Stow Town Forest
Nature preserve
376 acres9.8 mi of trail
BlueRedWhiteAT&T Easement+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Tim Pierce · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Stow
Stow has 72 miles of mapped trails, 4.2 for every square mile of land
32% of Stow’s land is conserved, about 3,571 acres. 1,729 acres are parks and preserves, 241 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Stow Town Forest (9.8 mi), Flagg Hill (4.9 mi), Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge (4.4 mi).
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #76 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
32%
3,571 acres · of 17.3 sq mi of land
Trails
72 mi
4.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,729 ac
241 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.1 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 0.1 mi paths
Highest peak
417 ft
Stevens Hill
Lakes & rivers
8
1 beach · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Stow?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town4.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild32% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Room to roam241 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way5 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Stow have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Stow is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #76 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Stow’s overall grade.
Conserved land32% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails4.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (72 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land241 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,729 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 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 73%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Stow’s 32% is ahead of 77% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 91% of them.
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 Stow Town Forest, with 9.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Flagg Hill
Nature preserve
290 acres4.9 mi of trail
whiteYellowGreenRed+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
992 acres4.4 mi of trail
Towhee TrailPetapawag TrailTebassa Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto North Gate Parking
Marble Hill Conservation Area
Nature preserve
245 acres4.2 mi of trail
WhiteYellowRedBlue+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Captain Sargent Farm Conservation Area
Nature preserve
115 acres2.6 mi of trail
Light BlueRedGreenYellow+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Red Acre Woodlands
Nature preserve
164 acres2.3 mi of trail
WhiteBeech Loop (Yellow)South Loop (Lavender)AT&T ROW+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Delaney Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
167 acres2.1 mi of trail
Primary Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
109 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 34 parks & preserves
Stow Town Forest376 acres · 9.8 mi of trail
DirectionsFlagg Hill290 acres · 4.9 mi of trail
DirectionsAssabet River National Wildlife Refuge992 acres · 4.4 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsMarble Hill Conservation Area245 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCaptain Sargent Farm Conservation Area115 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRed Acre Woodlands164 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDelaney Wildlife Management Area167 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMarlborough-Sudbury State Forest109 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsHeath Hen Meadow Brook51 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLeggett35 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFieldstone54 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsRising/Cohen33 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsKalousdian Wildlife Sanctuary20 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsShepherd Memorial Woodlands28 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHale24 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Corzine (S)22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBabricki Land36 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsDeerfield OS13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Center Park9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTuttle Lane Conservation Area42 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSpindle Hill14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAnnie Moore Land27 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSureau18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Corzine (N)10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Stow Memorial Athletic Field5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKingland Lots A & B1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Kane Land28 acres
Red Acre Woodlands North26 acres
Nyhan Land26 acres
Herene Reservation14 acres
Bolton Land9 acres
Carriage Lane Land7 acres
DirectionsSusan Lawerence Land3 acres
DirectionsPine Point Lot1 acres
Who protects it
3,571 conserved acres
32% of Stow’s land. Who manages Stow’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service2,225 ac
Town or city990 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits718 ac
Other state land160 ac
State parks133 ac
Private owners96 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)48 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 2,225 acConservation Easement · 969 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 657 acLocal Other or Unknown · 337 acAgricultural Easement · 259 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 926 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 9 of 112 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 2,225 | Restricted |
| Stow Acres Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 326 | Restricted |
| Red Acre Farm Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 196 | Open |
| Delaney Flood Control Site State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 165 | Open |
| Wedgewood Pines Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 149 | Open |
| Marlborough Sudbury State Forest State Resource Management Area | State parks | 133 | Open |
| Stowaway Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 105 | Open |
| Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 96 | Open |
| Butternut Farm Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 76 | Restricted |
| Heath Hen Meadow Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 51 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
26 places to go in Stow
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Stow
Stow Town Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Stow
Pine Bluff Playground
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Stow
Lake Boon
DirectionsWhite Pond Road Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Stow
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Stow
Stevens Hill417 ft elevation
DirectionsMarble Hill413 ft elevation · In Marble Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsSpindle Hill404 ft elevation · In Spindle Hill
DirectionsBirch Hill397 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill354 ft elevation
DirectionsWarren Hill341 ft elevation
DirectionsPilot Grove Hill338 ft elevation
DirectionsLambert Hill305 ft elevation
Directions3 more peaks
Orchard Hill305 ft elevation
DirectionsHoneypot Hill285 ft elevation
DirectionsBoons Hill266 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Stow
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Stow
Stow Community GardenIn Captain Sargent Farm Conservation Area
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 18.7 miHorses · 12.3 miUnpaved · 42.7 mi
White4.2 mi
Blue3.7 mi
Red3.5 mi
Yellow3.4 mi
Green1.8 mi
white0.9 mi
Light Blue0.8 mi
blue0.8 mi
Towhee Trail0.7 mi
Petapawag Trail0.7 mi
15 more trails
AT&T Easement
0.7 miDerby Woods Trail
0.6 miViolet
0.6 miPrimary Trail
0.6 milight green
0.6 mipurple
0.5 miBeech Loop (Yellow)
0.4 miSouth Loop (Lavender)
0.4 miorange
0.4 miPurple
0.2 mipink
0.2 miEsker Loop (Lavender)
0.1 miAT&T ROW
0.1 miTebassa Trail
0.1 miOrange
0.1 miBiking & sports
1.1 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
0.1 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Assabet River Rail TrailBike route
0.7 miCourts & fields
6Soccer
6Basketball
6Pickleball
5Baseball
4Tennis
1Beach volleyball
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 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Stow: 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 | 38 | 46 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Stow →
Next door
Stow and its neighbors
Stow has the most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stow | 32% | 4.2 | 241 | 85% | A+ |
| Hudson | 14% | 1.9 | 24 | 95% | A |
| Maynard | 39% | 3.5 | 19 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Boxborough | 18% | 3.3 | 275 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Acton | 23% | 3.1 | 86 | 99% | A+ |
| Sudbury | 29% | 2.4 | 126 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Stow
Where can I hike in Stow?
The longest trail networks: Stow Town Forest, 9.8 miles; Flagg Hill, 4.9 miles; Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, 4.4 miles; Marble Hill Conservation Area, 4.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Stow is conserved land?
32% 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 Stow’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Stow Town Forest. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Stow?
1.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes, 0.1 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Assabet River Rail Trail.
Is there public land near Stow?
52,016 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Stow or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,186 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Stow have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #76 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 Stow 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 →