North Falmouth Community Forest
Managed by Falmouth Land Trust
426 acres6.9 mi of trail
Outback TrailWhite TrailSnowmobile Falmouth TrailEpiphany Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Norton House Historic District · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Falmouth
Falmouth has 104 miles of mapped trails, 3.6 for every square mile of land
17% of Falmouth’s land is conserved, about 3,195 acres. 941 acres are parks and preserves, 74 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: North Falmouth Community Forest (6.9 mi), Blackstrap Hill Preserve (6.2 mi), Hadlock Community Forest (4.8 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #4 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
3,195 acres · of 29.4 sq mi of land
Trails
104 mi
3.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
941 ac
74 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
69%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.1 mi
2.7 mi lanes · 0.4 mi paths
Highest peak
495 ft
Blackstrap Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
5 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Falmouth?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Falmouth have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Falmouth is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #4 of 143 in Maine. 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 Falmouth’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (104 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land74 acres of park per 1,000 residents (941 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home69% of residents within a half mile of a park · ME 30% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)Ahead of 98%
Water is 19% of Falmouth’s area (7 of 36 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 14%.
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 North Falmouth Community Forest, with 6.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Blackstrap Hill Preserve
Nature preserve
334 acres6.2 mi of trail
Red TrailGreenline TrailWhite LoopFalmouth SnoVoyagers+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hadlock Community Forest
Nature preserve
308 acres4.8 mi of trail
Perimeter TrailFalmouth Sno-VoyagersHobbs Brook TrailHighland Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Blackstrap Hill Community Forest
Nature preserve
209 acres4.5 mi of trail
River TrailHappy Cats TrailRocky Ridge TrailHayfield Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Woods Road Preserve
Nature preserve
227 acres4.2 mi of trail
Raggedy Run TrailTurkey TrailSerenity Ridge TrailMoose Maple Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Falmouth Community Park
Park
165 acres4.1 mi of trail
Cross Falmouth TrailRed TrailYellow TrailGreen Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Falmouth Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
88 acres3 mi of trail
redwhiteorangeblue+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Gilsland Farm Audubon Center
Nature preserve
67 acres2.4 mi of trail
North Meadow TrailWest Meadow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Gilsland Farm Road
All 49 parks & preserves
North Falmouth Community Forest426 acres · 6.9 mi of trail · Falmouth Land Trust
DirectionsBlackstrap Hill Preserve334 acres · 6.2 mi of trail
Hadlock Community Forest308 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBlackstrap Hill Community Forest209 acres · 4.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWoods Road Preserve227 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFalmouth Community Park165 acres · 4.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFalmouth Nature Preserve88 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsGilsland Farm Audubon Center67 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMackworth Island State Park86 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRiver Point Conservation Area78 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRidgewood Preserve84 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
Pine Grove Preserve33 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMcCrann Preserve79 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsUnderwood Springs Preserve50 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPleasant Hill Woods Preserve25 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Falmouth Land Trust
Suckfish Brook Conservation Area139 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsHardy Road Conservation Area66 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsStone Ridge Open Space47 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Tidewater Farm Preserve41 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHurricane Valley Farm88 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMorrill-Stillings Bird Preserve26 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Falmouth Town Forest22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Underwood School Park12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPresumpscot River Preserve20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodman Preserve7 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsClapboard Island15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Ledges Preserve13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsFalmouth Conservation Corridor I24 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Falmouth Land Trust
Carr Preserve15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Walton Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFalmouth Legion Complex13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHighland Lake Boat Launch6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHadlock Community Forest 34 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Central Falmouth Conservation Corridor4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Blackstrap Canoe Launch3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEast Branch Conservation Area60 acres
McLaughlin Preserve40 acres
DirectionsLongwoods Road Forest32 acres
