Mecan River Fishery Area
Nature preserve
93 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Springfield
Few parks or trails are on the map in Springfield
4% of Springfield’s land is conserved, about 965 acres. 879 acres are parks and preserves, 1,086 per 1,000 residents. 3.1 miles of mapped trail cross Springfield, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
4%
965 acres · of 34.5 sq mi of land
Trails
3.1 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
879 ac
1,086 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
21%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
6
1 boat launch
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 Mecan River Fishery Area, with 0.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
965 conserved acres
4% of Springfield’s land. Who manages Springfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources883 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)82 ac
State Recreation Area · 875 acConservation Easement · 82 acRecreation or Education Easement · 7 acState Conservation Area · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 90 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caves Creek Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 390 | Open |
| Lawrence Creek Wildlife Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 382 | Open |
| Mecan River Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 96 | Open |
| John A Lawton Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 6 | Open |
| Statewide Habitat Areas State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1 | Restricted |
| Statewide Habitat Areas - Lm State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 1 | Open |
Things to do
3 places to go in Springfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Springfield
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Springfield
Johns Mountain
DirectionsCampgrounds in Springfield
Karner Meadow DCA
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.2 mi
Ice Age Trail - Karner Blue Segment1.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Springfield
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 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 31 | 43 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 59 | 44 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
February is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Springfield →
Next door
Springfield and its neighbors
Springfield has the second most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Newton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Westfield | under 1% | under 0.1 | 66 | 99%+ | C+ |
| Westfield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Coloma | — 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 Springfield
Where can I hike in Springfield?
The longest trail networks: Mecan River Fishery Area, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Springfield’s trails?
Mecan River Fishery Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Springfield?
20,396 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Springfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 879 of them inside the town line.
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 →