Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 68 | Open |
| Near Hawkes Pond Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 61 | Closed |
| Lynn Woods Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 49 | Open |
| Saugus River Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 36 | Open |
| Cedar Glenn Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 30 | Restricted |
| Town of Saugus State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 27 | Open |
| Procopio Property Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 24 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
43 places to go in Saugus
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Saugus
Pearce Lake BeachIn Breakheart Reservation
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Saugus
Golden Hills PlaygroundIn Golden Hills
DirectionsPlus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Saugus
Bark PlaceIn Breakheart Reservation
DirectionsScenic views in Saugus
8 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Saugus
Castle Rock286 ft elevation · In Breakheart Reservation
DirectionsCrow Hill272 ft elevation · In Breakheart Reservation
DirectionsRocky Hill244 ft elevation · In Breakheart Reservation
DirectionsBreakheart Hill234 ft elevation · In Breakheart Reservation
DirectionsAsh Hill233 ft elevation · In Breakheart Reservation
DirectionsFuller Hill223 ft elevation
DirectionsEagle Rock206 ft elevation · In Breakheart Reservation
DirectionsBaker Hill180 ft elevation
Directions2 more peaks
Vinegar Hill174 ft elevation · In Vinegar Hill
DirectionsNanny Goat Hill
DirectionsPlus 7 peaks without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Saugus
Pinetops Picnic AreaIn Breakheart Reservation
DirectionsPlus 4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
23 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.3 miUnpaved · 16.2 mi
Rumney Marsh Restoration1.6 mi
Ridge Trail1.5 mi
Saugus River Trail1.3 mi
Birch Pond Trail1.1 mi
Ash Path1.0 mi
North 40 Loop0.8 mi
Saugus River Trail (Yellow Blaze)0.8 mi
Fox Run0.7 mi
Fern Trail0.5 mi
Saugus River Trail (Yellow & Blue Blazes)0.4 mi
13 more trails
Pipelline Trail
0.4 miBreakheart Hill
0.3 miPrankers Pond Path
0.3 miEagle Rock Trail
0.3 miLink Trail
0.2 miParkway Trail
0.2 miGas Pipeline
0.2 miLodge Trail (Red Blaze)
0.2 miSpruce Trail
0.2 miRidge Trail (new)
0.1 miSaugus Iron Works Nature Path
0.1 miBlue Blaze
0.1 miMill Site Trail (Blue Blaze)
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
11Baseball
9Basketball
9Tennis
3Football
2Soccer
1Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Saugus: 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 | 57 | 67 | 77 | 82 | 81 | 73 | 62 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Saugus →
Next door
Saugus and its neighbors
Saugus has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Saugus
Where can I hike in Saugus?
The longest trail networks: Breakheart Reservation, 11.5 miles; Lynn Woods Reservation, 4.2 miles; Rumney Marsh Reservation, 2.2 miles; Curley Property, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Saugus is conserved land?
20% 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 Saugus’ trails?
Breakheart Reservation and Lynn Woods Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Saugus?
2.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Saugus?
28,054 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Saugus or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,439 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Saugus have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #113 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 Saugus 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 →