Hartness Park
Park
117 acres3 mi of trail
Governor's TrailLena's LandingHillibard's trailDouble Creek Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Springfield
Springfield has 983 acres of parks, 108 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Hartness Park (3 mi), Muckross State Park (1.3 mi). 6% of Springfield’s land is conserved, about 1,744 acres. 59% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns · #51 of 71 in Vermont. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
1,744 acres · of 49.2 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
983 ac
108 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
59%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.8 mi
2.8 mi paths
Highest peak
1,470 ft
Mount Ephraim
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Springfield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Springfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Springfield is ahead of 68% of U.S. towns, #51 of 71 in Vermont. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Springfield’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical VT town 14% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (14 mi) · VT 0.6 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land108 acres of park per 1,000 residents (983 acres) · VT 97 · U.S. 13AParks close to home59% of residents within a half mile of a park · VT 38% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 68%
LessMore
Vermont towns of 2,500+ (71)Ahead of 29%
Vermont towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 14%; the U.S., 4%), so Springfield’s 6% is ahead of 13% of Vermont towns, while its trails per square mile lead 16% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Hartness Park, with 3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Muckross State Park
Managed by Vermont State Parks
195 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 9 parks & preserves
Hartness Park117 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsMuckross State Park195 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Vermont State Parks
Riverside Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStellafane-East78 acres
Hoyt Landing Access59 acres
DirectionsStellafane-West (Breezy Hill)2 acres · Springfield Telescope Makers Club
Freedom Park2 acres
The Commons Park2 acres
Directionsamphitheater1 acres
Who protects it
1,744 conserved acres
6% of Springfield’s land. Who manages Springfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits763 ac
Joint514 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)383 ac
State parks42 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government38 ac
Town or city35 ac
Not recorded830 ac
Conservation Easement · 870 acAgricultural Easement · 474 acUnknown Easement · 390 acLocal Resource Management Area · 296 acState Conservation Area · 220 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 873 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 49 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 296 | Unknown |
| Skitchewaug Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 220 | Open |
| Muckross State Park | Not recorded | 204 | Open |
| Hoyt Landing Access State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 59 | Open |
| New England Forestry Foundation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 51 | Unknown |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Freedom Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| N. Springfield Rec. Area Local Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 6 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Commons Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
Things to do
26 places to go in Springfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Springfield
springfield poolIn Riverside Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Springfield
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Springfield
Hoyts LandingIn Hoyt Landing Access
DirectionsScenic views in Springfield
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Springfield
Mount Ephraim1,470 ft elevation
DirectionsLitchfield Hill1,319 ft elevation
DirectionsPudding Hill1,289 ft elevation
DirectionsBond Hill1,263 ft elevation
DirectionsWhitney Hill1,237 ft elevation
DirectionsCobble Hill1,198 ft elevation
DirectionsPudding Hill1,194 ft elevation
DirectionsPond Hill1,129 ft elevation
Directions7 more peaks
Rattlesnake Hill1,017 ft elevation
DirectionsSkitchewaug Mountain1,014 ft elevation
DirectionsRandall Hill988 ft elevation
DirectionsHogan Hill935 ft elevation
DirectionsSkitchewaug Mountain869 ft elevation
DirectionsChestnut Hill751 ft elevation
DirectionsCraigue Hill
DirectionsCampgrounds in Springfield
Tree Farm Campground
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Springfield
Blue Star GardenSpringfield Garden Club
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.2 mi
Governor's Trail0.7 mi
Lena's Landing0.5 mi
Hillibard's trail0.3 mi
Double Creek Trail0.2 mi
Spring Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
8Baseball
6Pickleball
6Tennis
4Basketball
3Soccer
1Volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Eureka SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itHartness HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itLockwood-Boynton HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itSpringfield Downtown Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itGen. Lewis R. Morris HouseDistrict · listed 1992
About itGould's Mill BridgeStructure · listed 2006
About itSouthview Housing Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2007
About itSpencer Hollow SchoolBuilding · listed 2012
About itPark Street SchoolBuilding · listed 2020
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Springfield: 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 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 34 | 42 | 56 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 59 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Springfield →
Next door
Springfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | 6% | 0.3 | 108 | 59% | B+ |
| Chester | 4% | 0.8 | 185 | 3% | B |
| Weathersfield | 15% | 0.4 | 362 | 32% | B+ |
| Rockingham | 11% | 0.2 | 63 | 71% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Springfield
Where can I hike in Springfield?
The longest trail networks: Hartness Park, 3 miles; Muckross State Park, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Springfield is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 14% for a Vermont town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Springfield’s trails?
Hartness Park and Muckross State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Springfield?
2.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Springfield?
19,359 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Springfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 988 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Springfield have?
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #51 of 71 in Vermont. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Springfield 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 →