Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
6,125 acres3.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Walden
Few parks or trails are on the map in Walden
The biggest trail networks: Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management Area (3.7 mi). 27% of Walden’s land is conserved, about 6,594 acres. 6,150 acres are parks and preserves, 5,931 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
27%
6,594 acres · of 38.6 sq mi of land
Trails
11 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,150 ac
5,931 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
26%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.3 mi
6.3 mi paths
Highest peak
2,556 ft
Stannard Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
3 boat launches
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 Steam Brook Mill WMA, with 3.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
6,594 conserved acres
27% of Walden’s land. Who manages Walden’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits592 ac
State conservation230 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)229 ac
State natural resources54 ac
Not recorded6,128 ac
State Conservation Area · 6,128 acConservation Easement · 694 acAgricultural Easement · 410 acState Other or Unknown · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 465 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 16 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Mill Brook Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 6,128 | Open |
| Lyford Pond Access State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1 | Open |
Things to do
9 places to go in Walden
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Walden
Waterfalls in Walden
Cheever FallsIn Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsPeaks in Walden
Stannard Mountain2,556 ft elevation
DirectionsRound Mountain2,539 ft elevation · In Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsKittredge Hills2,395 ft elevation · In Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsMeadow Mountain2,274 ft elevation · In Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsBear MountainIn Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.2 mi
Stevens Hill East0.6 mi
Stevens Hill West0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.3 mi
off-road bike paths
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Christian Union Society MeetinghouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Walden: 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 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 26 | 35 | 48 | 61 | 70 | 74 | 72 | 65 | 52 | 39 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 74 °F). 5.3 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Walden →
Next door
Walden and its neighbors
Walden has the second most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walden | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Stannard | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hardwick | 11% | 0.5 | 161 | 31% | B+ |
| Cabot | 13% | 0.2 | 670 | 23% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Walden
Where can I hike in Walden?
The longest trail networks: Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management Area, 3.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Walden’s trails?
Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Walden?
6.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Walden?
33,925 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Walden or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,151 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Walden 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 →