Greenways Conservation Area
Nature preserve
117 acres3.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Wayland
Wayland has 57 miles of mapped trails, 3.8 for every square mile of land
41% of Wayland’s land is conserved, about 3,926 acres. 1,474 acres are parks and preserves, 106 per 1,000 residents. 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #27 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
41%
3,926 acres · of 15.0 sq mi of land
Trails
57 mi
3.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,474 ac
106 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.8 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 2.0 mi paths
Highest peak
400 ft
Reeves Hill
Lakes & rivers
14
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Wayland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Wayland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Wayland is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #27 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Wayland near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Wayland’s overall grade.
Conserved land41% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (57 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land106 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,474 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home98% of 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 Wayland’s 41% is ahead of 92% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 87% of them.
Water is 5% of Wayland’s area (1 of 16 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 39%.
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 Greenways Conservation Area, with 3.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Heard Farm
Managed by Wayland Conservation Commission
86 acres3.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sedge Meadow Conservation Area
Nature preserve
96 acres3.4 mi of trail
Bay Circuit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Upper Mill Brook Conservation Area
Nature preserve
121 acres2.9 mi of trail
Green TrailBlue TrailRed Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Mainstone Farm Conservation Restriction
Managed by Sudbury Valley Trustees
218 acres2.8 mi of trail
RedBlueYellowBlue-Red+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cow Common
Nature preserve
65 acres2 mi of trail
Bay Circuit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Trout Brook Conservation Area
Nature preserve
67 acres1.8 mi of trail
orange diamond
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Town of Wayland
Nature preserve
64 acres1.5 mi of trail
redyellowUnmarked Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Trailhead Parking
All 58 parks & preserves
Greenways Conservation Area117 acres · 3.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHeard Farm86 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · Wayland Conservation Commission
DirectionsSedge Meadow Conservation Area96 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsUpper Mill Brook Conservation Area121 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMainstone Farm Conservation Restriction218 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Sudbury Valley Trustees
DirectionsCow Common65 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsTrout Brook Conservation Area67 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
Town of Wayland64 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHamlen Woods87 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge1,316 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsTurkey Hill45 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHazel Brook Conservation Area46 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Brook38 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Stoneridge Village39 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Lincoln Road Fields23 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Wayland
DirectionsOld County21 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Rowan Hill20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Wayland Conservation Commission
DirectionsMill Pond Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Wayland Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsOxbow Meadows10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLower Mill Brook Conservation Area41 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Wayland Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsCastle Hill Conservation Area17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTimber Lane Conservation Area9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Beard Conservation Restriction10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Sudbury Valley Trustees
DirectionsAlpine Field15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHoliday/Orchard14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Schmidt Conservation Restriction13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Sudbury Valley Trustees
Barberry Homes Conservation Area9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Moon Conservation Restriction7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Sudbury Valley Trustees
The Hills30 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Brook Addition14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Meadow Crossing Conservation Area9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wilcox2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Black Cat Farm1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCochituate State Park169 acres · MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsMurphy Field48 acres
Plimpton31 acres · Town of Wayland Conservation Commission
Loker Conservation and Recreation Area31 acres
DirectionsLundy Lane Conservation Area21 acres
Covered Bridge15 acres
McDowell Woods11 acres · Mass Audubon
Dudley Woods11 acres · Town of Wayland
Pratt Field10 acres
Bow Meadow10 acres
Schoenfield Property8 acres · Town of Wayland
Wayland Town Beach8 acres
DirectionsMorgans Brook7 acres
Town Building Fields6 acres
DirectionsMoore Estates Conservation Area6 acres
Moore Road Conservation Area6 acres
Cochituate Ball Fields and Playground5 acres
DirectionsSears Gift4 acres
Eric Schwartz Ballfield4 acres
Rich Valley Road Conservation Area4 acres
Lincoln Road Drumlin3 acres
Hobbs Road2 acres
DirectionsDeverell Parcel2 acres · Sudbury Valley Trustees
Swiedler Gift1 acres · Sudbury Valley Trustees
Hannah Williams Playground1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,926 conserved acres
41% of Wayland’s land. Water is left out: Wayland has 15.0 square miles of land and 0.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Wayland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service2,643 ac
Town or city926 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits569 ac
Other state land183 ac
State parks58 ac
Regional agency28 ac
Not recorded1,585 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 2,643 acConservation Easement · 986 acLocal Other or Unknown · 519 acLocal Conservation Area · 437 acPrivate Conservation · 377 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 596 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 136 of 289 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 | 2,643 | Restricted |
| Town of Wayland Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 157 | Unknown |
| Wayland Country Club And Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 153 | Unknown |
| Weston Aqueduct Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 137 | Closed |
| Sandy Burr Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 126 | Restricted |
| Cochituate State Park State Park | Not recorded | 90 | Open |
| Sedge Meadow Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 89 | Open |
| Hamlen Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 88 | Open |
| Heard Farm Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 84 | Open |
| Hamlen Woods Private Conservation | Not recorded | 83 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
21 places to go in Wayland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Wayland
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Wayland
Wayland Community Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Wayland
8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Wayland
Canoe Kayak LaunchIn Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsHeard Pond LaunchIn Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsWayland Town DockIn Cochituate State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Wayland
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Wayland
Reeves Hill400 ft elevation
DirectionsOverthrough Hill318 ft elevation
DirectionsNob Hill138 ft elevation
DirectionsUrato Farm
DirectionsTrails & water
24 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.0 miUnpaved · 32.4 mi
Weston Aqueduct Path3.8 mi
Hultman Aquaduct Path2.7 mi
Unmarked Trail2.7 mi
Bay Circuit Trail2.2 mi
red1.5 mi
Red1.5 mi
Blue1.4 mi
Red Trail1.4 mi
Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside (proposed)1.1 mi
yellow1.0 mi
14 more trails
orange diamond
0.9 miBlue Trail
0.9 miGreen Trail
0.9 miMarylynn Gentry Trail
0.8 miSears-Pine Brook Trail
0.7 miYellow
0.5 miWeston Aqueduct Trail
0.4 miOxbow Meadows Trail
0.4 miGriscom Trail
0.3 miBlue-Red
0.2 miShawmut Avenue Extension
0.1 miOrange Diamond
0.1 miMayflower Path
0.1 miRiver View Circle
0.1 miBiking & sports
2.8 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
2.0 mi
off-road bike paths
0.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
27Tennis
11Baseball
6Soccer
6Basketball
1Football
1Multi-sport
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Wayland: 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 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Wayland →
Next door
Wayland and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayland | 41% | 3.8 | 106 | 98% | A+ |
| Sudbury | 29% | 2.4 | 126 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Framingham | 21% | 2.8 | 26 | 98% | A+ |
| Natick | 21% | 2.0 | 44 | 97% | A+ |
| Cochituate | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Weston | 24% | 5.5 | 143 | 98% | A+ |
| Lincoln | 37% | 5.7 | 408 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Wayland
Where can I hike in Wayland?
The longest trail networks: Greenways Conservation Area, 3.7 miles; Heard Farm, 3.5 miles; Sedge Meadow Conservation Area, 3.4 miles; Upper Mill Brook Conservation Area, 2.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Wayland is conserved land?
41% 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 Wayland’s trails?
Greenways Conservation Area and Heard Farm don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wayland?
2.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes, 2.0 of off-road paths and 0.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Wayland?
53,769 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wayland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,474 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Wayland 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 Wayland 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 →