Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
1,827 acres19.6 mi of trail
Bay Circuit TrailWarner TrailBluff TrailForest Trail+1
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Sharon
Sharon has 86 miles of mapped trails, 3.7 for every square mile of land
43% of Sharon’s land is conserved, about 6,540 acres. 6,148 acres are parks and preserves, 331 per 1,000 residents. 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #9 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
43%
6,540 acres · of 23.4 sq mi of land
Trails
86 mi
3.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,148 ac
331 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.6 mi
5.2 mi paths
Highest peak
535 ft
Moose Hill
Lakes & rivers
15
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Sharon?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sharon have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sharon is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #9 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Sharon near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Sharon’s overall grade.
Conserved land43% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (86 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land331 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,148 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 97%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Sharon’s 43% is ahead of 94% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 85% of them.
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 Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, with 19.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Borderland State Park
Nature preserve
1,135 acres15.1 mi of trail
Northwest TrailGranite Hills TrailRidge TrailPond Walk+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Moose Hill Farm
Nature preserve
381 acres4.8 mi of trail
Old Farm TrailWoodland TrMarsh TrailOld Summit Road Tr+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Rattlesnake Hill
Nature preserve
318 acres4.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Massapoag Trail And Brook
Nature preserve
301 acres3.7 mi of trail
Massapoag TrailOrange Dot PathBlue Dot TrailBlue Dot+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
King Philip’s Rock Lands
Nature preserve
168 acres2.9 mi of trail
King Philip Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Beaver Brook Watershed Land
Nature preserve
218 acres2.5 mi of trail
Bay Circuit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Apple Valley Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
111 acres2.4 mi of trail
Warner Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 55 parks & preserves
Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary1,827 acres · 19.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBorderland State Park1,135 acres · 15.1 mi of trail
Moose Hill Farm381 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRattlesnake Hill318 acres · 4.3 mi of trail
Massapoag Trail And Brook301 acres · 3.7 mi of trail
DirectionsKing Philip’s Rock Lands168 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsBeaver Brook Watershed Land218 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsApple Valley Conservation Restriction111 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsInter Lochen Park186 acres · 2 mi of trail
Deborah Sampson Park49 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNorfolk County Canoe River Wilderness Area84 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Gavins Pond Land63 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsFrank I. Sullivan Recreational Area49 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMemorial Park Beach8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCanoe River Wetlands50 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
East Foxboro St School Site16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Beech Tree Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDr. Walter A. Griffin Playground13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsQuail Ridge Conservation Area12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Canoe River Rd5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Fairbanks Road Conservation Area2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
1st Sgt James A. Keating Memorial Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCedar Swamp Wetlands214 acres
Mass Audubon Society105 acres
DirectionsFowl Meadows Conservation Land72 acres
Mohawk St Wetlands38 acres
Drake Circle35 acres · Town of Sharon Conservation Commission
Golden Wood Property25 acres
Barefoot Hill Property21 acres
Saw Mill Pond Beaver Brook21 acres
Fowl Meadows20 acres
Samoset Lane Cedar Swamp Brook17 acres
Pheasant Wood Rd14 acres
Condor Rd Site13 acres
Beaver Brook Wetlands12 acres
Neponset Riv Wat Consv Prj11 acres
DirectionsNauset Rd Wetlands9 acres
Bird Lane Land7 acres
Upland Rd5 acres
Asrboro Dr Wetlands5 acres
Esther Reeve Gift5 acres
Kings Rd Prop4 acres
Sharon Valley Conservation Area4 acres
Morse St Wetland4 acres
Burkhardt"S Rail Spur3 acres
Sturges Rd Wetlands3 acres
East St Ann Dann Prop3 acres
Morse St Land2 acres
Broken Wheel Ranch2 acres
Massapoag Ave Wetlands1 acres
DirectionsBillings Brook Gavins Pond Lan1 acres
