Green Hill Park
Park
450 acres6.8 mi of trail
East Side Trail (blue rctgl.)Ghost Trail (white rctgl.)Millstone Trail (blue circl.)Ledge Loop (red rctgl.)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Worcester
Worcester has 71 miles of mapped trails, 1.9 for every square mile of land
98% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 11% of Worcester’s land is conserved, about 2,507 acres. The biggest trail networks: Green Hill Park (6.8 mi), Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary (6.2 mi), Bovenzi Conservation Area (2.3 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #225 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
2,507 acres · of 37.4 sq mi of land
Trails
71 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,415 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
25 mi
16 mi lanes · 3.5 mi paths
Highest peak
1,047 ft
Eddy Hill
Lakes & rivers
23
5 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Worcester?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 93% of U.S. towns.Parks close to home98% of residents live within a half mile of a park.Land that stays wild11% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.History along the way283 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Worcester have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Worcester is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #225 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 Worcester’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (71 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land12 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,415 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home98% 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%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Worcester ranks #84 on Outdoors.
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Worcester’s 11% is ahead of 9% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 48% 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 Green Hill Park, with 6.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Mass Audubon
436 acres6.2 mi of trail
Cardinal TrailHoldredge TrailPower Line TrailBlue Well Trail+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Bovenzi Conservation Area
Nature preserve
123 acres2.3 mi of trail
East-West Path (yellow tri.)North-South Path (blue rect.)Lavender 'C'Red circle+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Bovenzi Parking
Crow Hill & Fitzgerald Brook Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
62 acres2.2 mi of trail
Red Circle Blazed Loop TrailSilver TrailCrow Hill LoopYellow Rectangle Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Newton Hill at Elm Park
Park
38 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hadwen Arboretum
Managed by Clark University
27 acres1.5 mi of trail
East-West TrailAppleton TrailLarch Lane TrailHidden Spring Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 75 parks & preserves
Green Hill Park450 acres · 6.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBroad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary436 acres · 6.2 mi of trail · Mass Audubon
DirectionsBovenzi Conservation Area123 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCrow Hill & Fitzgerald Brook Conservation Restriction62 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLake Park75 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsNewton Hill at Elm Park38 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHadwen Arboretum27 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Clark University
DirectionsElm Park19 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPerkins Farm61 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGod's Acre105 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsInstitute Park46 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCook's Woods53 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMarois 2834 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsQuinsigamond State Park23 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBell Hill Park38 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsParson's Cider Mill30 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsCristoforo Colombo Park24 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsCascades Park33 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsRockwood Field16 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsNew Balance Fields35 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsCookson Field28 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsUniversity Park15 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Worcester, Massachusetts
DirectionsBeaver Brook Park11 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNick's Woods48 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Vernon Hill Playground15 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsCascades East30 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCooks Pond36 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCrompton Park12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSalisbury Park23 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsKendrick Field15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGreenwood Playground15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsKettle Brook Conservation Area GWLT19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Regatta Point Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsColumbus Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Holmes Field8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Harrington Field6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsOread Castle Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTettaset Ridge17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
General Foley Stadium14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRoberto Clemente Playground12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLogan Field11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Fowler Brook Gorge5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Coal Mine Brook Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCity Common4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBlithewood Ave Playground3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMulcahy Field3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCity Square1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBurncoat Park26 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBennett Field5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Worcester Playground5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBecker Field1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Worcester
DirectionsFairmont Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLincoln Square1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWinslow Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHadwen Park55 acres
DirectionsBlackstone Gateway Park30 acres
DirectionsTacoma St Playground19 acres
DirectionsDodge Park9 acres
Shore Park7 acres
DirectionsCoes Park5 acres
DirectionsBurncoat Park Ext5 acres
Ty Cobb Park4 acres
DirectionsHolland Rink Playground4 acres
DirectionsBailey-Prouty Playground4 acres
Farber Field4 acres
DirectionsMorgan Park2 acres
DirectionsApricot Street Playground2 acres
DirectionsIndian Lake Park2 acres
DirectionsGateway Park2 acres
DirectionsRamshorn Island Park1 acres
DirectionsFuller Family Park1 acres
DirectionsBurncoat St Playground1 acres
