Green Woodlands
Managed by Green Woodlands Foundation
11,226 acres70 mi of trail
Mudgetts Pond TrailNorris Hill TrailDorchester ConnectorTrout Pond Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Green Woodlands West
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Dorchester
Few parks or trails are on the map in Dorchester
The biggest trail networks: Green Woodlands (70 mi), Bear Hill Conservancy Land (4.1 mi). 13% of Dorchester’s land is conserved, about 3,823 acres. 111 miles of mapped trail cross Dorchester, 2.5 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
13%
3,823 acres · of 44.6 sq mi of land
Trails
111 mi
2.5 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,326 ft
Thompson Hill
Lakes & rivers
11
1 boat launch
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 Woodlands, with 70 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bear Hill Conservancy Land
Managed by Bear Hill Conservancy Trust
1,975 acres4.1 mi of trail
Headwaters Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Green Woodlands West
Baker River Site #8
Managed by New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
155 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Province Road State Forest
Managed by New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
499 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Green Woodlands11,226 acres · 70 mi of trail · Green Woodlands Foundation
DirectionsBear Hill Conservancy Land1,975 acres · 4.1 mi of trail · Bear Hill Conservancy Trust
DirectionsBaker River Site #8155 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Province Road State Forest499 acres · New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
Cardigan Highlands - Green Acre Woodlands110 acres
Appalachian National Scenic Trail62 acres
Melody Wildlife Area26 acres · Town of Dorchester
Who protects it
3,823 conserved acres
13% of Dorchester’s land. Who manages Dorchester’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government2,767 ac
State fish & wildlife2,656 ac
State natural resources274 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits242 ac
Other state land154 ac
Joint135 ac
Private owners135 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,339 acUnknown Easement · 2,902 acState Resource Management Area · 511 acOther Easement · 154 acNational Forest · 75 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,209 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 24 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Province Road State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 511 | Unknown |
| White Mountain National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 75 | Open |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 61 | Open |
| Melody Wildlife Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 27 | Unknown |
Things to do
8 places to go in Dorchester
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Dorchester
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Dorchester
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Dorchester
Thompson Hill2,326 ft elevation
DirectionsMudgetts Pond Hill2,159 ft elevation · In Green Woodlands
DirectionsNorris Hill2,106 ft elevation · In Green Woodlands
DirectionsPollard Hill2,103 ft elevation
DirectionsKimball Hill2,080 ft elevation
DirectionsStreeter Mountain1,903 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.4 miUnpaved · 37.0 mi
Corridor 244.3 mi
Mudgetts Pond Trail3.5 mi
Norris Hill Trail3.2 mi
Dorchester Connector3.1 mi
Headwaters Trail2.7 mi
Trout Pond Loop2.5 mi
Black Bog Trail2.5 mi
Middle Trail2.4 mi
Spur Trail1.9 mi
Carriage Loop1.8 mi
15 more trails
Town Line Pond Trail
1.8 miBrook Trail
1.7 miWagon Wheel
1.7 miQuimby Bike Trail
1.6 miLower Sheep Farm
1.6 miWest Loop
1.5 miSix Mile Trail
1.5 miMoose Tracks
1.5 miSmarts Mountain Trail
1.4 miSanborn Trail
1.3 miConnector
1.3 miEast Loop
1.3 miPout Pond Trail
1.2 miLedge
1.2 miRidge Trail
1.1 miHistory along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Dorchester: May, August and 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) | 28 | 31 | 39 | 53 | 66 | 74 | 78 | 77 | 69 | 56 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Dorchester →
Next door
Dorchester and its neighbors
Dorchester has the most mapped trails of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Groton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Canaan | 17% | 0.7 | 2 | 9% | B− |
| Wentworth | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lyme | 39% | 1.9 | 204 | 17% | A |
| Orange | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rumney | 48% | 0.9 | 18 | 7% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dorchester
Where can I hike in Dorchester?
The longest trail networks: Green Woodlands, 70 miles; Bear Hill Conservancy Land, 4.1 miles; Baker River Site #8, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Dorchester’s trails?
Green Woodlands and Bear Hill Conservancy Land don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Dorchester?
37,793 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dorchester or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 213 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Dorchester 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 →