Leominster State Forest
Managed by DCR - Division Of State Parks And Recreation
1,206 acres8.2 mi of trail
Midstate TrailBlack Bear RunBall Hill TrailRed Oak Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Wood, Ezra-Levi Warner Place · Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Westminster
31% of Westminster’s land is conserved: 7,012 acres
2,147 acres are parks and preserves, 256 per 1,000 residents. 50 miles of mapped trail cross Westminster, 1.4 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Leominster State Forest (8.2 mi), High Ridge Wildlife Management Area (8.1 mi), Wachusett Mountain State Reservation (4.5 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #154 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
31%
7,012 acres · of 35.4 sq mi of land
Trails
50 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,147 ac
256 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
73%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.8 mi
1.4 mi lanes
Highest peak
1,306 ft
Church Rock
Lakes & rivers
21
2 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Westminster?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Westminster have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Westminster is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #154 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Westminster’s overall grade.
Conserved land31% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (50 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land256 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,147 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home73% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 46%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Westminster’s 31% is ahead of 75% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 28% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to 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 Leominster State Forest, with 8.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
High Ridge Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
1,498 acres8.1 mi of trail
Beech Hill
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wachusett Mountain State Reservation
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
748 acres4.5 mi of trail
West Side TrailBolton Pond TrailOld Indian TrailSemuhenna Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Muddy Pond Conservation Area
Nature preserve
461 acres2 mi of trail
Midstate TrailNate's Run
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Schenk Farm Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Westminster Conservation Commission
60 acres1.3 mi of trail
Midstate Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Westminster State Forest
Nature preserve
335 acres0.5 mi of trail
Midstate TrailNOT Midstate Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 10 parks & preserves
Leominster State Forest1,206 acres · 8.2 mi of trail · DCR - Division Of State Parks And Recreation
DirectionsHigh Ridge Wildlife Management Area1,498 acres · 8.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWachusett Mountain State Reservation748 acres · 4.5 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsMuddy Pond Conservation Area461 acres · 2 mi of trail
Schenk Farm Conservation Area60 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Town of Westminster Conservation Commission
Westminster State Forest335 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Crocker Pond Recreation Area2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFitchburg Water Department Land433 acres
Hager Park179 acres
Westminster Town Common2 acres
Who protects it
7,012 conserved acres
31% of Westminster’s land. Who manages Westminster’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife1,281 ac
Town or city785 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government486 ac
Other state land230 ac
Private owners154 ac
State natural resources114 ac
Joint103 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,725 acState Conservation Area · 1,390 acWatershed Protection Area · 1,108 acConservation Easement · 1,035 acState Park · 744 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 968 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 15 of 96 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Ridge Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,390 | Restricted |
| Leominster State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,349 | Open |
| Wachusett Mountain State Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 744 | Open |
| Town of Westminster Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 436 | Open |
| Fitchburg Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 377 | Unknown |
| Westminster State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 376 | Open |
| Fictchburg Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 313 | Unknown |
| Fitchburg Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 222 | Unknown |
| Wachusett Lake Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 108 | Unknown |
| Westminster Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 99 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
21 places to go in Westminster
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Westminster
Crocker Pond BeachIn Crocker Pond Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Westminster
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Westminster
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Westminster
Church Rock1,306 ft elevation
DirectionsCrow Hills1,234 ft elevation
DirectionsBall Hill1,194 ft elevation · In Leominster State Forest
DirectionsBeech Hill1,148 ft elevation · In High Ridge Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsDamon Hill1,148 ft elevation
DirectionsAcademy Hill1,129 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill1,129 ft elevation
DirectionsCowees Hill1,125 ft elevation
Directions4 more peaks
Bean Porridge Hill1,066 ft elevation
DirectionsBaldwin Hill1,050 ft elevation · In High Ridge Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsSnow Hill1,001 ft elevation · In Leominster State Forest
DirectionsCrow Hills896 ft elevation · In Leominster State Forest
DirectionsPicnic areas in Westminster
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
20 named trails and 21 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.7 miUnpaved · 16.5 mi
Midstate Trail9.0 mi
Nate's Run1.0 mi
Black Bear Run1.0 mi
Ball Hill Trail0.7 mi
Red Oak Trail0.7 mi
Beech Hill0.5 mi
West Side Trail0.5 mi
Bolton Pond Trail0.5 mi
Old Indian Trail0.4 mi
Semuhenna Trail0.4 mi
10 more trails
Deer Run
0.4 miPrivate Abner Miles Access Trail
0.4 miBalance Rock Trail
0.4 miSki Area-Bolton Pond Connector
0.3 miCrow Hill Trail
0.3 miRocky Pond Trail
0.2 miWolf Rock Trail
0.2 miNOT Midstate Trail
0.1 miOver the Wall
0.1 miBalance Rock - Connector
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bolton PondBurnt MillpondreservoirCrocker PondreservoirGreenwood PondreservoirMare Meadow ReservoirreservoirMare Meadow Reservoir NorthreservoirMeetinghouse PondreservoirMinott PondreservoirMuddy PondpondNeedham PoolpondNoyes PondreservoirPartridge PondreservoirRice Meadow PondRound Meadow PondreservoirSmith ReservoirreservoirUpper Crow Hill PondUpper ReservoirreservoirWachusett LakereservoirWhitmanville ReservoirreservoirWyman PondWhitman River
Biking & sports
1.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
8Baseball
3Football
2Softball
2Soccer
2Tennis
1Basketball
1Tracks
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 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 Westminster: 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 35 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Westminster →
Next door
Westminster and its neighbors
Westminster has the second most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | 31% | 1.4 | 256 | 73% | A+ |
| Ashburnham | 33% | 0.9 | 361 | 65% | A |
| Fitchburg | 20% | 1.5 | 33 | 93% | A+ |
| Princeton | 49% | 1.9 | 1,031 | 72% | A+ |
| Gardner | 33% | 1.2 | 164 | 91% | A+ |
| Hubbardston | 46% | 0.8 | 446 | 54% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Westminster
Where can I hike in Westminster?
The longest trail networks: Leominster State Forest, 8.2 miles; High Ridge Wildlife Management Area, 8.1 miles; Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, 4.5 miles; Muddy Pond Conservation Area, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Westminster is conserved land?
31% 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 Westminster’s trails?
Leominster State Forest and High Ridge Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Westminster?
1.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of painted or protected lanes and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Westminster?
63,020 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Westminster or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,946 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Westminster have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #154 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 Westminster 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 →