Richard Emmet Conservation Land
Nature preserve
355 acres9.6 mi of trail
Kennedy Pond LoopEsker Loop (red)Little Desert LoopNashua Acton & Boston Railroad Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Emmet Trailhead Parking
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Westford
Westford has 140 miles of mapped trails, 4.6 for every square mile of land
24% of Westford’s land is conserved, about 4,594 acres. 2,574 acres are parks and preserves, 104 per 1,000 residents. 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #55 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
4,594 acres · of 30.2 sq mi of land
Trails
140 mi
4.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,574 ac
104 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.2 mi
0.8 mi lanes · 5.3 mi paths
Highest peak
443 ft
Prospect Hill (468')
Lakes & rivers
24
7 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Westford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town4.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild24% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Room to roam104 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way14 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Westford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Westford is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #55 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 Westford’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails4.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (140 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land104 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,574 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home97% 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 81%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Westford’s 24% is ahead of 59% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% 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 Richard Emmet Conservation Land, with 9.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Stony Brook Conservation Land
Nature preserve
387 acres8.7 mi of trail
Burge's Pond Trail (yellow)Stony Brook Trail (grey)Waki Trail (green)Overlook Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Greystone Conservation Land
Nature preserve
366 acres6.7 mi of trail
Primary TrailSecondary Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Nashoba Brook Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
307 acres5.4 mi of trail
Woodland LoopEsker Loop (red)unmaintained trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Nashoba Brook Trailhead MAS
Beaver Brook Conservation Land
Nature preserve
139 acres3.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Beaver Brook Trailhead Parking
Burn’s Hill Conservation Area
Nature preserve
161 acres2.8 mi of trail
Burn's Hill Loop Trailbluepower line pathKingfisher Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Blakes Hill Trailhead parking
Veterans Memorial Complex
Park
120 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Emmet Woods
Managed by Massachusetts Audubon Society
115 acres2.5 mi of trail
Alan Emmet TrailFolly TrailHermit Thrush Trail
No dogs
Directionsto Nashoba Brook Trailhead MAS
All 70 parks & preserves
Richard Emmet Conservation Land355 acres · 9.6 mi of trail
DirectionsStony Brook Conservation Land387 acres · 8.7 mi of trail
DirectionsGreystone Conservation Land366 acres · 6.7 mi of trail
DirectionsNashoba Brook Wildlife Sanctuary307 acres · 5.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBeaver Brook Conservation Land139 acres · 3.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBurn’s Hill Conservation Area161 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Complex120 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsEmmet Woods115 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Massachusetts Audubon Society
DirectionsGraniteville Woods Conservation Land72 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStone Arch Bridge Conservation Area155 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsBuckboard Trail Conservation Lands85 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsLakeside Meadows Open Space80 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsWater Dept Land77 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsAdams Conservation Land54 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
Village View Open Space83 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSassafras Conservation Land65 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsGrassy Pond Conservation Area56 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSnake Meadow Brook Conservation Land66 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHitching Post Greens Open Space101 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCider Mill Pond Conservation Land36 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSnake Meadow Hill Conservation Area54 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
O'Brien Farm Conservation Area22 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMystery Spring143 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFrances Hill Wildlife Sanctuary32 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Westford Conservation Trust
DirectionsBlanchard Farms Conservation Land62 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Timberlake Conservation Land66 acres · 1 mi of trail
Edwards Parcel40 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Acker Conservation Land13 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPeace Trail Conservation Lands74 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Hyacinth-Juniper Hill Trails34 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Martina Gage Town Forest70 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsJarvis Estates Open Space15 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsLaughton Farm Conservation Land21 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Chestnut Hill Estates Open Space17 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsProspect Hill Wildlife Sanctuary11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Westford Conservation Trust
DirectionsRussell Bird Sanctuary21 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Edwards Beach12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Abbott Conservation Area8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Westford Conservation Land46 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Nashoba Farm Open Space42 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHill Orchard23 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Blue Brook Conservation Land18 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
West Meadows17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Kloppenburg Conservation Land13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Blakes Hill Conservation Land18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsForge Beach5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCalista Woods4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Kissacook Hill3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Spalding Town Forest9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPines Woodlot3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Carlisle Conservation Foundation
Hildreth Meadow3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Jack Walsh Field31 acres
DirectionsFieldstone Drive Conservation Land 214 acres · Town of Westford
