Booth Hill Conservation Area
Nature preserve
91 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
WPA Field House · Photo: Electrachrome · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Scituate
Scituate has 29 miles of mapped trails, 1.7 for every square mile of land
20% of Scituate’s land is conserved, about 2,201 acres. 1,657 acres are parks and preserves, 86 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Booth Hill Conservation Area (2.1 mi), Wompatuck State Park (2 mi), Rivermoor Habitat Park (1.9 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #133 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
20%
2,201 acres · of 17.2 sq mi of land
Trails
29 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,657 ac
86 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
91%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.8 mi
0.6 mi lanes · 0.2 mi paths
Highest peak
184 ft
Mount Hope
Lakes & rivers
11
24 beaches · 8 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Scituate?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Scituate have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Scituate is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #133 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 Scituate’s overall grade.
Conserved land20% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (29 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land86 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,657 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home91% 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 53%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Scituate’s 20% is ahead of 45% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 39% of them.
Water is 46% of Scituate’s area (15 of 32 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 11%.
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 Booth Hill Conservation Area, with 2.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wompatuck State Park
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
101 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Rivermoor Habitat Park
Nature preserve
561 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bates Lane Conservation Area
Managed by Scituate Conservation Commission
293 acres1.5 mi of trail
Bates Lane TrailLitchfield TrailCarl Pipes TrailMaxwell Trail
Dogs allowed
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Higgins-MacAllister Preserve
Managed by Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
47 acres0.9 mi of trail
Higgins-MacAllister Loop Trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Moncy
Managed by Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
44 acres0.7 mi of trail
Carl Pipes TrailBates Lane TrailMaxwell Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wheelwright Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
46 acres0.4 mi of trail
Maxwell Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Stewart
Managed by Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
17 acres0.4 mi of trail
Carl Pipes TrailHiggins-MacAllister Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 33 parks & preserves
Booth Hill Conservation Area91 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWompatuck State Park101 acres · 2 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsRivermoor Habitat Park561 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsBates Lane Conservation Area293 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Scituate Conservation Commission
Higgins-MacAllister Preserve47 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
DirectionsMoncy44 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
DirectionsWheelwright Conservation Area46 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
Stewart17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
Bailey48 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
DirectionsHayden10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
Cushing Memorial State Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Kapland Land/Teak Sherman Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Marina6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTibbets Marsh Conservation Area82 acres
DirectionsKent St Marshes44 acres
DirectionsVasolotti Land40 acres
Hubbell Preserve17 acres · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
Vinal Pasture Conservation Area15 acres
Tibbetts/Atherton14 acres
DirectionsBassing Beach Conservation Area13 acres · Cohasset Conservation Trust
Kent Street Marshes13 acres · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
DirectionsConservation Land Storage11 acres · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
Whitcomb Pines Conservation Restriction9 acres
Hardcastle Property8 acres · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
DirectionsBjorklund Conservation Restriction7 acres · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
Central Field7 acres
DirectionsBjorklund5 acres · Town of Scituate Conservation Commission
Pinney Land3 acres
Doherty Property3 acres
Roach Field2 acres
DirectionsCudworth Field2 acres
DirectionsHollett Island Park2 acres
DirectionsEgypt Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,201 conserved acres
20% of Scituate’s land. Water is left out: Scituate has 17.2 square miles of land and 14.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Scituate’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,020 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits104 ac
Private owners26 ac
State parks6 ac
Not recorded1,172 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 818 acLocal Park · 571 acWatershed Protection Area · 369 acConservation Easement · 201 acLocal Conservation Area · 138 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 104 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 88 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivermoor Habitat Park Local Park | Town or city | 510 | Open |
| Widow's Walk Golf Course Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 139 | Restricted |
| Ellis Property Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 118 | Open |
| Water Dept Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 103 | Open |
| Bassings Beach/Briggs Harbor Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 102 | Open |
| Glades Corp Salt Marsh Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 88 | Closed |
| Hatherly Country Club Private Conservation | Private owners | 85 | Closed |
| Tibbets Marsh Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 83 | Open |
| Stearns Meadow/Water Dept Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 79 | Open |
| Clapp Road Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 74 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
54 places to go in Scituate
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Scituate
Egypt Beach
DirectionsMuseum Beach
DirectionsNorth Scituate Beach
DirectionsSand Hills Beach
DirectionsTown Beach
DirectionsPlus 19 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Scituate
Plus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Scituate
Scituate Dog ParkIn Rivermoor Habitat Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Scituate
Jericho Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 7 boat launches without a name on the map.
Peaks in Scituate
Mount Hope184 ft elevation · In Wompatuck State Park
DirectionsWalnut Tree Hill135 ft elevation
DirectionsPheasant Hill131 ft elevation
DirectionsBooth Hill125 ft elevation · In Booth Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsDoctors Hill121 ft elevation
DirectionsPincin Hill121 ft elevation
DirectionsBrushy Hill89 ft elevation
DirectionsMann Hill62 ft elevation
Directions2 more peaks
Hoop Pole Hill49 ft elevation
DirectionsColeman Hills16 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Scituate
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.0 miHorses · 1.0 miUnpaved · 3.2 mi
Higgins-MacAllister Loop Trail1.0 mi
Maxwell Trail0.7 mi
Carl Pipes Trail0.7 mi
Bates Lane Trail0.6 mi
Litchfield Trail0.5 mi
Biking & sports
0.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
20Tennis
10Baseball
7Soccer
6Basketball
3Tracks
1Softball
1Football
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →9 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 19 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Lawson TowerStructure · listed 1976
About itCapt. Benjamin James HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itMinot's Ledge LightStructure · listed 1987
About itScituate LightStructure · listed 1987
About itWoodworth HouseBuilding · listed 1996
About itFirst Trinitarian Congregational ChurchBuilding · listed 2002
About itWPA Field HouseBuilding · listed 2009
About itMen of Kent CemeterySite · listed 2013
About itFirst Baptist Church of ScituateBuilding · listed 2015
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Scituate: 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 40 | 46 | 57 | 67 | 76 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 62 | 52 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 4.1 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
July is the driest month (3.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.1 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Scituate →
Next door
Scituate and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hingham86 miMarshfield64 miNorwell42 miCohasset37 miScituate29 miNorth Scituate2.8 miMarshfield Hills1.0 miOcean Bluff-Brant Rock0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scituate | 20% | 1.7 | 86 | 91% | A+ |
| Marshfield | 24% | 2.2 | 168 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Marshfield Hills | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cohasset | 27% | 3.8 | 151 | 98% | A+ |
| North Scituate | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Norwell | 15% | 2.0 | 154 | 96% | A+ |
| Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hingham | 20% | 3.9 | 105 | 94% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Scituate
Where can I hike in Scituate?
The longest trail networks: Booth Hill Conservation Area, 2.1 miles; Wompatuck State Park, 2 miles; Rivermoor Habitat Park, 1.9 miles; Bates Lane Conservation Area, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Scituate 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 Scituate’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Bates Lane Conservation Area and Higgins-MacAllister Preserve. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Scituate?
0.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.6 of painted or protected lanes and 0.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Scituate?
25,252 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Scituate or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,942 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Scituate have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #133 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 Scituate 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 →