Middlesex Fells Reservation
Nature preserve
1,384 acres31.4 mi of trail
Crystal Spring TrailReservoir TrailWhip Hill PathRock Circuit Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Sheepfold parking
Warren Sweetser House · Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Stoneham
33% of Stoneham’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. 39 miles of mapped trail cross Stoneham, 6.5 per square mile of land. 33% of Stoneham’s land is conserved, about 1,290 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #27 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
33%
1,290 acres · of 6.0 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
6.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,022 ac
44 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.0 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 1.4 mi paths
Highest peak
302 ft
Cairn Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
What kind of outdoors town is Stoneham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild33% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town6.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way64 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Stoneham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Stoneham is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #27 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Stoneham’s overall grade.
Conserved land33% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails6.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land44 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,022 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−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)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 91%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Stoneham’s 33% is ahead of 79% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 100% of them.
Water is 9% of Stoneham’s area (1 of 7 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 30%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Middlesex Fells Reservation, with 31.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Whip Hill Park
Park
26 acres1.7 mi of trail
blue trailyellow trailorange trailgreen trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Town Conservation Land
Nature preserve
14 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Joseph C. Cerrone Memorial Park
Park
8 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 11 parks & preserves
Middlesex Fells Reservation1,384 acres · 31.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWhip Hill Park26 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Conservation Land14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Pomeworth Field7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJoseph C. Cerrone Memorial Park8 acres
Recreation Park8 acres
DirectionsEast School Park3 acres
Conservation Land/Meadow Road3 acres
Greenwood Park3 acres
DirectionsStoneham Common1 acres
DirectionsA.P. Rounds Playground1 acres
Who protects it
1,290 conserved acres
33% of Stoneham’s land. Water is left out: Stoneham has 6.0 square miles of land and 0.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Stoneham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land246 ac
State parks15 ac
Town or city1 ac
Not recorded1,150 ac
State Park · 809 acLocal Other or Unknown · 154 acWatershed Protection Area · 143 acConservation Easement · 124 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 54 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 41 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex Fells Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 931 | Open |
| Unicorn Golf Course Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 76 | Open |
| Bear Hill Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 54 | Open |
| Stoneham Senior High School Athletic Fields Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 37 | Open |
| Lindenwood Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| Whip Hill Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 25 | Open |
| Saint Patricks Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
| Stone Zoo State Resource Management Area | State parks | 15 | Open |
| Stoneham Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 13 | Unknown |
| Spring Street Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
43 places to go in Stoneham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Stoneham
Hall Memorial Swimming PoolIn Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Stoneham
Steele Playground
DirectionsPlus 16 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Stoneham
SheepfoldIn Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsScenic views in Stoneham
6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Stoneham
Cairn Hill302 ft elevation · In Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsBear Hill299 ft elevation · In Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsWinthrop Hill276 ft elevation · In Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsTaylor Mountain266 ft elevation · In Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsWhip Hill259 ft elevation · In Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsCarters Hill233 ft elevation
DirectionsGreenwood Hill226 ft elevation
DirectionsWanapanaquin Hill220 ft elevation · In Middlesex Fells Reservation
Directions3 more peaks
Farm Hill213 ft elevation
DirectionsWamoset Hill203 ft elevation · In Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsDeer HillIn Middlesex Fells Reservation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Stoneham
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Stoneham
2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
20 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 11.7 miUnpaved · 17.2 mi
Crystal Spring Trail2.1 mi
Reservoir Trail1.1 mi
Whip Hill Path0.9 mi
Rock Circuit Trail0.8 mi
Unofficial Trail0.6 mi
Sheepfold Path0.4 mi
Crystal Spring Path0.4 mi
Willow Spring Path0.3 mi
blue trail0.3 mi
yellow trail0.3 mi
10 more trails
Cross Fells Trail
0.2 miCross Path
0.2 miSaddleback Path
0.2 miorange trail
0.2 miPickerel Path
0.2 miPine Grove Path
0.1 migreen trail
0.1 miSaddleback Path / Crystal Spring Trail
0.1 miBear Hill Trail
0.1 miWyoming Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Mountain Bike LoopBike route
1.8 miCourts & fields
11Baseball
8Tennis
6Soccer
5Basketball
1Skate park
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →64 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
AlmshouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itAmasa Farrier HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itBenjamin Hibbard ResidenceBuilding · listed 1984
About itBernard Cogan HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itBlake Daniels CottageBuilding · listed 1984
About itBoston and Maine Railroad DepotBuilding · listed 1984
About itC.H. Brown CottageBuilding · listed 1984
About itCaleb Wiley HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itCharles Buck HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itCharles Gill HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itCharles Wood HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itClara Buswell HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About it52 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Stoneham: 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) | 36 | 39 | 46 | 58 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Stoneham →
Next door
Stoneham and its neighbors
Stoneham has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stoneham | 33% | 6.5 | 44 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Wakefield | 13% | 1.5 | 15 | 99%+ | A |
| Woburn | 11% | 1.9 | 18 | 99%+ | A |
| Medford | 30% | 5.5 | 24 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Melrose | 26% | 3.9 | 24 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Winchester | 20% | 3.5 | 22 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Reading | 17% | 1.8 | 53 | 96% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Stoneham
Where can I hike in Stoneham?
The longest trail networks: Middlesex Fells Reservation, 31.4 miles; Whip Hill Park, 1.7 miles; Town Conservation Land, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Stoneham is conserved land?
33% 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 Stoneham’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Middlesex Fells Reservation (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Stoneham?
2.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 1.4 of off-road paths. Named routes: Mountain Bike Loop.
Is there public land near Stoneham?
30,928 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Stoneham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,038 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Stoneham have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #27 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 Stoneham 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 →