DirectionsGreenview Park1 acres
Betty Price Playground1 acres
Frostholm Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,507 conserved acres
11% of Worcester’s land. Who manages Worcester’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city841 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits777 ac
Joint16 ac
State parks10 ac
Private owners1 ac
Not recorded1,446 ac
Conservation Easement · 900 acLocal Other or Unknown · 708 acLocal Park · 445 acPrivate Conservation · 296 acUnknown Easement · 211 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 567 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 232 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hope Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 195 | Open |
| Broad Meadow Brook Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 144 | Open |
| Gods Acre Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 131 | Open |
| Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Santuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 123 | Open |
| Perkins Farm Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 77 | Open |
| Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 74 | Open |
| Notre Dame Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 70 | Restricted |
| Cascade Park Local Park | Not recorded | 67 | Open |
| St Johns Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 64 | Restricted |
| Elm Park Local Park | Town or city | 57 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
121 places to go in Worcester
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Worcester
5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Worcester
Dennis F Shine Jr Swimming Pool
DirectionsKneller Athletic Center Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Worcester
Banis St Playground
DirectionsBeaver Brook Playground
DirectionsBetty Price PlaygroundIn Betty Price Playground
DirectionsGreater Brook Valley Playground
DirectionsGreen Hill Park PlaygroundIn Green Hill Park
DirectionsLakeview Playground
DirectionsNature Explore
DirectionsOakland Heights Playground
Directions3 more playgrounds
86 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Worcester
Beaver Brook Dog Park
DirectionsDowntown Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Worcester
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Worcester
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Worcester
Eddy Hill1,047 ft elevation
DirectionsWinter Hill896 ft elevation
DirectionsMoreland Hill817 ft elevation
DirectionsIndian Hill801 ft elevation
DirectionsStratton Hill801 ft elevation
DirectionsLaurel Mt.791 ft elevation · In Bovenzi Conservation Area
DirectionsHancock Hill764 ft elevation
DirectionsGreen Hill758 ft elevation · In Green Hill Park
Directions13 more peaks
Crown Hill751 ft elevation · In Green Hill Park
DirectionsMillstone Hill751 ft elevation · In Green Hill Park
DirectionsChandler Hill728 ft elevation · In Bell Hill Park
DirectionsWalnut Hill719 ft elevation
DirectionsUnion Hill712 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill705 ft elevation · In Salisbury Park
DirectionsCrow Hill682 ft elevation · In Crow Hill & Fitzgerald Brook Conservation Restriction
DirectionsNewton Hill643 ft elevation · In Newton Hill at Elm Park
DirectionsPoet Hill627 ft elevation
DirectionsUnion Hill627 ft elevation
DirectionsWigwam Hill574 ft elevation
DirectionsBelmont Hill505 ft elevation
DirectionsPakachoag Hill453 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Worcester
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Worcester
Newton Hill Disc Golf
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 23 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.2 miUnpaved · 27.1 mi
East Side Trail (blue rctgl.)3.1 mi
East-West Trail2.0 mi
East-West Trail (blue sq)1.1 mi
Tetasset Hills Trail (red sq)1.0 mi
Cascades Trail0.9 mi
Woonaskachu's Path (blue rctgl.)0.8 mi
Smiley Face Trail0.8 mi
Cardinal Trail0.7 mi
Red Circle Trail0.7 mi
East-West Path (yellow tri.)0.7 mi
15 more trails
Red Circle Blazed Loop Trail
0.7 miCook's Path
0.6 miGhost Trail (white rctgl.)
0.6 miTroiano Brookside Trail
0.6 miHoldredge Trail
0.6 miNorth-South Path (blue rect.)
0.6 miBlue Square Trail
0.5 miPower Line Trail
0.5 miLavender 'C'
0.5 miBlue Well Trail
0.5 miSprague Trail
0.5 miMillstone Trail (blue circl.)
0.5 miSagatabscot Ridge Trail
0.4 miGlacial Erratic Trail
0.4 miOak Trail
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bell PondBeth Israel LakeBurncoat Park PondpondCoes PondCoes ReservoirCook PondreservoirCrystal PondCurtis PondsGreat Heron PondGreen Hill PondpondHermitage PondIndian LakelakeLake EllieLower PondPatch PondPatch ReservoirSalisbury PondUpper PondpondWawecus PondpondBeaver BrookBlackstone RiverKettle BrookMiddle River
Biking & sports
25 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
16 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.5 mi
off-road bike paths
5.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
92Tennis
69Basketball
68Baseball
25Soccer
13Football
8Pickleball
5Softball
3Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →283 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 80 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Elm ParkStructure · listed 1970
About itMassachusetts Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1971
About itMechanics HallBuilding · listed 1972
About itG.A.R. HallBuilding · listed 1975
About itSalisbury Mansion and StoreBuilding · listed 1975
About itSalisbury HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itTimothy Paine HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itOxford-Crown Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1976
About itGreendale Village Improvement Society BuildingBuilding · listed 1976
About itWhitcomb HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About it271 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Worcester: 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) | 34 | 37 | 45 | 58 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 61 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Worcester →
Next door
Worcester and its neighbors
Worcester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | 11% | 1.9 | 12 | 98% | A |
| Shrewsbury | 8% | 1.7 | 18 | 86% | A |
| Auburn | 11% | 0.5 | 23 | 89% | A− |
| Millbury | 13% | 1.7 | 50 | 86% | A |
| West Boylston | 44% | 0.9 | 7 | 54% | B+ |
| Grafton | 13% | 2.0 | 87 | 96% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Worcester
Where can I hike in Worcester?
The longest trail networks: Green Hill Park, 6.8 miles; Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 6.2 miles; Bovenzi Conservation Area, 2.3 miles; Crow Hill & Fitzgerald Brook Conservation Restriction, 2.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Worcester is conserved land?
11% 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 Worcester’s trails?
Green Hill Park and Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Worcester?
25 miles of bike routes are on the map: 16 of painted or protected lanes, 3.5 of off-road paths and 5.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Worcester?
38,206 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Worcester or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,705 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Worcester have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #225 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 Worcester 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 →