Arthur Davis Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
5,320 acres8.6 mi of trail
Mt Moses TrailWalker TrailReading Pond TrailRich Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Ymblanter · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Reading
Few parks or trails are on the map in Reading
The biggest trail networks: Arthur Davis Wildlife Management Area (8.6 mi), Coolidge State Forest (2.5 mi). 37% of Reading’s land is conserved, about 9,786 acres. 5,786 acres are parks and preserves, 8,278 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
37%
9,786 acres · of 41.1 sq mi of land
Trails
27 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,786 ac
8,278 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
22%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,602 ft
Mount Moses
Lakes & rivers
4
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 Arthur Davis WMA, with 8.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Coolidge State Forest
Nature preserve
1,074 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Knapp Brook Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
353 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
9,786 conserved acres
37% of Reading’s land. Who manages Reading’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits5,004 ac
Joint146 ac
State fish & wildlife102 ac
Not recorded7,043 ac
State Conservation Area · 5,699 acConservation Easement · 2,578 acAgricultural Easement · 1,757 acState Resource Management Area · 1,113 acUnknown Easement · 834 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,684 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 33 of 114 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Davis Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 5,349 | Open |
| Coolidge State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,113 | Open |
| Knapp Brook Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 350 | Open |
| New England Forestry Foundation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 255 | Unknown |
| VT (Vermont) Trade Lands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 59 | Closed |
Things to do
8 places to go in Reading
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Reading
Bartley Field
DirectionsPeaks in Reading
Mount Moses2,602 ft elevation · In Arthur Davis Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsMount Tom2,477 ft elevation · In Arthur Davis Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsThe Alps2,205 ft elevation · In Arthur Davis Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsShedd Hill2,152 ft elevation
DirectionsKeyes Mountain2,106 ft elevation
DirectionsBowen Hill1,686 ft elevation
DirectionsWardner Hill1,624 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
6 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.1 miHorses · 4.1 miUnpaved · 0.9 mi
Mt Moses Trail4.1 mi
Rich Trail1.4 mi
Reading Pond Trail0.9 mi
Walker Trail0.9 mi
Town Highway 510.6 mi
Chase 4 Corners Trail0.3 mi
Lakes & 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). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Reading: May and July 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 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 31 | 39 | 52 | 65 | 73 | 77 | 76 | 68 | 56 | 43 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Reading →
Next door
Reading 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| West Windsor | 16% | 1.5 | 18 | 7% | B+ |
| Cavendish | 20% | 0.2 | 2,537 | 53% | A− |
| Plymouth | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Woodstock | 17% | 1.3 | 282 | 36% | A |
| Bridgewater | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Reading
Where can I hike in Reading?
The longest trail networks: Arthur Davis Wildlife Management Area, 8.6 miles; Coolidge State Forest, 2.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Reading’s trails?
Arthur Davis Wildlife Management Area and Coolidge State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Reading?
49,693 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Reading or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,905 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Reading 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 →