Bailey Parcel
Nature preserve
43 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in West Chatham
26% of West Chatham’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. The biggest trail networks: Bailey Parcel (1.7 mi), Sylvan Gardens (0.6 mi), Old Queen Anne Road (0.5 mi). 26% of West Chatham’s land is conserved, about 477 acres.
Conserved land
26%
477 acres · of 2.9 sq mi of land
Trails
6.2 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
163 ac
130 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.3 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 1.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
13
6 beaches · 7 boat launches
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 Bailey Parcel, with 1.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sylvan Gardens
Managed by Town of Chatham
7 acres0.6 mi of trail
Black Pond LoopSylvan PathRhododendron TrailAzalea Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Old Queen Anne Road
Nature preserve
16 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Samuel Hawes Park
Managed by Friends of the Samuel Hawes Park
12 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Queen Anne Road
Nature preserve
12 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Indian Hill Road Conservation Area
Nature preserve
13 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
George Ryder Forest
Managed by Town of Chatham
8 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 21 parks & preserves
Bailey Parcel43 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSylvan Gardens7 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Town of Chatham
DirectionsOld Queen Anne Road16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSamuel Hawes Park12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Friends of the Samuel Hawes Park
DirectionsQueen Anne Road12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRyder Gift9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsIndian Hill Road Conservation Area13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
George Ryder Forest8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Chatham
DirectionsStar Bog Conservation Area9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Chatham
Sam Ryder Conservation Area57 acres
Volunteer Park43 acres
Barclays Pond30 acres · Town of Chatham
DirectionsValley Farm Conservation Area9 acres
DirectionsHardings Beach Road8 acres
DirectionsMinot Acres Conservation Area7 acres · Chatham Conservation Foundation
DirectionsSulfer Springs Conservation Area6 acres · Town of Chatham
White Pond Beach4 acres
Barn Hill4 acres
Black Pond Conservation Area3 acres · Town of Chatham
DirectionsAbsegami Run2 acres
DirectionsMain Street Conservation Area2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
477 conserved acres
26% of West Chatham’s land. Water is left out: West Chatham has 2.9 square miles of land and 0.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages West Chatham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits64 ac
Not recorded430 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 296 acPrivate Conservation · 101 acConservation Easement · 64 acLocal Park · 31 acLocal Historic or Cultural Area · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 43 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 48 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardings Beach Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 226 | Restricted |
| Volunteer Park Local Park | Not recorded | 31 | Open |
| Ridgevale Beach Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 19 | Restricted |
| Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 18 | Open |
| Ryder Gift Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 18 | Open |
| Old Queen Anne Road Private Conservation | Not recorded | 16 | Open |
| Indian Hill Road Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 13 | Open |
| Queen Anne Road Private Conservation | Not recorded | 12 | Open |
| Sam Ryder Road Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 12 | Open |
| Old Colony Rail Trail Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
14 places to go in West Chatham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in West Chatham
Hardings Beach
DirectionsPlus 5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in West Chatham
7 boat launches without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in West Chatham
Hardings Beach Picnic Area
DirectionsTrails & water
6 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.8 mi
Valley Farm Trail0.4 mi
Black Pond Loop0.2 mi
Sylvan Path0.2 mi
Rhododendron Trail0.1 mi
Azalea Trail0.1 mi
Holly Loop0.1 mi
Biking & sports
2.3 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
1.8 mi
off-road bike paths
0.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
3Baseball
3Tennis
1Skate park
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in West Chatham: 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 40 | 44 | 52 | 61 | 70 | 77 | 77 | 71 | 61 | 52 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 4.0 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (2.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in West Chatham →
Next door
West Chatham and its neighbors
West Chatham has the second most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Chatham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chatham | 65% | 1.6 | 161 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Chatham
Where can I hike in West Chatham?
The longest trail networks: Bailey Parcel, 1.7 miles; Sylvan Gardens, 0.6 miles; Old Queen Anne Road, 0.5 miles; Samuel Hawes Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on West Chatham’s trails?
Bailey Parcel and Sylvan Gardens don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Chatham?
2.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes, 1.8 of off-road paths and 0.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near West Chatham?
9,521 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Chatham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 207 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from West Chatham 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 →