Sibley Farm
Nature preserve
322 acres6.2 mi of trail
Corridor 71Beaver Meadow TrailSibley TrailMidstate Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Sibley Trail Parking
Photo: Pmeleski at English Wikipedia · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Spencer
29% of Spencer’s land is conserved: 5,997 acres
2,020 acres are parks and preserves, 168 per 1,000 residents. 48 miles of mapped trail cross Spencer, 1.4 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Sibley Farm (6.2 mi), Buck Hill Conservation Area (3.8 mi), Burncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary (3.3 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #131 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
29%
5,997 acres · of 32.9 sq mi of land
Trails
48 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,020 ac
168 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.4 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 3.2 mi paths
Highest peak
1,086 ft
Moose Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Spencer?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Spencer have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Spencer is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #131 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 Spencer’s overall grade.
Conserved land29% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (48 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land168 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,020 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home85% 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 97%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 54%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Spencer’s 29% is ahead of 69% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 30% 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 Sibley Farm, with 6.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Buck Hill Conservation Area
Park
290 acres3.8 mi of trail
Midstate TrailCorridor 71
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Burncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
235 acres3.3 mi of trail
Midstate TrailFlat Rock TrailLaurel Loop TrailBoulder Overlook Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Morgan Swamp
Nature preserve
216 acres2.4 mi of trail
Corridor 71Morgan Swamp TrailRichland Ave EntranceMidstate Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Moose Hill Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
201 acres1.9 mi of trail
Midstate Trail/Corridor 71Midstate TrailCorridor 71
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Four Chimneys Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
213 acres0.6 mi of trail
Midstate Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Four Chimneys Parking
Moose Hill Flood Control Site
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
37 acres0.6 mi of trail
Midstate Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
O'Gara Park
Park
10 acres0.5 mi of trail
Depot Trail Entrance
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 22 parks & preserves
Sibley Farm322 acres · 6.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBuck Hill Conservation Area290 acres · 3.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBurncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary235 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMorgan Swamp216 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
Moose Hill Wildlife Management Area201 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
DirectionsFour Chimneys Wildlife Management Area213 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMoose Hill Flood Control Site37 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsO'Gara Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSevenmile River Access74 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTurkey Hill Brook Park18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Luther Hill Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLake Street Elementary School (defunct)24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWire Village Ball Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsConservation Commission Land4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Railroad Park41 acres
Derby Farm Woods36 acres
DirectionsPowder Mill Park4 acres
DirectionsBurncoat Pond Conservation Area3 acres
Saint Joseph's Abbey3 acres
Ralph Warren Park2 acres
Bemis Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsProuty Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
5,997 conserved acres
29% of Spencer’s land. Who manages Spencer’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,299 ac
Town or city635 ac
State parks372 ac
Joint323 ac
State conservation237 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits139 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)77 ac
Private Conservation · 2,116 acAgricultural Easement · 1,458 acState Resource Management Area · 1,367 acConservation Easement · 1,050 acState Conservation Area · 409 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,493 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 105 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Jospeh's Abbey Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,529 | Restricted |
| Spencer State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,293 | Open |
| Camp Marshall Private Conservation | Not recorded | 259 | Restricted |
| Four Chimneys Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 213 | Open |
| St. Joseph's Abbey Private Conservation | Not recorded | 201 | Restricted |
| Moose Hill Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 195 | Open |
| Camp Laurelwood Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 187 | Restricted |
| Burncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 110 | Unknown |
| Treasure Valley Boy Scout Camp Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 99 | Restricted |
| Kittredge Flood Control Site State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 94 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
23 places to go in Spencer
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Spencer
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Spencer
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Spencer
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Spencer
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Spencer
Moose Hill1,086 ft elevation · In Moose Hill Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsLong Hill1,076 ft elevation · In Four Chimneys Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsBurncoat Hill1,073 ft elevation · In Sibley Farm
DirectionsProuty Hill1,073 ft elevation
DirectionsFlat Hill1,063 ft elevation
DirectionsGately Hill1,024 ft elevation
DirectionsLuther Hill1,001 ft elevation · In Lake Street Elementary School (defunct)
DirectionsBuck Hill994 ft elevation · In Buck Hill Conservation Area
Directions3 more peaks
Casey Hill994 ft elevation
DirectionsBare Hill879 ft elevation
DirectionsBemis Hill827 ft elevation · In Sevenmile River Access
DirectionsPicnic areas in Spencer
Howe State Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Spencer
Camp Laurelwood
DirectionsSibley Farm Tent PitchesIn Sibley Farm
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 26.3 mi
Corridor 7113.3 mi
Midstate Trail9.1 mi
Midstate Trail/Corridor 711.7 mi
Corridor 71A1.2 mi
Beaver Meadow Trail1.0 mi
Sibley Trail1.0 mi
Old Corridor 710.8 mi
Lower Trail0.7 mi
Small Family Riverside Memorial Trail0.7 mi
Flat Rock Trail0.7 mi
15 more trails
Morgan Swamp Trail
0.5 miLaurel Loop Trail
0.4 miOld Corridor 71A
0.4 miBoulder Overlook Trail
0.4 miWhite Oak Trail
0.4 miOrange Blazed Trail
0.3 miKalmia Loop Trail
0.3 miClosed Trail
0.3 miPipeline Trail
0.3 miBluebird Trail
0.3 miBobolink Trail
0.3 miSlope Trail (green blaze)
0.2 miTent Pitch Trail
0.2 miDepot Trail Entrance
0.2 miRichland Ave Entrance
0.2 miBiking & sports
3.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
12Baseball
6Tennis
3Pickleball
3Soccer
2Basketball
1Softball
1Skate park
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Spencer Town Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itGrove Street SchoolBuilding · listed 1996
About itPleasant Street SchoolBuilding · listed 1996
About itEast Main Street-Cherry Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1996
About itEast Main-Cherry Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Spencer: 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 68 | 75 | 80 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Spencer →
Next door
Spencer and its neighbors
Spencer has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Spencer
Where can I hike in Spencer?
The longest trail networks: Sibley Farm, 6.2 miles; Buck Hill Conservation Area, 3.8 miles; Burncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, 3.3 miles; Morgan Swamp, 2.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Spencer is conserved land?
29% 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 Spencer’s trails?
Sibley Farm and Buck Hill Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Spencer?
3.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes and 3.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Spencer?
36,671 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Spencer or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,052 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Spencer have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #131 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 Spencer 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 →