Foley Land13 acres · Westford Conservation Trust
Fox Lane Conservation Land13 acres
DirectionsBalas Conservation Land13 acres
Collins Land11 acres · Westford Conservation Trust
Heald Land11 acres · Westford Conservation Trust
Great Elm Parcel10 acres
Veterans of Foreign Wars Field10 acres
DirectionsFieldstone Drive Conservation Land 18 acres
Hitchin Post Ix8 acres
Captain Stephen Hamilton Field3 acres
DirectionsChestnut Woods3 acres
MacQuarrie Land3 acres · Westford Conservation Trust
Mutrie Land2 acres · Westford Conservation Trust
DirectionsCameron Field2 acres
DirectionsOld Quarry2 acres · Westford Conservation Trust
Westford Town Common1 acres
DirectionsFreedom Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,594 conserved acres
24% of Westford’s land. Who manages Westford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,121 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,115 ac
Joint220 ac
Other state land86 ac
Not recorded2,258 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,400 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,243 acLocal Conservation Area · 468 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 338 acWatershed Protection Area · 330 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,013 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 99 of 408 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Westford Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 559 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 471 | Open |
| Greystone Estates Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 186 | Open |
| Westford Sportsmen Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 184 | Restricted |
| Nashoba Brook Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 156 | Open |
| Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 119 | Open |
| Burns Hill Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 106 | Open |
| Nashoba Valley Ski Area Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 99 | Restricted |
| Town Forest Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 97 | Unknown |
| River Street Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 61 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
48 places to go in Westford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Westford
7 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Westford
Goldfish Swim School
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Westford
16 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Peaks in Westford
Prospect Hill (468')443 ft elevation
DirectionsMillstone Hill417 ft elevation
DirectionsSnake Meadow Hill404 ft elevation · In Snake Meadow Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsSparks Hill394 ft elevation
DirectionsKissacook Hill387 ft elevation
DirectionsRail Tree Hill364 ft elevation
DirectionsFrances Hill351 ft elevation
DirectionsProvidence Hill351 ft elevation
Directions14 more peaks
Nashoba Hill348 ft elevation
DirectionsBear Hill344 ft elevation
DirectionsBlakes Hill341 ft elevation
DirectionsFlushing Hill341 ft elevation
DirectionsConscience Hill308 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Bear Hill302 ft elevation
DirectionsOak Hill299 ft elevation
DirectionsBurns Hill 325'289 ft elevation · In Burn’s Hill Conservation Area
DirectionsLittle Tadmuch Hill289 ft elevation
DirectionsCowdry Hill285 ft elevation
DirectionsSpalding Hill253 ft elevation
DirectionsBluebird HillIn Stone Arch Bridge Conservation Area
DirectionsHigh PointIn Mystery Spring
DirectionsSparks Hill 400'
DirectionsPicnic areas in Westford
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 24 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.8 miHorses · 3.1 miUnpaved · 76.3 mi
Primary Trail7.1 mi
Trolley Line Trail2.1 mi
Tom Paul Trail2.0 mi
social trail1.7 mi
Snake Meadow Brook Trail1.4 mi
Burge's Pond Trail (yellow)1.4 mi
Alan Emmet Trail1.3 mi
Secondary Trail1.3 mi
Burn's Hill Loop Trail1.2 mi
Nashua Acton & Boston Railroad Trail1.1 mi
15 more trails
Acker trail
1.0 miSassafras Trail
0.9 miStony Brook Trail (grey)
0.9 miBig Rock to Summer Village
0.8 miEsker Loop (red)
0.7 miBuckboard Trail
0.7 mi"Bridle" Path
0.7 miKennedy Pond Loop
0.7 miMain Trail
0.7 miPeace Trail
0.7 miStone Arch Bridge Trail
0.7 mipower line path
0.7 miWoodland Loop
0.7 miWaki Trail (green)
0.6 miTrolley Line Path
0.6 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bumper BoatBurge's PondpondFlushing PondpondForge PondpondGilson PondpondGoose PondpondGrassy PondpondGreystone PondpondHeron RookerypondKennedy PondpondKeyes PondlakeLong Sought For PondlakeMerrill's QuarryMill PondreservoirNabnasset LakelakeShipley SwamppondSmith PondpondSnowmaking PondpondStony Brook ReservoirreservoirbasinpondBeaver BrookKeyes BrookNashoba BrookStony Brook
Biking & sports
6.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.3 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
31Tennis
23Baseball
15Soccer
15Basketball
12Pickleball
3Football
1Beach volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 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.
John Proctor HouseBuilding · listed 1993
About itHenry Fletcher HouseBuilding · listed 1993
About itWestford Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1998
About itGraniteville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2002
About itForge Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2002
About itParker Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2002
About itBrookside Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itWestlawn CemeterySite · listed 2005
About itFairview CemeterySite · listed 2005
About itRussian CemeterySite · listed 2005
About itHillside CemeterySite · listed 2005
About itWright CemeterySite · listed 2005
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Westford: 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) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Westford →
Next door
Westford and its neighbors
Westford has the second most mapped trails of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westford | 24% | 4.6 | 104 | 97% | A+ |
| Chelmsford | 13% | 1.6 | 26 | 87% | A |
| Littleton | 17% | 2.8 | 155 | 96% | A+ |
| Groton | 34% | 4.7 | 569 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Carlisle | 21% | 4.4 | 434 | 96% | A+ |
| Tyngsborough | 15% | 1.6 | 64 | 91% | A+ |
| Acton | 23% | 3.1 | 86 | 99% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Westford
Where can I hike in Westford?
The longest trail networks: Richard Emmet Conservation Land, 9.6 miles; Stony Brook Conservation Land, 8.7 miles; Greystone Conservation Land, 6.7 miles; Nashoba Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 5.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Westford is conserved land?
24% 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 Westford’s trails?
Richard Emmet Conservation Land and Stony Brook Conservation Land don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Westford?
6.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes, 5.3 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Westford?
56,792 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Westford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,726 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Westford have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #55 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 Westford 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 →