Mystic River Reservation
Nature preserve
16 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: 4300streetcar · CC BY 4.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Somerville
5% of Somerville’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. 145 acres are parks and preserves, 1.8 per 1,000 residents. 5% of Somerville’s land is conserved, about 143 acres.
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns · #280 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
143 acres · of 4.1 sq mi of land
Trails
1.9 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
145 ac
1.8 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
39 mi
19 mi lanes · 13 mi paths
Highest peak
135 ft
Winter Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Somerville?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Somerville have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Somerville is ahead of 64% of U.S. towns, #280 of 283 in Massachusetts. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Somerville’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (2 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4BPark land1.8 acres of park per 1,000 residents (145 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13C−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)Ahead of 64%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)#280 of 283
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Somerville’s 5% is ahead of 1% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 6% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− 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 Mystic River Reservation, with 0.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Draw Seven State Park
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
9 acres
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Draw Seven Parking LotWebsite ↗
Sylvester Baxter Riverfront Park
Managed by DCR
6 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 22 parks & preserves
Sylvester Baxter Riverfront Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · DCR
DirectionsMystic River Reservation16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPerry Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSomerville Junction Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFoss Park13 acres
DirectionsDraw Seven State Park9 acres · Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsLincoln Park5 acres
DirectionsTrum Field5 acres
DirectionsCommunity Path4 acres
DirectionsPowder House Park4 acres
DirectionsWest Conway Park3 acres
DirectionsEast Conway Park3 acres
DirectionsCentral Hill Memorial Park3 acres
DirectionsGlen Park2 acres
DirectionsProspect Hill Park2 acres
DirectionsHodgkins-Curtin Park2 acres
DirectionsSomerville Community Path1 acres
DirectionsNunziato Field1 acres
DirectionsAlbion Park1 acres
Morse-Kelley Playground1 acres
Corbett-McKenna Park1 acres
DirectionsSeven Hills Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
143 conserved acres
5% of Somerville’s land. Who manages Somerville’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city66 ac
State parks16 ac
Not recorded77 ac
State Park · 61 acLocal Park · 59 acState Resource Management Area · 16 acLocal Recreation Area · 9 acState Other or Unknown · 6 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 34 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mystic River Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| Alewife Brook Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 29 | Open |
| Foss Park State Resource Management Area | State parks | 14 | Open |
| Draw 7 Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Dilboy Memorial Stadium Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Dilboy Pools & Bath House Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Sylvester Baxter Riverfront Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Lincoln Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Trum Field Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Community Path Extension State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
73 places to go in Somerville
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Somerville
Dilboy Pool
DirectionsGinny Smithers Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Somerville
Capuano PlaygroundIn Glen Park
DirectionsCentral Hill Playground
DirectionsDeanna Cremin Playground
DirectionsDickerman Playground
DirectionsHealy Community Tot Lot
DirectionsLexington Playground
DirectionsMarshall Street Playground
DirectionsNorth Street Veterans Playground
Directions4 more playgrounds
Palmacci Playground
DirectionsTot Lot
DirectionsTrum Playground
DirectionsWoodstock Street Playground
Directions51 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Somerville
Lincoln Park Off-Leash AreaIn Lincoln Park
DirectionsNunziato Field Dog ParkHours: Open 24 hours · In Nunziato Field
DirectionsZero New Washington St Dog ParkHours: 08:00-22:00
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Somerville
Blessing of the Bay Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Somerville
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Somerville
Winter Hill135 ft elevation
DirectionsSpring Hill131 ft elevation
DirectionsSpring Hill128 ft elevation · In Bailey Park
DirectionsCentral Hill125 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill95 ft elevation
DirectionsClarendon Hill79 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Benedict (historic)59 ft elevation
DirectionsPowder House Hill52 ft elevation · In Powder House Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Somerville
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Somerville
Bikeway Community GardenIn Community Path · Somerville Conservation Commission
DirectionsConcord Ave Community Space
DirectionsNative Pollinator GardenIn Community Path · Somerville Garden Club
DirectionsTrails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
39 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
19 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
13 mi
off-road bike paths
7.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
31Basketball
15Pickleball
12Baseball
10Soccer
8Tennis
4Beach volleyball
3Football
2Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →88 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 19 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Powder House ParkDistrict · listed 1975
About itBow Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1976
About itChester Kingsley HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itLawrence Soule HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itCarr, Martin W., SchoolBuilding · listed 1984
About itUS Post Office-Somerville MainBuilding · listed 1986
About itUS Post Office-Salem MainBuilding · listed 1986
About itUS Post Office-Newburyport MainBuilding · listed 1986
About itFrancis B. Austin HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itA. L. Lovejoy HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itAdams-Magoun HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itAdams, Charles-Woodbury Locke HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About it76 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Somerville: 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) | 37 | 39 | 46 | 57 | 67 | 77 | 82 | 81 | 73 | 62 | 51 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Somerville →
Next door
Somerville and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Somerville
Where can I hike in Somerville?
The longest trail networks: Mystic River Reservation, 0.1 miles; Sylvester Baxter Riverfront Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Somerville is conserved land?
5% 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 Somerville’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Draw Seven State Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Somerville?
39 miles of bike routes are on the map: 19 of painted or protected lanes, 13 of off-road paths and 7.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Somerville?
30,490 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Somerville or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 153 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Somerville have?
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #280 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 Somerville 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 →