Windmill Ridge Nature Reserve
Nature preserve
396 acres4 mi of trail
West Cliff TrailRidgeline TrailParsons CutoffWindmill Hill Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Brookline
Few parks or trails are on the map in Brookline
The biggest trail networks: Windmill Ridge Nature Reserve (4 mi), Deer Run Nature Preserve (1.8 mi), Putney Town Forest (1 mi). 13% of Brookline’s land is conserved, about 1,049 acres. 529 acres are parks and preserves, 996 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
13%
1,049 acres · of 12.9 sq mi of land
Trails
10 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
529 ac
996 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
13%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,657 ft
Putney Mountain
Lakes & rivers
1
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 Windmill Ridge Nature Reserve, with 4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Deer Run Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
432 acres1.8 mi of trail
North TrailShoulder TrailDeer Run Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Putney Town Forest
Nature preserve
93 acres1 mi of trail
West Cliff TrailRidgeline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
77 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
1,049 conserved acres
13% of Brookline’s land. Who manages Brookline’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,422 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service156 ac
Not recorded94 ac
Conservation Easement · 885 acAgricultural Easement · 317 acUnknown Easement · 220 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 156 acLocal Resource Management Area · 94 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 877 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 44 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silvio O. Conte National Fish And Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 156 | Restricted |
| Putney Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 94 | Unknown |
Things to do
1 places to go in Brookline
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Brookline
Putney Mountain1,657 ft elevation · In Windmill Ridge Nature Reserve
DirectionsTrails & water
11 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
West Cliff Trail2.5 mi
North Trail1.3 mi
Windmill Hill Trail1.2 mi
Ridgeline Trail1.1 mi
Radford-Smith Trail0.9 mi
Parsons Cutoff0.6 mi
Cascade Trail0.4 mi
Shoulder Trail0.4 mi
Hinton Tail0.2 mi
Dine Trail0.2 mi
1 more trails
Deer Run Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Tennis
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).
When to get out
The best walking months in Brookline: 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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 42 | 55 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
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 Brookline →
Next door
Brookline and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookline | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Newfane | 7% | 0.1 | 283 | 28% | B− |
| Putney | 8% | 1.1 | 29 | 16% | B+ |
| Westminster | 13% | 0.6 | 99 | 11% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Brookline
Where can I hike in Brookline?
The longest trail networks: Windmill Ridge Nature Reserve, 4 miles; Deer Run Nature Preserve, 1.8 miles; Putney Town Forest, 1 miles; Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Brookline’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Windmill Ridge Nature Reserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Brookline?
15,978 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Brookline or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 529 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Brookline 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 →