Birch Hill Reservoir Area
Nature preserve
2,584 acres20.4 mi of trail
Boston and Maine Railroad Alignment (1874-1940)McLaughlin TrailFitchburg Railroad Alignment (1848-1874)Miller Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Old Centre Historic District · Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Winchendon
Winchendon has 4,159 acres of parks, 398 for every 1,000 residents
72 miles of mapped trail cross Winchendon, 1.7 per square mile of land. 20% of Winchendon’s land is conserved, about 5,556 acres. The biggest trail networks: Birch Hill Reservoir Area (20.4 mi), Winchendon Springs Wildlife Management Area (2.7 mi), Otter River State Forest (1.9 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #154 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
20%
5,556 acres · of 43.0 sq mi of land
Trails
72 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,159 ac
398 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
73%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
10 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 9.6 mi paths
Highest peak
1,289 ft
Mount Pleasant
Lakes & rivers
15
5 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Winchendon?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Winchendon have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Winchendon is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #154 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Winchendon’s overall grade.
Conserved land20% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (72 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land398 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,159 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 Winchendon’s 20% is ahead of 46% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 39% 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 Birch Hill Reservoir Area, with 20.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Winchendon Springs Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
860 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Otter River State Forest
Nature preserve
372 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Winchendon Community Park
Managed by Town of Winchendon
50 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
1,718 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Nineteenth Hill Wildlife Conservation Easement
Nature preserve
612 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Beals Gorge C Trust Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
116 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Nineteenth Hill Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
363 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 27 parks & preserves
Birch Hill Reservoir Area2,584 acres · 20.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWinchendon Springs Wildlife Management Area860 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsOtter River State Forest372 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWinchendon Community Park50 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Town of Winchendon
DirectionsBirch Hill Wildlife Management Area1,718 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNineteenth Hill Wildlife Conservation Easement612 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBeals Gorge C Trust Conservation Restriction116 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Nineteenth Hill Wildlife Management Area363 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
Benjamin Hill Wildlife Conservation Easement93 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Marchmont Conservation Restriction376 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Gardner Water Supply Land45 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Millers River Wildlife Management Area38 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Monument Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGardner Water Supply19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wendall P. Clark Memorial Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWinchendon State Forest172 acres
Dack Conservation Restriction123 acres
Town Farm Road Conservation Area100 acres
Watsons Lot and Captains Farm Conservation Restriction76 acres
Murdock Farm Conservation Restriction73 acres
Tarleton Conservation Restriction59 acres
Bailey Brook Conservation Area43 acres
Girouard Conservation Restriction34 acres
Town Land25 acres
Militia Training Field16 acres
Noonday Farm Conservation Restriction13 acres
Hyde Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
5,556 conserved acres
20% of Winchendon’s land. Who manages Winchendon’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city756 ac
State natural resources711 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits679 ac
State fish & wildlife618 ac
Other state land385 ac
State parks248 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)100 ac
Conservation Easement · 2,890 acState Conservation Area · 2,792 acAgricultural Easement · 341 acForest Stewardship Easement · 242 acState Historic or Cultural Area · 233 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,861 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 90 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,703 | Open |
| Winchendon Springs Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 800 | Open |
| Nineteenth Hill Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 289 | Open |
| Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery State Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 233 | Unknown |
| Winchendon State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 182 | Open |
| Town Farm Road Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 100 | Open |
| Gardner Water Supply Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 62 | Unknown |
| Riverside Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 48 | Open |
| Winchendon Community Park Local Park | Not recorded | 48 | Open |
| Bailey Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 44 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
29 places to go in Winchendon
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Winchendon
Lake Dennison Picnic & Swim Area
DirectionsNorth Camping Area Beach
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Winchendon
8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Winchendon
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Winchendon
Fishing Point
DirectionsScenic views in Winchendon
Forest Cove Vista
DirectionsPeaks in Winchendon
Mount Pleasant1,289 ft elevation
DirectionsBenjamin Hill1,237 ft elevation
DirectionsNineteenth Hill1,220 ft elevation · In Nineteenth Hill Wildlife Conservation Easement
DirectionsWhitney Hill1,129 ft elevation
DirectionsTallow Hill1,093 ft elevation · In Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsBirch Hill902 ft elevation · In Birch Hill Reservoir Area
DirectionsPicnic areas in Winchendon
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Winchendon
Beaman Pond CampgroundIn Otter River State Forest
DirectionsEast Dennison Camping Area
DirectionsGroup Camp Area 1In Birch Hill Reservoir Area
DirectionsLake Dennison Campground
DirectionsNorth Dennison Camping Area
DirectionsDisc golf in Winchendon
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.5 miHorses · 0.5 miUnpaved · 13.9 mi
Ware River Rail Trail2.5 mi
Boston and Maine Railroad Alignment (1874-1940)1.7 mi
McLaughlin Trail1.4 mi
Diagle Trail0.6 mi
Fitchburg Railroad Alignment (1848-1874)0.1 mi
Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail0.1 mi
Miller Trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
10 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
9.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Ware River Rail TrailBike route
2.5 miCourts & fields
6Baseball
6Soccer
5Softball
5Basketball
3Tennis
2Hockey rinks
1Football
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 31 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Winchendon: May and July 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) | 32 | 35 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 71 | 59 | 47 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Winchendon →
Next door
Winchendon and its neighbors
Winchendon has the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchendon | 20% | 1.7 | 398 | 73% | A+ |
| Gardner | 33% | 1.2 | 164 | 91% | A+ |
| Royalston | 37% | 0.9 | 6,519 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Templeton | 20% | 0.8 | 285 | 61% | A |
| Ashburnham | 33% | 0.9 | 361 | 65% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Winchendon
Where can I hike in Winchendon?
The longest trail networks: Birch Hill Reservoir Area, 20.4 miles; Winchendon Springs Wildlife Management Area, 2.7 miles; Otter River State Forest, 1.9 miles; Winchendon Community Park, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Winchendon is conserved land?
20% 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 Winchendon’s trails?
Birch Hill Reservoir Area and Winchendon Springs Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Winchendon?
10 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 9.6 of off-road paths. Named routes: Ware River Rail Trail.
Is there public land near Winchendon?
65,532 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Winchendon or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,817 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Winchendon 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 Winchendon 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 →