Squannacook River Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
370 acres2.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Bob Burkhardt · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Shirley
Shirley has 2,720 acres of parks, 390 for every 1,000 residents
28% of Shirley’s land is conserved, about 2,824 acres. 27 miles of mapped trail cross Shirley, 1.7 per square mile of land. 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #62 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
2,824 acres · of 15.8 sq mi of land
Trails
27 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,720 ac
390 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.7 mi
0.5 mi lanes
Highest peak
463 ft
Benjamin Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
What kind of outdoors town is Shirley?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Shirley have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Shirley is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #62 of 283 in Massachusetts. 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 Shirley’s overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (27 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land390 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,720 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home95% 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 78%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Shirley’s 28% is ahead of 67% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 40% 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 Squannacook River WMA, with 2.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Farandnear
Nature preserve
88 acres2.5 mi of trail
Far Boundary TrailWest Reservoir TrailRavine TrailLower Dike+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hunting Hills Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
135 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ronchetti Conservation Area
Nature preserve
90 acres2.4 mi of trail
Robbs Hill to Ronchetti
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Valley Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
198 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge
Nature preserve
237 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Mulpus Brook Wildlife Management Areas
Nature preserve
166 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Holden Road Conservation Area
Nature preserve
53 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 38 parks & preserves
Squannacook River Wildlife Management Area370 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsFarandnear88 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHunting Hills Wildlife Management Area135 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
Ronchetti Conservation Area90 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsValley Farm Wildlife Sanctuary198 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsOxbow National Wildlife Refuge237 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMulpus Brook Wildlife Management Areas166 acres · 1 mi of trail
Holden Road Conservation Area53 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsMorse Conservation Area52 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Town Line Conservation Area16 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Townsend Road Land55 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Hunting Hills Wildlife Conservation Easement31 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Shirley Conservation25 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Longley Farm Conservation Area74 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Rich Tree Farm110 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Whitley Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMulpus Brook Wildlife Management Area177 acres
Pumpkin Brook134 acres
Birchwood Hills86 acres
DirectionsBenjamin Hill Conservation Area40 acres
DirectionsNashua River Access30 acres
DirectionsHurd Property21 acres
Squannacook Conservation Area18 acres
Squannacook River Wildlife Conservation Easement18 acres
DirectionsRust Conservation Area16 acres
Dow Parcel16 acres
Thompson Conservation Area16 acres
Holdenwood Trust Cons. Area15 acres
Executive Estates Open Space14 acres
Spruce Swamp Conservation Area11 acres
DirectionsGroton Rd Land9 acres
Lyon Bird Sanctuary7 acres
Dopheide Conservation Area6 acres
Rumbo Island3 acres
Conservation Land2 acres
DirectionsHolden Trust Conservation Land1 acres
Downey Conservation Area1 acres
Mitchell Conservation Area1 acres
Who protects it
2,824 conserved acres
28% of Shirley’s land. Who manages Shirley’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city783 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits546 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service470 ac
State fish & wildlife396 ac
State natural resources211 ac
Other state land138 ac
Not recorded1,665 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,712 acConservation Easement · 1,321 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 470 acLocal Other or Unknown · 275 acForest Stewardship Easement · 138 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 735 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 135 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulpus Brook Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 689 | Open |
| Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 470 | Restricted |
| Squannacook River Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 425 | Open |
| Rich Tree Farm Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 294 | Open |
| Hunting Hills Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 137 | Open |
| Pumpkin Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 134 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 89 | Open |
| Morse Conservation Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 55 | Open |
| Town of Shirley Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 48 | Open |
| Townsend Road Land Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 43 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
10 places to go in Shirley
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Shirley
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Shirley
Benjamin Hill463 ft elevation · In Benjamin Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsChaplin Hill459 ft elevation
DirectionsHazen Hill449 ft elevation
DirectionsKezar Hill443 ft elevation · In Hurd Property
DirectionsSquannacook Hill417 ft elevation
DirectionsDeacon Hill400 ft elevation
DirectionsBrattle Hill384 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Major Hills322 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
12 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.4 miHorses · 2.4 miUnpaved · 12.5 mi
Robbs Hill to Ronchetti0.6 mi
Far Boundary Trail0.5 mi
Little Turnpike Road Historical0.4 mi
Elmwood Extension0.2 mi
Fire Road 160.2 mi
West Reservoir Trail0.2 mi
Holden Trust to Ronchetti0.1 mi
Ravine Trail0.1 mi
Lower Dike0.1 mi
Holden Trust Eastern Trail0.1 mi
2 more trails
Arbutus Path
0.1 miRobbs Hill to Ronchetti Pass North
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
5Baseball
4Basketball
4Soccer
1Tennis
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 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Shirley: 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) | 35 | 37 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Shirley →
Next door
Shirley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirley | 28% | 1.7 | 390 | 95% | A+ |
| Groton | 34% | 4.7 | 569 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Ayer | 16% | 1.8 | 62 | 94% | A+ |
| Devens | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Harvard | 31% | 3.7 | 659 | 97% | A+ |
| Lunenburg | 23% | 2.4 | 228 | 93% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Shirley
Where can I hike in Shirley?
The longest trail networks: Squannacook River Wildlife Management Area, 2.9 miles; Farandnear, 2.5 miles; Hunting Hills Wildlife Management Area, 2.4 miles; Ronchetti Conservation Area, 2.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Shirley is conserved land?
28% 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 Shirley’s trails?
Squannacook River Wildlife Management Area and Farandnear don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Shirley?
0.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Shirley?
57,455 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Shirley or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,889 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Shirley have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #62 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 Shirley 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 →