High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
781 acres4.4 mi of trail
Steeplebush TrailDutch and Mary Barnard TrailNorth TrailWolves Den Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Shelburne
Shelburne has 1,072 acres of parks, 684 for every 1,000 residents
23% of Shelburne’s land is conserved, about 3,367 acres. The biggest trail networks: High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary (4.4 mi), Shelburne State Forest (0.9 mi). 14 miles of mapped trail cross Shelburne, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
23%
3,367 acres · of 23.2 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,072 ac
684 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
72%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,591 ft
Massamet Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is Shelburne?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Shelburne have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Shelburne is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Shelburne’s overall grade.
Conserved land23% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (14 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land684 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,072 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home72% 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 conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Shelburne’s 23% is ahead of 54% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 8% 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 High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary, with 4.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Shelburne State Forest
Nature preserve
80 acres0.9 mi of trail
Tower Trail (White Trail)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Wells Memorial Forest
Nature preserve
59 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mohawk Trail Conservation Area
Nature preserve
21 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 5 parks & preserves
High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary781 acres · 4.4 mi of trail
DirectionsShelburne State Forest80 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Mohawk Trail Conservation Area21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wells Memorial Forest59 acres
Ball Park4 acres
Who protects it
3,367 conserved acres
23% of Shelburne’s land. Who manages Shelburne’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land2,245 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,216 ac
Town or city379 ac
State parks185 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)171 ac
Not recorded1,052 ac
Agricultural Easement · 2,629 acConservation Easement · 1,568 acPrivate Conservation · 609 acWatershed Protection Area · 298 acState Resource Management Area · 72 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,316 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 96 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 528 | Open |
| Shelburne Falls Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 298 | Unknown |
| Shelburne State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 72 | Open |
| Wells Private Conservation | Not recorded | 53 | Open |
| Arms Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| Franklin Forestry Private Conservation | Not recorded | 28 | Open |
| Camp Apex Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 17 | Restricted |
| Buckland Shelburne Regional School Athletic Fields Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 10 | Open |
| Ball Park Local Park | Not recorded | 5 | Open |
| Hill Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 2 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Shelburne
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Shelburne
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Shelburne
Salmon Falls Potholes
Directionsview to westIn High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsPeaks in Shelburne
Massamet Mountain1,591 ft elevation · In Shelburne State Forest
DirectionsPatten Hill1,371 ft elevation · In High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsMassaemett Mountain1,368 ft elevation · In High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsEast Hill1,145 ft elevation
DirectionsGreat Hill988 ft elevation
DirectionsGreenfield Mountain968 ft elevation
DirectionsBellows Hill958 ft elevation
DirectionsShelburne Mountain892 ft elevation
Directions4 more peaks
Shingle Hill889 ft elevation
DirectionsShearer Hill879 ft elevation
DirectionsBrimstone Hill820 ft elevation
DirectionsDragon Hill820 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Tower Trail (White Trail)1.3 mi
Steeplebush Trail1.2 mi
Dutch and Mary Barnard Trail0.7 mi
North Trail0.7 mi
Wolves Den Loop Trail0.6 mi
Ridge Trail0.6 mi
Big Tree Trail (Yellow Trail)0.6 mi
Waterthrush Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & 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
2Basketball
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Odd Fellow's HallBuilding · listed 1979
About itBardwell's Ferry BridgeStructure · listed 2000
About itHill Cemetery and Parson Hubbard House Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2006
About itShelburne Falls Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010
About itShelburne Free Public LibraryBuilding · listed 2016
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Shelburne: 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) | 32 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Shelburne →
Next door
Shelburne and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Deerfield63 miConway60 miCharlemont43 miGreenfield37 miBuckland15 miShelburne14 miShelburne Falls2.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelburne | 23% | 0.6 | 684 | 72% | A |
| Conway | 32% | 1.6 | 2,118 | 47% | A |
| Buckland | 9% | 0.7 | 131 | 52% | A− |
| Charlemont | 23% | 1.6 | 137 | 24% | A |
| Deerfield | 19% | 1.9 | 245 | 60% | A |
| Shelburne Falls | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Greenfield | 20% | 1.7 | 59 | 93% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Shelburne
Where can I hike in Shelburne?
The longest trail networks: High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary, 4.4 miles; Shelburne State Forest, 0.9 miles; Mohawk Trail Conservation Area, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Shelburne is conserved land?
23% 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 Shelburne’s trails?
High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary and Shelburne State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Shelburne?
45,383 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Shelburne or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,103 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Shelburne have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Shelburne 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 →