C.C. Putnam State Forest
Nature preserve
8,949 acres8.6 mi of trail
Skyline TrailMount Worcester TrailClass IVMiddlesex Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Worcester
More than half of Worcester’s land is conserved: 54%
54% of Worcester’s land is conserved, about 13,411 acres. The biggest trail networks: C.C. Putnam State Forest (8.6 mi), Worcester Town Forest (0.9 mi). 666 acres are parks and preserves, 802 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
54%
13,411 acres · of 38.6 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
666 ac
802 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
25%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,642 ft
Mount Putnam
Lakes & rivers
2
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 C.C. Putnam State Forest, with 8.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Worcester Town Forest
Nature preserve
252 acres0.9 mi of trail
Mount Worcester TrailSkyline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve
Nature preserve
265 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Worcester Woods Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
194 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
13,411 conserved acres
54% of Worcester’s land. Who manages Worcester’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife2,103 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,979 ac
Other state land45 ac
State conservation12 ac
Not recorded9,501 ac
State Resource Management Area · 8,948 acConservation Easement · 3,827 acLocal Resource Management Area · 262 acPrivate Conservation · 223 acState Conservation Area · 184 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,782 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 16 of 44 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| C.C. Putnam State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 8,948 | Open |
| Worcester Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 252 | Unknown |
| Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 214 | Open |
| Worcester Woods Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 184 | Open |
| Worcester Village Waterworks Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 13 | Unknown |
| Worcester Doty School Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 10 | Unknown |
| Vermont Riverlands Private Conservation | Not recorded | 10 | Restricted |
Things to do
10 places to go in Worcester
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Scenic views in Worcester
Vista SinclairIn C.C. Putnam State Forest
DirectionsPlus 5 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Worcester
Mount Putnam3,642 ft elevation · In C.C. Putnam State Forest
DirectionsMount Hunger3,553 ft elevation · In C.C. Putnam State Forest
DirectionsMount Worcester3,274 ft elevation · In C.C. Putnam State Forest
DirectionsWest Hill2,280 ft elevation · In C.C. Putnam State Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 7.2 mi
Skyline Trail5.1 mi
Mount Worcester Trail2.2 mi
Class IV1.1 mi
Middlesex Trail0.6 mi
Town Highway 280.4 mi
Waterbury Trail0.2 mi
Hogback Trail0.1 mi
White Rock Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →2 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 Worcester: May, August 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) | 23 | 25 | 34 | 46 | 60 | 68 | 72 | 71 | 64 | 51 | 39 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 72 °F). 5.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Worcester →
Next door
Worcester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Stowe | 46% | 2.5 | 437 | 29% | A |
| Calais | 10% | 0.2 | 213 | 25% | B |
| Middlesex | 18% | 0.4 | 630 | under 1% | B+ |
| Elmore | — 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 Worcester
Where can I hike in Worcester?
The longest trail networks: C.C. Putnam State Forest, 8.6 miles; Worcester Town Forest, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Worcester’s trails?
C.C. Putnam State Forest and Worcester Town Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Worcester?
50,164 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Worcester or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 9,655 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Worcester 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 →