Wilmington Town Forest
Nature preserve
157 acres2.2 mi of trail
North LoopThe DipperLadder TrailBee Trail (Higginbotham)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Vinnyanabg · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Wilmington
Wilmington has 17 miles of mapped trails, 1.0 for every square mile of land
12% of Wilmington’s land is conserved, about 1,252 acres. 91% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Wilmington Town Forest (2.2 mi), Town Park (1.4 mi), Hathaway Estates (1 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #224 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
1,252 acres · of 17.0 sq mi of land
Trails
17 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
679 ac
29 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
91%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.0 mi
Highest peak
121 ft
Pine Hill
Lakes & rivers
5
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Wilmington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Wilmington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Wilmington is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #224 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Wilmington’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (17 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land29 acres of park per 1,000 residents (679 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home91% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 90%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 21%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Wilmington’s 12% is ahead of 13% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 20% 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 Wilmington Town Forest, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hathaway Estates
Nature preserve
18 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Robert P. Palmer Park
Park
19 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Cormier Park
Nature preserve
26 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Camp 40 Acres
Nature preserve
37 acres0.7 mi of trail
Kambour TrailNichols TrailNorth LoopHigginbotham
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Green Meadow
Nature preserve
29 acres0.5 mi of trail
social path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Glen Road Berry Bog Conservation Land
Nature preserve
12 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 23 parks & preserves
Wilmington Town Forest157 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Park48 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHathaway Estates18 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert P. Palmer Park19 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Cormier Park26 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Camp 40 Acres37 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Green Meadow29 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsGlen Road Berry Bog Conservation Land12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Kylie Estates Open Space17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBrookfield Estates Open Space23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Rotary Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWilmington Town Common2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMurray Hill Open Space16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Alderwood Acres19 acres
Wilmington Youth Soccer Fields Complex13 acres
Leonard Estates Open Space10 acres
Lawrence St Acres/Wetlands8 acres
Lucaya Estates Conservation Area8 acres
DirectionsMarjorie Road Extension6 acres
Beeching Avenue Extension6 acres
Corum Meadows4 acres
Fisherman's Access3 acres
Swain Green1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,252 conserved acres
12% of Wilmington’s land. Who manages Wilmington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city193 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits6 ac
Not recorded1,099 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 514 acLocal Other or Unknown · 489 acResearch or Educational Area · 90 acLocal Historic or Cultural Area · 54 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 51 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 18 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 17 of 94 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumping Station Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 138 | Closed |
| Wellfield Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 116 | Closed |
| Pumping Station And Garage Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 104 | Closed |
| Wilmington Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 80 | Unknown |
| Mill Brook Wetlands Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Wildwood Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 52 | Open |
| Ipswich River Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 50 | Open |
| Town of Wilmington Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 46 | Closed |
| Lubbers Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 42 | Open |
| Maple Meadow Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 41 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
25 places to go in Wilmington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Wilmington
Baby Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Wilmington
Murray Hill Playground
DirectionsPalmer Park PlaygroundIn Robert P. Palmer Park
DirectionsPlus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Wilmington
3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Wilmington
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Wilmington
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
12 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.9 miHorses · 1.3 miUnpaved · 9.5 mi
North Loop0.9 mi
social path0.7 mi
Salem & Lowell Railroad0.5 mi
The Dipper0.4 mi
Middlesex Canal Towpath0.3 mi
Kambour Trail0.3 mi
Brookfield Estates (Ashwood Avenue) Trails0.3 mi
Ladder Trail0.3 mi
Higginbotham0.3 mi
Bee Trail (Higginbotham)0.2 mi
2 more trails
Official Burlington Trail
0.1 miNichols Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
17Tennis
12Baseball
10Basketball
9Soccer
9Pickleball
3Football
2Multi-sport
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Harnden TavernBuilding · listed 1975
About itWest SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itEphraim Buck HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itWilmington Centre Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1992
About itBuck's Corner Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itChurch Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itGowing-Sheldon Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itHigh Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itBoutell-Hathorn HouseBuilding · listed 2004
About itButters-Avery HouseBuilding · listed 2010
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Wilmington: 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) | 36 | 39 | 46 | 59 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 62 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Wilmington →
Next door
Wilmington and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Andover135 miBillerica54 miBurlington39 miTewksbury39 miNorth Reading26 miWoburn24 miReading18 miWilmington17 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | 12% | 1.0 | 29 | 91% | A |
| Billerica | 12% | 2.1 | 30 | 95% | A |
| Andover | 17% | 4.4 | 68 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Burlington | 17% | 3.3 | 40 | 99%+ | A+ |
| North Reading | 11% | 1.9 | 50 | 94% | A+ |
| Tewksbury | 15% | 1.9 | 51 | 93% | A+ |
| Reading | 17% | 1.8 | 53 | 96% | A+ |
| Woburn | 11% | 1.9 | 18 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Wilmington
Where can I hike in Wilmington?
The longest trail networks: Wilmington Town Forest, 2.2 miles; Town Park, 1.4 miles; Hathaway Estates, 1 miles; Robert P. Palmer Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Wilmington is conserved land?
12% 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 Wilmington’s trails?
Wilmington Town Forest and Town Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wilmington?
2.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Wilmington?
42,856 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wilmington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 679 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Wilmington have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #224 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 Wilmington 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 →