Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.069% of Washington’s land is conserved, about 16,816 acres. The biggest trail networks: October Mountain State Forest (50.8 mi), Mill Brook Reservoir (15 mi), Appalachian Trail Corridor (2 mi). 687 acres are parks and preserves, 1,307 per 1,000 residents.
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is October Mountain State Forest, with 50.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
69% of Washington’s land. Who manages Washington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 164 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 32 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| October Mountain State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 11,347 | Open |
| Pittsfield Watershed State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 4,432 | Unknown |
| Coles Brook Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 668 | Restricted |
| Appalachian Trail Corridor State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 135 | Open |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 58 | Open |
| Hinsdale Flats Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 35 | Open |
| Fowler-Eames Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| Washington Town Park Local Park | Not recorded | 10 | Open |
| Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 1 | Open |
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
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) | 29 | 32 | 40 | 53 | 65 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 69 | 57 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 5.1 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Washington →
Washington has the most mapped trails of the 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lenox | 36% | 1.7 | 734 | 90% | A+ |
| Hinsdale | 40% | 0.6 | 1,202 | 74% | A |
| Lee | 37% | 1.0 | 608 | 95% | A+ |
| Becket | 24% | 0.7 | 1,162 | 28% | A− |
| Dalton | 52% | 1.3 | 608 | 92% | A+ |
| Peru | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Middlefield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
The longest trail networks: October Mountain State Forest, 50.8 miles; Mill Brook Reservoir, 15 miles; Appalachian Trail Corridor, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
October Mountain State Forest and Mill Brook Reservoir don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
114,431 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Washington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,453 of them inside the town line.
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Washington neighbors.
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 →