Nobscot Scout Reservation
Managed by Boy Scouts
344 acres9.7 mi of trail
Bay Circuit TrailNixon TrailMonson TrailBay Circut Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Sudbury
Sudbury has 57 miles of mapped trails, 2.4 for every square mile of land
29% of Sudbury’s land is conserved, about 4,512 acres. Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 2,429 acres are parks and preserves, 126 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #31 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
29%
4,512 acres · of 24.3 sq mi of land
Trails
57 mi
2.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,429 ac
126 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.3 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 8.9 mi paths
Highest peak
410 ft
Tippling Rock
Lakes & rivers
22
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Sudbury?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sudbury have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sudbury is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #31 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Sudbury near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Sudbury’s overall grade.
Conserved land29% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (57 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land126 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,429 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks 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 89%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Sudbury’s 29% is ahead of 70% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 62% 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 Nobscot Scout Reservation, with 9.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
479 acres4.7 mi of trail
Fisher TrailTri-Town TrailHill TrailSweet Fern Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Hudson Road Parking
Memorial Forest
Managed by Sudbury Valley Trustees
215 acres3.4 mi of trail
Desert Loop TrailPlymton TrailPipeline PassDesert Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Sudbury Water District
Managed by Town of Sudbury
221 acres3.3 mi of trail
Kettle Rim TrailBrookside TrailEsker Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Davis Farm Conservation Land
Managed by Town of Sudbury
89 acres3.1 mi of trail
Hilltop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hopbrook Marsh Conservation Land
Nature preserve
97 acres2.5 mi of trail
Old Pine TrailPitch Pine TrailMarsh to Desert TrailBlueberry Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Piper Farm Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Sudbury
110 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Nobscot Reservation
Managed by Town of Sudbury Conservation Commission
110 acres1.4 mi of trail
Bay Circuit TrailFord's Folly Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 66 parks & preserves
Nobscot Scout Reservation344 acres · 9.7 mi of trail · Boy Scouts
DirectionsAssabet River National Wildlife Refuge479 acres · 4.7 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsMemorial Forest215 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · Sudbury Valley Trustees
DirectionsSudbury Water District221 acres · 3.3 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
DirectionsDavis Farm Conservation Land89 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
DirectionsHopbrook Marsh Conservation Land97 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPiper Farm Conservation Area110 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
DirectionsNobscot Reservation110 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury Conservation Commission
DirectionsGreat Meadows National Wildlife Refuge934 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsGFWCM Memorial Forest61 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · General Federation of Women's Clubs of Massachusetts
DirectionsLyons-Cutler Reservation76 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Gray Conservation Land49 acres · 1 mi of trail · Sudbury Valley Trustees
DirectionsRaymond Reservation109 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
The Wayside Inn107 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · The Wayside Inn Foundation
DirectionsKing Philip Woods Conservation Land82 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
DirectionsWolbach Farm54 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsRound Hill39 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMarlborough-Sudbury State Forest242 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLeon Parcel32 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHaynes Meadow25 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
DirectionsBroadacres Farm Conservation Land20 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPantry Brook Wildlife Management Area400 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsBrues Woods34 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLincoln Meadows73 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury Conservation Commission
DirectionsBarton Farm Consevation Land15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
DirectionsFrost Farm60 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
DirectionsHeritage Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFeatherland Park42 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
DirectionsMahoney Farm12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Sudbury
DirectionsParkinson Parcel11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHaynes Garrison Site4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWake Robin Conservation Area48 acres
DirectionsMineway Brook Corridor44 acres
Carding Mill Pond41 acres
Landham Brook Marsh Conservation Area33 acres
DirectionsFay Gift32 acres · Sudbury Valley Trustees
Wash Brook Parcel28 acres
DirectionsHaskell Field27 acres
DirectionsNewfell Parcel21 acres · Town of Sudbury Conservation Commission
Maple Meadows20 acres
DirectionsFeeley Field19 acres
DirectionsAtkinson Parcel15 acres
DirectionsSexton Street Parcels14 acres
Moran Circle12 acres
Grist Mill Pond Area11 acres · Sudbury Valley Trustees
Thorp Sanctuary11 acres
DirectionsMellone Parcel9 acres
