Southwick Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
251 acres4.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Southwick
14% of Southwick’s land is conserved: 2,739 acres
568 acres are parks and preserves, 62 per 1,000 residents. 33 miles of mapped trail cross Southwick, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Southwick Wildlife Management Area (4.4 mi), Sofinowski Property (2.4 mi), Whalley Park (1.4 mi).
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #255 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
2,739 acres · of 30.8 sq mi of land
Trails
33 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
568 ac
62 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
52%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.3 mi
6.3 mi paths
Highest peak
522 ft
Provin Mountain
Lakes & rivers
8
What kind of outdoors town is Southwick?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Southwick have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Southwick is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #255 of 283 in Massachusetts. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Southwick’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (33 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land62 acres of park per 1,000 residents (568 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home52% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 85%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 10%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Southwick’s 14% is ahead of 19% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 22% of them.
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 Southwick WMA, with 4.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sofinowski Property
Nature preserve
136 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
West Springfield Water Supply Land
Managed by City of West Springfield Water Department
248 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 10 parks & preserves
Southwick Wildlife Management Area251 acres · 4.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSofinowski Property136 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWhalley Park29 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Springfield Water Supply Land248 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of West Springfield Water Department
Granville Gorge6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Honey Pot Wildlife Management Area82 acres
Ferrin Heights (Russo) Cr41 acres
Rail Trail38 acres
DirectionsSouthwick Rail Trail19 acres · Southwick Park and Recreation Commission
DirectionsNew Town Beach19 acres · Town of Southwick
DirectionsWho protects it
2,739 conserved acres
14% of Southwick’s land. Who manages Southwick’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,554 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)602 ac
Town or city521 ac
Joint318 ac
State fish & wildlife248 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government100 ac
State natural resources62 ac
Agricultural Easement · 2,572 acConservation Easement · 496 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 347 acWatershed Protection Area · 296 acState Resource Management Area · 248 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,342 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 123 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwick Wildlife Management Area State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 348 | Open |
| West Springfield Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 226 | Unknown |
| Edgewood Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 172 | Restricted |
| Shaker Farms Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 149 | Restricted |
| Mort Vining Road Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 122 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 70 | Open |
| School Ball Fields Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 59 | Open |
| Rail Trail Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 50 | Open |
| Westfield Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 46 | Unknown |
| Southwick Rail Trail Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 39 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
13 places to go in Southwick
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Southwick
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Southwick
Bogg Bridge
DirectionsLadder Rock
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Southwick
Provin Mountain522 ft elevation
DirectionsMillers Hill377 ft elevation
DirectionsSouthwick Hill351 ft elevation
DirectionsRound Hill325 ft elevation
DirectionsStony Hill322 ft elevation
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Southwick
Southwick Community GardenIn Sofinowski Property
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.7 miUnpaved · 18.9 mi
NET/M&M Trail (white)2.1 mi
Trail to Quarry Rim0.1 mi
Biking & sports
6.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
16Baseball
4Soccer
2Pickleball
2Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Laflin-Phelps HomesteadBuilding · listed 2005
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Southwick: 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 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 47 | 60 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Southwick →
Next door
Southwick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwick | 14% | 1.1 | 62 | 52% | A− |
| Agawam Town | 16% | 2.1 | 52 | 90% | A+ |
| Granville | 52% | 1.1 | 574 | 25% | A |
| Westfield | 17% | 0.7 | 37 | 85% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Southwick
Where can I hike in Southwick?
The longest trail networks: Southwick Wildlife Management Area, 4.4 miles; Sofinowski Property, 2.4 miles; Whalley Park, 1.4 miles; West Springfield Water Supply Land, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Southwick is conserved land?
14% 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 Southwick’s trails?
Southwick Wildlife Management Area and Sofinowski Property don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Southwick?
6.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Southwick?
31,293 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Southwick or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 918 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Southwick have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #255 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 Southwick 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 →