Land Management
It can be difficult to determine who owns, or manages, the various parcels of publicly accessible land. Below is an overview of the various areas of town as well as an overview of the various groups involved. For more detailed info use the online mapping tool at https://www.mapsonline.net/sherbornma/
Manages the Town Forest, the largest contiguous open space and trail system.
This broad swath (468 acres) of protected forest extends from near Framingham
to the Charles River, and includes Sherborn’s portion of the Bay Circuit Trail.
Manages a wide network of reservations at many locations, covering 931 acres.
While encouraging public use and access, it prioritizes wildlife habitat and thus
often routes trails around open fields and away from environmentally sensitive
locations.
is a state-wide organization that manages the Rocky Narrows property and the
Charles River riverfront land extending to Bridge Street/Farm Road (274 acres).
Broadmoor Sanctuary in Natick and Sherborn is a 624-acre property, of which
428 acres are within Sherborn, including Sherborn’s Little Farm Pond. As a
wildlife sanctuary, MAS has the strictest rules regarding use – no dog walking
or biking allowed, and horseback riding only on a small section of trail.
Sherborn Rural Land Foundation
A locally-funded nonprofit organization that has purchased and protected selected
lands in Sherborn for environmental protection, agriculture, and trails for
public use including Nason Hill Woods.