Stormy Brook21 acres
Falmouth Crossing Open Space17 acres
DirectionsBrickyard Point16 acres
High Meadows Conservation Area15 acres
Village Park14 acres
DirectionsBerle Mill Pond10 acres
Twin Ponds Open Space5 acres
Huston School Park4 acres
DirectionsOak Nuts Park2 acres
DirectionsGrave School Park2 acres
Wayne and Halvor Merrill Forest1 acres · Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine
Who protects it
3,195 conserved acres
17% of Falmouth’s land. Water is left out: Falmouth has 29.4 square miles of land and 6.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Falmouth’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,105 ac
Regional agency1,370 ac
State fish & wildlife924 ac
Town or city668 ac
Other state land263 ac
State parks173 ac
State conservation76 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 2,071 acConservation Easement · 1,843 acUnknown · 657 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 584 acUnknown Easement · 522 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 764 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 81 of 162 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 802 | Unknown |
| Blackstrap Hill Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 566 | Closed |
| Town of Falmouth Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 562 | Open |
| North Falmouth Community Forest Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 259 | Unknown |
| Central Falmouth Conservation Corridor Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 228 | Closed |
| Hadlock Forest Unknown | Regional agency | 213 | Unknown |
| Woods Road Community Forest Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 124 | Unknown |
| Miscellaneous Municipal Lands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 103 | Unknown |
| Schoot Dept Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 91 | Unknown |
| Mackworth Island State Park State Park | State parks | 86 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
28 places to go in Falmouth
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Falmouth
5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Falmouth
2 swimming spots without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Falmouth
9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Falmouth
Highland Lake Boat LaunchIn Highland Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsTown Landing
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Falmouth
Presumpscot Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Falmouth
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Falmouth
Blackstrap Hill495 ft elevation
DirectionsLeighton Hill476 ft elevation
DirectionsPoplar Ridge436 ft elevation · In North Falmouth Community Forest
DirectionsBlackstrap Hill423 ft elevation
DirectionsSturdivant Hill161 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Falmouth
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Falmouth
Hurricane Valley FarmIn Hurricane Valley Farm
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 40.8 miHorses · 0.7 miUnpaved · 60.9 mi
Snowmobile Falmouth Trail11.3 mi
Cross Falmouth Trail3.9 mi
Falmouth Sno-Voyagers3.8 mi
Falmouth SnoVoyagers2.4 mi
River Trail2.3 mi
Perimeter Trail1.7 mi
Outback Trail1.6 mi
White Trail1.5 mi
Raggedy Run Trail1.5 mi
Red Trail1.5 mi
15 more trails
Rocky Ridge Trail
1.2 miHappy Cats Trail
0.9 miNorth Meadow Trail
0.9 miGreenline Trail
0.9 miFraxinus Trail
0.9 miTurkey Trail
0.8 miWhite Loop
0.8 miHobbs Brook Trail
0.8 miBobcat Trail
0.8 miEpiphany Trail
0.8 miHayfield Trail
0.8 miSerenity Ridge Trail
0.8 mired
0.8 miHuston Trail
0.7 miwhite
0.7 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
3.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
33Tennis
9Baseball
7Field hockey
6Soccer
5Basketball
5Pickleball
4Multi-sport
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Thomas Skelton HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itFalmouth HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itHall's TavernBuilding · listed 1978
About itElisha Purington HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itBaxter Summer HomeBuilding · listed 1985
About itNorton House Historic DistrictBuilding · listed 2004
About itPayson House at ThornhurstBuilding · listed 2005
About itFalmouth High SchoolBuilding · listed 2016
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Falmouth: 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 34 | 42 | 53 | 64 | 73 | 79 | 78 | 70 | 58 | 47 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 |
January is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Falmouth →
Next door
Falmouth and its neighbors
Falmouth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falmouth | 17% | 3.6 | 74 | 69% | A |
| Portland | 15% | 3.2 | 20 | 97% | A |
| Westbrook | 5% | 1.9 | 21 | 80% | A− |
| Cumberland | 11% | 1.6 | 39 | 32% | A− |
| Long Island | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Windham | 5% | 0.7 | 33 | 20% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Falmouth
Where can I hike in Falmouth?
The longest trail networks: North Falmouth Community Forest, 6.9 miles; Blackstrap Hill Preserve, 6.2 miles; Hadlock Community Forest, 4.8 miles; Blackstrap Hill Community Forest, 4.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Falmouth is conserved land?
17% of its land, against a typical 6% for a Maine town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Falmouth’s trails?
North Falmouth Community Forest and Blackstrap Hill Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Falmouth?
3.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.7 of painted or protected lanes and 0.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Falmouth?
6,873 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Falmouth or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 941 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Falmouth have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #4 of 143 in Maine. 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 Falmouth 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 →