Gavins Pond Dam & Flume House1 acres
East Foxboro St1 acres
Beach St Wetlands1 acres
Cedar Park Wetlands1 acres
Who protects it
6,540 conserved acres
43% of Sharon’s land. Who manages Sharon’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,896 ac
Town or city1,443 ac
State parks327 ac
County1 ac
Not recorded4,242 ac
Conservation Easement · 2,883 acPrivate Conservation · 1,466 acState Conservation Area · 1,410 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,088 acState Park · 406 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,614 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 19 of 219 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borderland State Park State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,138 | Open |
| Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 946 | Open |
| Massapoag Trail and Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 214 | Open |
| Spring Valley Country Club State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 209 | Closed |
| Moose Hill Farm Private Conservation | Not recorded | 182 | Open |
| Horizons For Youth Property Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 157 | Open |
| Moose Hill Farm Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 155 | Open |
| Knollwood Memorial Park State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 136 | Unknown |
| Devil'S Brook Wetlands Local Park | Town or city | 131 | Open |
| Beaver Brook Watershed Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 111 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
31 places to go in Sharon
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Sharon
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Sharon
14 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Sharon
Sharon Dog ParkIn Deborah Sampson Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Sharon
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Sharon
Bluff OverlookIn Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsOverlookIn Rattlesnake Hill
DirectionsPeaks in Sharon
Moose Hill535 ft elevation · In Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsBluff Hill453 ft elevation · In Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsRattlesnake Hill400 ft elevation · In Rattlesnake Hill
DirectionsPierce Hill344 ft elevation · In Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsHobbs Hill341 ft elevation · In Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsBarefoot Hill312 ft elevation
DirectionsCow Hill302 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Hill243 ft elevation · In Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
Directions2 more peaks
Chestnut Hill230 ft elevation
DirectionsHixon Hill230 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Sharon
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Sharon
Camp Gannet
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 18.0 miUnpaved · 66.4 mi
Bay Circuit Trail4.5 mi
Warner Trail2.8 mi
Massapoag Trail1.7 mi
Bluff Trail1.3 mi
Northwest Trail1.3 mi
King Philip Trail1.1 mi
Granite Hills Trail1.1 mi
Ridge Trail1.0 mi
Old Farm Trail1.0 mi
Forest Trail0.9 mi
15 more trails
Blue Dot Trail
0.9 miPond Walk
0.9 miQuarry Loop Tr
0.8 miMorse Loop Tr
0.8 miFriends Trail
0.8 miBlue Dot
0.8 miKettle Trail
0.8 miYellow Dot Tr
0.7 miVernal Pool Loop
0.7 miWest Side Trail
0.7 miOrange Dot Path
0.7 miTurkey Trail
0.7 miWoodland Tr
0.6 miNEMBA Trail
0.6 miMarsh Trail
0.6 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.2 mi
off-road bike paths
1.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
29Tennis
10Baseball
6Soccer
5Basketball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Sharon: 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) | 37 | 39 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.9 |
July is the driest month (3.5 in) and the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Sharon →
Next door
Sharon and its neighbors
Sharon has the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharon | 43% | 3.7 | 331 | 99% | A+ |
| Walpole | 18% | 2.4 | 75 | 88% | A+ |
| Norwood | 10% | 1.1 | 16 | 99% | A |
| Stoughton | 19% | 1.0 | 46 | 98% | A+ |
| Canton | 32% | 2.4 | 125 | 98% | A+ |
| Foxborough | 30% | 3.0 | 146 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sharon
Where can I hike in Sharon?
The longest trail networks: Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, 19.6 miles; Borderland State Park, 15.1 miles; Moose Hill Farm, 4.8 miles; Rattlesnake Hill, 4.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sharon is conserved land?
43% 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 Sharon’s trails?
Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary and Borderland State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Sharon?
6.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.2 of off-road paths and 1.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Sharon?
63,924 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sharon or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,552 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Sharon have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #9 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 Sharon 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 →