Town Forest
Nature preserve
372 acres12.6 mi of trail
Misery Loves CompanyPine ThrillRed TrailBlue Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Assington · Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Sherborn
23% of Sherborn’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 55 miles of mapped trail cross Sherborn, 3.5 per square mile of land. 2,199 acres are parks and preserves, 497 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #9 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
23%
2,363 acres · of 15.8 sq mi of land
Trails
55 mi
3.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,199 ac
497 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.4 mi
0.4 mi paths
Highest peak
397 ft
Brush Hill
Lakes & rivers
5
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Sherborn?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild23% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town3.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 98% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way23 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sherborn have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sherborn is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #9 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Sherborn near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Sherborn’s overall grade.
Conserved land23% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (55 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land497 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,199 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to homeVirtually all 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 Sherborn’s 23% is ahead of 57% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 83% 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 Town Forest, with 12.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rocky Narrows
Nature preserve
263 acres4.6 mi of trail
Red TrailOrange TrailYellow TrailBlue Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Barber Reservation
Nature preserve
131 acres3.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sherborn Town Forest
Nature preserve
165 acres3.3 mi of trail
Catalyst
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Massachusetts Audobon Society
273 acres2.6 mi of trail
Glacial Hill TrailBlueberry Swamp LoopLittle Farm Pond TrailGlacial Hill Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Humphrey Land
Nature preserve
83 acres1.2 mi of trail
Seasonal trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Millborn Farm
Managed by Trustees of Reservations
127 acres0.7 mi of trail
Discovery LoopGateway TrailWoodland Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Sudbury Aqueduct Trail
Managed by Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
23 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Overflow
All 13 parks & preserves
Town Forest372 acres · 12.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRocky Narrows263 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBarber Reservation131 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSherborn Town Forest165 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary273 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Massachusetts Audobon Society
Humphrey Land83 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Millborn Farm127 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Trustees of Reservations
Sudbury Aqueduct Trail23 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
DirectionsBailey Trail System31 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMcGregor Quarry14 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsFarm Pond14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLaurel Farm Baseball and Soccer Fields21 acres
DirectionsCochituate State Park9 acres · MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
Who protects it
2,363 conserved acres
23% of Sherborn’s land. Who manages Sherborn’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,177 ac
Town or city741 ac
Army Corps of Engineers68 ac
Other state land24 ac
Not recorded1,588 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,429 acPrivate Conservation · 559 acLocal Conservation Area · 534 acLocal Other or Unknown · 524 acLocal Resource Management Area · 483 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 691 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1,024 | Open |
| Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 383 | Open |
| Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 276 | Restricted |
| Rocky Narrows Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 183 | Open |
| Sherborn Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 100 | Open |
| Western Avenue Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 38 | Open |
| Woodland Street Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 33 | Open |
| Little Farm Pond State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 24 | Open |
| Pine Hill Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 23 | Open |
| Maplewood Acres Recreation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 13 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Sherborn
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Sherborn
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Sherborn
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Sherborn
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Sherborn
King Phillip's OverlookIn Town Forest
DirectionsRocky Narrows OverlookIn Rocky Narrows
DirectionsPeaks in Sherborn
Brush Hill397 ft elevation · In Sherborn Town Forest
DirectionsPaul Hill351 ft elevation
DirectionsBare Hill344 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill292 ft elevation · In Town Forest
DirectionsMount Misery276 ft elevation · In Town Forest
DirectionsPeters Hill276 ft elevation
DirectionsNason Hill272 ft elevation
DirectionsDirty Meadow Hill246 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
23 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 26.0 miHorses · 3.3 miUnpaved · 4.6 mi
Red Trail1.6 mi
Glacial Hill Trail0.8 mi
Misery Loves Company0.7 mi
Pine Thrill0.7 mi
Blue Trail0.7 mi
Blueberry Swamp Loop0.7 mi
Orange Trail0.7 mi
Peter's Hill Path0.7 mi
Yellow Trail0.7 mi
Little Farm Pond Trail0.6 mi
13 more trails
Hidden Meadow Trail
0.5 miExtended Day
0.5 miGlacial Hill Loop
0.5 miCulmination
0.5 miDiscovery Loop
0.4 miGreen Lane Trail
0.4 miBailey Connector Trail
0.3 miCatalyst
0.2 miGateway Trail
0.2 miOrange
0.2 miBlue
0.2 miSeasonal trail
0.1 miWoodland Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
9Soccer
1Skate park
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →23 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.
Asa Sanger HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itAssingtonBuilding · listed 1986
About itBullen-Stratton-Cozzen HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itCharles D. Lewis HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itCharles Holbrook HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itClark-Northrup HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itDaniel Morse III HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itDeacon William Leland HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itEdward's Plain-Dowse's Corner Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itEleazer Goulding HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itH. G. Vaughn HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itJoseph Cleale HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About it11 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Sherborn: April 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 | 60 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Sherborn →
Next door
Sherborn and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherborn | 23% | 3.5 | 497 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Holliston | 24% | 2.6 | 120 | 98% | A+ |
| Natick | 21% | 2.0 | 44 | 97% | A+ |
| Dover | 39% | 5.1 | 530 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Medfield | 36% | 3.1 | 265 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Millis | 24% | 1.3 | 162 | 96% | A+ |
| Ashland | 17% | 3.4 | 59 | 94% | A+ |
| Framingham | 21% | 2.8 | 26 | 98% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sherborn
Where can I hike in Sherborn?
The longest trail networks: Town Forest, 12.6 miles; Rocky Narrows, 4.6 miles; Barber Reservation, 3.4 miles; Sherborn Town Forest, 3.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sherborn 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 Sherborn’s trails?
Town Forest and Rocky Narrows don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Sherborn?
0.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Sherborn?
50,136 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sherborn or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,257 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Sherborn 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 Sherborn 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 →