Appalachian Trail Corridor
Managed by National Park Service
929 acres8.2 mi of trail
Appalachian Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Daderot · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Sheffield
Sheffield has 3,565 acres of parks, 1,070 for every 1,000 residents
36% of Sheffield’s land is conserved, about 10,879 acres. The biggest trail networks: Appalachian Trail Corridor (8.2 mi), Bartholomew's Cobble (4.6 mi), Mount Everett State Reservation (3.7 mi). 36 miles of mapped trail cross Sheffield, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #201 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
36%
10,879 acres · of 47.4 sq mi of land
Trails
36 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,565 ac
1,070 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
57%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,913 ft
Mount Bushnell-South Peak
Lakes & rivers
15
What kind of outdoors town is Sheffield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sheffield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sheffield is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #201 of 283 in Massachusetts. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Sheffield’s overall grade.
Conserved land36% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (36 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land1,070 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,565 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home57% 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 92%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 29%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Sheffield’s 36% is ahead of 83% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 12% 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 Appalachian Trail Corridor, with 8.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bartholomew's Cobble
Nature preserve
271 acres4.6 mi of trail
Bailey TrailTractor PathTulip Tree TrailHal Borland Trail+1
No dogs
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Mount Everett State Reservation
Managed by DCR - Division Of State Parks And Recreation
363 acres3.7 mi of trail
Race Brook TrailElbow TrailMTB TrailLower Falls Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ashley Falls Woods
Managed by Sheffield Land Trust Inc
36 acres2.1 mi of trail
Main Outer Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Mass Audubon
345 acres1.9 mi of trail
Orchard TrailLime Kiln LoopQuarry TrailTaconic Vista Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto Lime Kiln Farm Parking
Drury Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
194 acres1.3 mi of trail
Drury Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Three Mile Pond Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Department of Fish And Game
1,198 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Dolomite Ledges Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Department of Fish And Game
351 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dave Chapin TrailSecret Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 23 parks & preserves
Appalachian Trail Corridor929 acres · 8.2 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsBartholomew's Cobble271 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Everett State Reservation363 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · DCR - Division Of State Parks And Recreation
DirectionsAshley Falls Woods36 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Sheffield Land Trust Inc
DirectionsLime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary345 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Mass Audubon
DirectionsDrury Preserve194 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsThree Mile Pond Wildlife Management Area1,198 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Department of Fish And Game
DirectionsDolomite Ledges Wildlife Management Area351 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Department of Fish And Game
Cosgriff Natural Area29 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Park57 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsEast Mountain State Forest207 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
Black Rock76 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Schenob Brook Fen70 acres · Nature Conservancy
Thomas Tract41 acres
Town Forest35 acres
Lanier Property24 acres
Robbs Tract24 acres
Berkshire School Road Preserve19 acres
Donnelly Cr13 acres
Thomas & Haynes Land11 acres
Saunders Backlot Reserve, Berkshire Natural Resource Council (BNRC)11 acres · BNRC
Suter Farm8 acres
Barnard Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
10,879 conserved acres
36% of Sheffield’s land. Who manages Sheffield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land6,284 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits4,517 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)1,832 ac
National Park Service995 ac
State fish & wildlife401 ac
State natural resources313 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government91 ac
Agricultural Easement · 7,505 acConservation Easement · 3,331 acState Conservation Area · 3,169 acPrivate Conservation · 2,508 acNational Scenic or Historic Trail · 941 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,506 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 9 of 357 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three Mile Pond Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,444 | Open |
| Schenob Brook Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,436 | Restricted |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 941 | Open |
| Dolomite Ledges Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 375 | Open |
| Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 344 | Open |
| Bartholomew's Cobble Private Conservation | Not recorded | 316 | Open |
| Bartholomews Cobble Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 314 | Closed |
| Mount Everett State Reservation State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 296 | Open |
| Sheffield Land Trust State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 252 | Unknown |
| Hubbard Brook Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 222 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Sheffield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Sheffield
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Sheffield
Lower FallsIn Mount Everett State Reservation
DirectionsUpper FallsIn Mount Everett State Reservation
DirectionsPlus 7 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Sheffield
viewIn Appalachian Trail Corridor
DirectionsPlus 10 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Sheffield
Mount Bushnell-South Peak1,913 ft elevation · In Appalachian Trail Corridor
DirectionsMount Bushnell1,821 ft elevation · In Appalachian Trail Corridor
DirectionsJune Mountain1,220 ft elevation · In Appalachian Trail Corridor
DirectionsAlum Hill1,079 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Johnny Mountain814 ft elevation · In Town Park
DirectionsBears Den810 ft elevation
DirectionsBowman Hill791 ft elevation
DirectionsDisc golf in Sheffield
The Rocks at Sheffield ParkHours: Mon–Sun 8 am – 8 pm · In Town Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 25.9 mi
Appalachian Trail7.8 mi
Drury Trail1.3 mi
Bailey Trail1.2 mi
Race Brook Trail1.1 mi
Nordic Trail1.0 mi
MTB Trail0.9 mi
Main Outer Loop0.9 mi
Dave Chapin Trail0.9 mi
Tractor Path0.7 mi
Elbow Trail0.6 mi
15 more trails
Tulip Tree Trail
0.6 miOrchard Trail
0.6 miDeborah Reich Trail
0.6 miHal Borland Trail
0.6 miLime Kiln Loop
0.6 miSecret Trail
0.5 miLedges Trail
0.5 miGlenbrook Trail
0.4 miEgg Beater Trail
0.4 miManganese Trail
0.4 miQuarry Trail
0.4 miCross Trail
0.4 miLower Falls Trail
0.3 miBoulder Trail
0.3 miTaconic Vista Trail
0.3 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
23Tennis
3Soccer
3Baseball
1Field hockey
1Softball
1Lacrosse
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
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 Sheffield: May and August
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) | 34 | 37 | 45 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 73 | 61 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Sheffield →
Next door
Sheffield and its neighbors
Sheffield has the second most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheffield | 36% | 0.8 | 1,070 | 57% | A |
| Egremont | 33% | 0.9 | 1,911 | 82% | A+ |
| Mount Washington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| New Marlborough | 32% | 0.5 | 2,116 | 54% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sheffield
Where can I hike in Sheffield?
The longest trail networks: Appalachian Trail Corridor, 8.2 miles; Bartholomew's Cobble, 4.6 miles; Mount Everett State Reservation, 3.7 miles; Ashley Falls Woods, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sheffield is conserved land?
36% 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 Sheffield’s trails?
Appalachian Trail Corridor and Bartholomew's Cobble don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Sheffield?
70,717 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sheffield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,792 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Sheffield have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #201 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 Sheffield 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 →