Old County Road Conservation Area
Nature preserve
122 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in South Ashburnham
22% of South Ashburnham’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. 22% of South Ashburnham’s land is conserved, about 415 acres. 261 acres are parks and preserves, 174 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
22%
415 acres · of 3.0 sq mi of land
Trails
1.7 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
261 ac
174 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
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 Old County Road Conservation Area, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
High Ridge Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
84 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
56 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hagar Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
48 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 8 parks & preserves
Old County Road Conservation Area122 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Sweeney Memorial Playground1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHigh Ridge Wildlife Management Area84 acres
Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary56 acres
Hagar Conservation Restriction48 acres
Ashburnham State Forest8 acres
Ashburnham Wildlife Management Area4 acres
Hartshorn - Eaton Hill Lot Conservation Restriction1 acres
Who protects it
415 conserved acres
22% of South Ashburnham’s land. Who manages South Ashburnham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits374 ac
Other state land63 ac
State fish & wildlife53 ac
Town or city7 ac
State natural resources4 ac
State parks1 ac
Not recorded150 ac
Conservation Easement · 208 acState Conservation Area · 125 acPrivate Conservation · 122 acUnknown Easement · 105 acAgricultural Easement · 63 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 193 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 19 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Ridge Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 79 | Restricted |
| Lake Wampanoag Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 71 | Closed |
| Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 51 | Open |
| Ashburnham Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 46 | Open |
| Town of Ashburnham Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 16 | Unknown |
| Whitney Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Ashburnham State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 6 | Open |
Things to do
3 places to go in South Ashburnham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in South Ashburnham
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
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
3Basketball
1Softball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in South Ashburnham: 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 | 35 | 43 | 56 | 67 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 59 | 47 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in South Ashburnham →
Next door
South Ashburnham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Ashburnham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ashburnham | 33% | 0.9 | 361 | 65% | A |
| Gardner | 33% | 1.2 | 164 | 91% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in South Ashburnham
Where can I hike in South Ashburnham?
The longest trail networks: Old County Road Conservation Area, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on South Ashburnham’s trails?
Old County Road Conservation Area and High Ridge Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near South Ashburnham?
47,201 acres of parks and open public land lie inside South Ashburnham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 274 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from South Ashburnham 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 →