Groton State Forest
Nature preserve
13,533 acres13.2 mi of trail
Cross Cut TrailPeacham Bog LoopKettle Pond Loop TrailLittle Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Groton
Few parks or trails are on the map in Groton
The biggest trail networks: Groton State Forest (13.2 mi), Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area (0.9 mi). 48% of Groton’s land is conserved, about 16,584 acres. 649 acres are parks and preserves, 671 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
48%
16,584 acres · of 53.8 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
649 ac
671 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
29%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.6 mi
8.6 mi paths
Highest peak
3,323 ft
Signal Mountain
Lakes & rivers
6
3 beaches
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 Groton State Forest, with 13.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Vermont Fish & Wildlife
375 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Levi Pond Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
259 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 5 parks & preserves
Groton State Forest13,533 acres · 13.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Mountain Wildlife Management Area375 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Vermont Fish & Wildlife
DirectionsLevi Pond Wildlife Management Area259 acres · Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
Boulder Beach State Park15 acres
DirectionsGroton Nature Center1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
16,584 conserved acres
48% of Groton’s land. Who manages Groton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits3,599 ac
State parks1,927 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)28 ac
Town or city2 ac
State conservation2 ac
Not recorded13,591 ac
State Resource Management Area · 13,291 acConservation Easement · 2,536 acAgricultural Easement · 1,638 acUnknown Easement · 925 acState Conservation Area · 626 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,538 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 18 of 76 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groton State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 13,291 | Open |
| Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 368 | Open |
| Levi Pond Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 258 | Open |
| St. Hilaire State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 117 | Open |
| Lake Groton Dam State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 16 | Unknown |
Things to do
11 places to go in Groton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Groton
Boulder Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Groton
Signal Mountain3,323 ft elevation · In Groton State Forest
DirectionsBurnt Mountain3,100 ft elevation · In Groton State Forest
DirectionsLittle Spruce Mountain2,487 ft elevation · In Groton State Forest
DirectionsJerry Lund Mountain2,047 ft elevation
DirectionsWesson Hill1,791 ft elevation · In Levi Pond Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in Groton
Big Deer Recreation AreaIn Groton State Forest
DirectionsKettle Pond State Park CampgroundIn Groton State Forest
DirectionsRicker Pond State ParkIn Groton State Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 1.7 miUnpaved · 8.5 mi
Cross Cut Trail1.2 mi
Peacham Bog Loop1.0 mi
Kettle Pond Loop Trail0.9 mi
Little Loop Trail0.8 mi
Groton Nature Trail0.4 mi
Telephone Line Trail0.4 mi
Connector Trail0.3 mi
Hosmer Brook Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.6 mi
off-road bike paths
History along the way
History →4 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 Groton: May 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 29 | 38 | 51 | 65 | 73 | 77 | 76 | 68 | 55 | 42 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 5.0 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Groton →
Next door
Groton and its neighbors
Groton has the second 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ryegate | 10% | 0.1 | 1,233 | 16% | B |
| Topsham | 12% | 0.3 | 1,632 | 2% | B |
| Marshfield | 30% | 0.4 | 32 | 15% | B+ |
| Peacham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Orange | 20% | 0.6 | 1,570 | 30% | A− |
| Plainfield | 13% | 0.2 | 510 | 45% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Groton
Where can I hike in Groton?
The longest trail networks: Groton State Forest, 13.2 miles; Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Groton’s trails?
Groton State Forest and Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Groton?
8.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Groton?
41,936 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Groton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 14,151 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Groton 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 →