Photo: hhm8 · CC BY 2.016% of Boston’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 16% of Boston’s land is conserved, about 31 acres. 23 acres are parks and preserves, 140 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
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31 conserved acres
16% of Boston’s land. Water is left out: Boston has 0.3 square miles of land and 0.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Boston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 4 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Ballfield Park Local Park | Not recorded | 20 | Unknown |
| Great Allegheny Passage Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
| Boston United Methodist Church Field Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 5 | Open |
2 places to go in Boston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
The best walking months in Boston: April and August
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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 42 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 53 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Boston →
Boston and its neighbors
Boston has the second most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Elizabeth Township | 13% | 0.9 | 112 | 77% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Boston
Where can I bike in Boston?
1.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Boston?
12,298 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Boston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 23 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Boston neighbors.
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 →