Sudbury Reservoir Watershed
Managed by MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
2,116 acres13.4 mi of trail
Sudbury Reservoir TrailBay Circuit TrailWalnut Hill TrailHultman Aqueduct Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Template:Sfoskett~commonswiki · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Southborough
35% of Southborough’s land is conserved: 3,105 acres
32 miles of mapped trail cross Southborough, 2.3 per square mile of land. 754 acres are parks and preserves, 72 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Sudbury Reservoir Watershed (13.4 mi), Breakneck Hill Conservation Area (3.3 mi), Chestnut Hill Farm (3 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #154 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
35%
3,105 acres · of 14.0 sq mi of land
Trails
32 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
754 ac
72 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
74%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.7 mi
0.1 mi lanes
Highest peak
459 ft
Fairview Hill
Lakes & rivers
5
What kind of outdoors town is Southborough?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Southborough have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Southborough is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #154 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Southborough’s overall grade.
Conserved land35% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (32 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land72 acres of park per 1,000 residents (754 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home74% 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 96%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 46%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Southborough’s 35% is ahead of 81% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 60% of them.
Water is 10% of Southborough’s area (2 of 16 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 31%.
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 Sudbury Reservoir Watershed, with 13.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Breakneck Hill Conservation Area
Nature preserve
88 acres3.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Chestnut Hill Farm
Nature preserve
172 acres3 mi of trail
Oak TrailBeals LoopBobolink TrailMeadow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Beals Preserve
Managed by Southborough Open Land Foundation
58 acres1.7 mi of trail
Hickory TrailRiding Ring TrailMeadow TrailRiding Ring+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Beals Parking Area
Southboro Town Forest
Nature preserve
43 acres1.7 mi of trail
Bay PathSassafeasPathRocky Narrow
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Turenne Wildlife Habitat
Nature preserve
19 acres0.7 mi of trail
Wildlife Planting Area
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Watkins Woods
Managed by Town of Southborough
10 acres0.3 mi of trail
Loop TrailBoardwalk Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Templeman Woods
Managed by Southborough Open Land Foundation
8 acres0.3 mi of trail
Glacial Erratic TrailBoardwalk Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 33 parks & preserves
Sudbury Reservoir Watershed2,116 acres · 13.4 mi of trail · MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsBreakneck Hill Conservation Area88 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
DirectionsChestnut Hill Farm172 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsBeals Preserve58 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Southborough Open Land Foundation
DirectionsSouthboro Town Forest43 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsTurenne Wildlife Habitat19 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsWatkins Woods10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Southborough
DirectionsTempleman Woods8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Southborough Open Land Foundation
DirectionsKallander Woods North7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · SOLF
Libery Conservation Area16 acres
Bigelow Wildlife Refuge16 acres · Southborough Open Land Foundation
Big Oak Woods16 acres · Southborough Open Land Foundation
Wolf Pen Pasture15 acres · Southborough Open Land Foundation
Eastbrook Farmlands15 acres
Town Forest14 acres
DirectionsSears Reserve14 acres · Southborough Open Land Foundation
Kallander Woods South12 acres · Southborough Open Land Foundation
Clear Hill Hollow10 acres
George Mooney Park9 acres
Barn Hollow Conservation Area7 acres
134 Turnpike Road7 acres
Windmere Drive4 acres
Willman Wetlands4 acres
Reservoir Drive Conservation Area4 acres
White Property4 acres
River Reserve4 acres · SOLF
Barber Pasture4 acres · SOLF
Triangle Meadow3 acres · Sudbury Valley Trustees
DirectionsKallander Field3 acres
Nipmuc Woods2 acres · Southborough Open Land Foundation
Callahan State Park1 acres
Lambert Corner1 acres
Clark Grove1 acres · SOLF
Who protects it
3,105 conserved acres
35% of Southborough’s land. Water is left out: Southborough has 14.0 square miles of land and 1.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Southborough’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation1,123 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits523 ac
Town or city260 ac
Not recorded1,703 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 2,052 acConservation Easement · 510 acPrivate Conservation · 227 acUnknown Easement · 172 acState Conservation Area · 164 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 363 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 80 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sudbury Reservoir Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 1,265 | Open |
| Sudbury Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | State conservation | 940 | Closed |
| Crane Swamp State Conservation Area | State conservation | 153 | Open |
| M A Neary Elem School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 83 | Open |
| Southborough Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 58 | Open |
| Beals Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 55 | Open |
| Wachusett Aqueduct State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 30 | Open |
| Chestnut Hill Road Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 23 | Open |
| Southborough Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 22 | Open |
| Kallander Woods Conservation Area Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 18 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
20 places to go in Southborough
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Southborough
Fayville Playground
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Southborough
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Southborough
Fairview Hill459 ft elevation
DirectionsWalnut Hill443 ft elevation · In Sudbury Reservoir Watershed
DirectionsClear Hill433 ft elevation
DirectionsOak Hill427 ft elevation
DirectionsWolfpen Hill407 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill305 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Vickery272 ft elevation
DirectionsLamb Hill223 ft elevation
Directions1 more peak
Pine HillIn Sudbury Reservoir Watershed
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Southborough
Community Garden SouthboroughIn Breakneck Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.1 miUnpaved · 8.9 mi
Sudbury Reservoir Trail2.2 mi
Bay Circuit Trail1.8 mi
Boroughs Loop Trail1.0 mi
Walnut Hill Trail0.7 mi
Hultman Aqueduct Trail0.6 mi
Meadow Trail0.5 mi
Bay Path0.5 mi
Oak Trail0.5 mi
Beals Loop0.5 mi
Bobolink Trail0.4 mi
15 more trails
Hickory Trail
0.3 miSassafeasPath
0.3 miLoop Trail
0.3 miRiding Ring Trail
0.2 miSudburdy Reservoir Trail
0.2 miKallander Woods Trail
0.2 miRiding Ring
0.2 miBoardwalk Trail
0.2 miGlacial Erratic Trail
0.1 miOverlook Trail
0.1 miLone Wolf Trail
0.1 miMaple Trail
0.1 miPitch Pine Trail
0.1 miRocky Narrow
0.1 miParking Area Trail
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.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
24Tennis
15Soccer
11Baseball
4Lacrosse
3Basketball
2Field hockey
1Softball
1Football
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 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Southborough: 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 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 39 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
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 Southborough →
Next door
Southborough and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hopkinton104 miFramingham71 miMarlborough58 miAshland42 miWestborough41 miSouthborough32 miCordaville0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southborough | 35% | 2.3 | 72 | 74% | A+ |
| Cordaville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hopkinton | 23% | 4.0 | 158 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Ashland | 17% | 3.4 | 59 | 94% | A+ |
| Marlborough | 19% | 2.8 | 35 | 95% | A+ |
| Westborough | 22% | 2.0 | 113 | 82% | 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 Southborough
Where can I hike in Southborough?
The longest trail networks: Sudbury Reservoir Watershed, 13.4 miles; Breakneck Hill Conservation Area, 3.3 miles; Chestnut Hill Farm, 3 miles; Beals Preserve, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Southborough is conserved land?
35% 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 Southborough’s trails?
Sudbury Reservoir Watershed and Breakneck Hill Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Southborough?
0.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Southborough?
43,396 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Southborough or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,038 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Southborough have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #154 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 Southborough 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 →