Waite Parcel8 acres · Town of Sudbury
Cutler Gift7 acres
DirectionsNewell Gift7 acres
Kato Drive Conservation Area6 acres · Town of Sudbury Conservation Commission
Goff Gift5 acres
Second Division Brook3 acres
Neelon Gift3 acres
Taft Parcel3 acres
DirectionsEisner Parcel3 acres · Town of Sudbury
Crystal Lake Parcels3 acres
Forest Street Parcel3 acres
Morse Road Conservation Area2 acres
Albee Gift2 acres
Nobscot Road Parcel2 acres
DirectionsAlbee Gift Ii2 acres
Hunt Road Conservation Area2 acres · Town of Sudbury Conservation Commission
Flintlock Lane Conservation Area1 acres · Town of Sudbury Conservation Commission
Morse Road Parcel1 acres
Mollen Conservation Restriction1 acres · Town of Sudbury Conservation Commission
Who protects it
4,512 conserved acres
29% of Sudbury’s land. Who manages Sudbury’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service2,820 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits925 ac
Town or city886 ac
Other state land424 ac
State fish & wildlife375 ac
Joint266 ac
State parks239 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 2,820 acConservation Easement · 1,130 acLocal Other or Unknown · 525 acAgricultural Easement · 508 acState Resource Management Area · 477 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,018 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 27 of 215 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 1,874 | Restricted |
| Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 947 | Restricted |
| Pantry Brook Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 407 | Restricted |
| Marlborough Sudbury State Forest State Resource Management Area | State parks | 239 | Open |
| Marlborough-Sudbury State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 239 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 225 | Open |
| Town of Sudbury Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 166 | Open |
| Water District Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 101 | Unknown |
| Wayside Inn Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 100 | Restricted |
| Hopbrook Marsh Conservation Land Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 96 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Sudbury
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Sudbury
Atkinson Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Sudbury
Tetherball Pole
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Sudbury
Avalon Sudbury Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Sudbury
canoe launchpoint
DirectionsScenic views in Sudbury
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Sudbury
Tippling Rock410 ft elevation · In Nobscot Scout Reservation
DirectionsGoodman Hill390 ft elevation
DirectionsWillis Hill322 ft elevation
DirectionsGreen Hill318 ft elevation
DirectionsFlagstaff Hill285 ft elevation
DirectionsPendleton Hill246 ft elevation
DirectionsRound Hill207 ft elevation · In Round Hill
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.6 miHorses · 1.0 miUnpaved · 15.3 mi
Fisher Trail2.0 mi
Bay Circuit Trail1.7 mi
Framingham and Lowell Branch1.2 mi
Weir Hill Trail1.0 mi
Nixon Trail1.0 mi
Plymton Trail0.9 mi
Desert Loop Trail0.8 mi
George Lewis Memorial Trail0.7 mi
Pipeline Pass0.7 mi
Old Pine Trail0.6 mi
15 more trails
Ford's Folly Trail
0.5 miTri-Town Trail
0.5 miDesert Trail
0.4 miHill Trail
0.4 miMass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside (proposed)
0.4 miNipmuc Trail
0.3 miOcean By-Pass
0.3 miBay Circut Trail
0.3 miSudbury Conservation Trail
0.3 miMonson Trail
0.3 miSweet Fern Trail
0.3 miSquanto Trail
0.3 miMarsh to Desert Trail
0.3 miPitch Pine Trail
0.2 miUpper Fern Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bird PondpondBlanford PondpondBostwick PondpondCarding MillpondreservoirCricket PondpondCrystal LakeCuttings PondpondDuck PondFirst Boundary PondpondFisherman PondFourth Boundary PondpondFrench Road PondGrist MillpondreservoirJosephine PondpondKettle PondpondNupp'se PondpondRiley PondSecond Boundary PondpondStearns MillpondreservoirThird Boundary PondpondWillis PondreservoirSudbury River
Biking & sports
9.3 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
8.9 mi
off-road bike paths
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
22Tennis
16Baseball
10Basketball
3Soccer
1Beach volleyball
1Pickleball
1Volleyball
1Tracks
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 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Sudbury: 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 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
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 Sudbury →
Next door
Sudbury and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Concord125 miStow72 miFramingham71 miMarlborough58 miWayland57 miSudbury57 miHudson22 miMaynard18 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudbury | 29% | 2.4 | 126 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Wayland | 41% | 3.8 | 106 | 98% | A+ |
| Maynard | 39% | 3.5 | 19 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Framingham | 21% | 2.8 | 26 | 98% | A+ |
| Stow | 32% | 4.2 | 241 | 85% | A+ |
| Concord | 37% | 5.1 | 198 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Hudson | 14% | 1.9 | 24 | 95% | A |
| Marlborough | 19% | 2.8 | 35 | 95% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sudbury
Where can I hike in Sudbury?
The longest trail networks: Nobscot Scout Reservation, 9.7 miles; Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, 4.7 miles; Memorial Forest, 3.4 miles; Sudbury Water District, 3.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sudbury 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 Sudbury’s trails?
Nobscot Scout Reservation and Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Sudbury?
9.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes, 8.9 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Sudbury?
57,265 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sudbury or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,463 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Sudbury have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 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 Sudbury 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 →