Conservation Areas and Trail Maps

 
Conservation Areas
 
Beaver Dam Brook Reservation
The Reservation consists of over 56 acres of conservation land and 137 acres of land owned by the Town of Lynnfield which also abuts open space property owned by the Lynnfield Center Water District. Access is provided in the rear of Centre Market at 588 Main Street or from Trog Hawley. The land, which contains Beaver Dam Brook, forms much of the watershed and recharge areas for the Lynnfield Center Water District well fields. The protection of these wetlands is essential. This is also a Groundwater Protection Overlay District. Efforts are currently underway to restore a number of previously existing footpaths and access points. (A trail map is currently under construction.)
 
Bow Ridge Reservation/Kallenberg Quarry
This conservation land is a substantial open space area in the southern part of town. Skull Rock is located in one of the quarries and is mentioned in the book "Weird Massachusetts". Access is available at the upper end of Ledge Road, on the Conservation Commission's easement at 57 Lynnbrook Road, and for hikers and mountain bikers from the parking lot behind Kelly Jeep on Route One (Rear 325 Broadway). The trail head is marked with Lynnfield Conservation Commission signage. The view from the top of the ledge formations is spectacular, revealing the entire Boston skyline. The area is highly recommended for hiking and walking.
 
Broad Meadows
This conservation area consists of 27.5 acres in eastern Lynnfield abutting the City of Peabody’s Winona Pond. The majority of this area is floodplain and not accessible during most of the year. Broad Meadows will be accessible with the opening of the proposed Rail Trail. (A trail map is planned for development.)
 
Essex West Green Belt
This area of 9.78 acres was the first parcel to be deeded to the Town under Green Belt Zoning. The developer set aside a portion of the land as open space and deeded it to the Town. This land is accessible from Jordan Road.
 
Reedy Meadow
Formerly known as the “Lynnfield Marsh”, Reedy Meadow is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in Massachusetts. It is located in the towns of Lynnfield and Wakefield. The majority of the Lynnfield portion of the meadow is owned by the Conservation Commission, Town of Lynnfield and National Development. The U. S. Department of the Interior designated Reedy Meadow as a National Natural Landmark. It is the major water retention area for the Saugus River Watershed, as well as a natural wildlife refuge. Lynnfield's Pillings Pond drains into the meadow. Currently, access along the former railroad bed near St. Paul's Church on Summer Street is not encouraged as it is privately owned by the MBTA. Once the Rail Trail is constructed and open, public access will be permissable at this location. 
 
Partridge Island in Reedy Meadow
Partridge Island has access from Main Street across from Heritage Lane. This entrance along a spring run-off brook leads to Reedy Meadow and Partridge Island. In recognition of the Bicentennial, a boardwalk was built in 1976 across a short distance of meadow connecting two small islands.  Over the years, routine repairs have been made to the original boardwalk by volunteers from the Boy Scouts, Saugus River Watershed Council, Conservation Commission members and Friends of Lake Quannapowit. Donations from Lynnfield Rotary Club, Lynnfield Initiative for the Elders (L.I.F.E.) and Kelly Automotive have assisted in restoring the existing boardwalk. The observation tower at the end of the two boardwalks was destroyed by a brush fire in 2014. In recent years, discussions have included the future construction of a low-level birding observation area.
 
Bennett Keenan Conservation Area/Ipswich River
The Ipswich River Conservation Area includes parcels owned by the Lynnfield Center Water District as well as the Bennett Keenan Conservation Area. These areas constitute a major portion of the Ipswich River Watershed in Lynnfield.  There are currently no public access points within Lynnfield, however, access is from the former Salem and Lowell railroad bed and from the bridge off Elm Street in North Reading. (A trail map is planned for development.)
 
Rotary Park at Pillings Pond
In 2005, the Town carved out a park for public access at the shoreline of Pillings Pond on Summer Street. The project included the cutting in of 7 parking spaces, landscaping, a sidewalk extension, installation of a Town-owned fishing dock and a lawned area. The Rotary Club of Lynnfield generously donated 9 park benches and trash receptacles. 
 
Pine Hill Conservation Area
This area consists of 9.5 acres of primarily woodland surrounded by residential properties. The land was the formerly known as the Mirabeau Fresh Air Camp and was transferred to the custody and control of the Conservation Commission in 1966. The two access points are the stub road (Littledale Road) between #4 and #6 Durham Drive, and the Mirabeau Lane cul-de-sac between #10 and #12 Mirabeau Lane.
 
 
Cider Mill Park
This area is a .8 acre parcel at 70 Walnut Street which is bisected by an perennial stream that drains into Reedy Meadow. This parcel is marked by a Lynnfield Historical Commission sign noting the original location of Gerry's Cider Mill, at one time the largest cider works in New England. Discussions are currently underway to provide a small park to the left side of the stream which would be accessible by pedestrians.
 
Playgrounds and Parks
 

Lynnfield Middle School, 505 Main Street
Lynnfield High School, 275 Essex Street
Summer Street School, 262 Summer Street
Huckleberry Hill School, 5 Knoll Road

Glen Meadow Park, 24 Trickett Road
Freeman Park, 0 Main Street
Lynnfield Town Common, 617 Main Street
Jordan Park, 3 Wildewood Drive
Newhall Park, 7 Oak Street

Golf Courses

There are three golf courses in Lynnfield: 

Sagamore Springs Golf Club is a privately-owned 18 hole course located on both sides of upper Main Street heading towards West Peabody and Middleton. This course has many wetland features over the 168 acres including rivers, streams, bordering vegetated wetlands and floodplain.

Reedy Meadow Golf Course (formerly known as the Centre Golf Course) is a Town-owned nine hole course located at 195 Summer Street. Exquisite views of Reedy Meadow are visible from the course.

King Rail Reserve (formerly Colonial Golf Course) opened on May 9, 2008 by the Town via a license from National Development, who recently purchased the Colonial site. April 2007 Town Meeting approved the zoning of the Colonial property to Massachusetts Chapter 40R status comprising a 65-acre campus which includes mixed-use retail, office and residential properties. 

Proposed Rail Trail

The Lynnfield section of the proposed rail trail is a 2.8 mile long multi-use path and boardwalk extending from Nichols Lane in Peabody through Lynnfield to Fosters Lane in Wakefield. The Wakefield Rail Trail will extend an additional 1.6 miles from Fosters Lane to the Wakefield's Galvin Middle School.

The rail trail corridor is the southern section of the former Newburyport Railroad that copnnected Lynnfield to Newburyport. This corridor connects, via Peabody and Danvers, to the Border to Boston Trail, a proposed 30-mile rail trail linking eith=gt Essex County communities - Danvers, Wenham, Topsfield, Boxford, Georgetown, Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury.

The 75% design process for the project was initiated by Stantec in early 2023 under direction of the Town Engineer. The project is currently listed on the State Transportation Improvement program for funding in 2026. More information is available here

 

Rules and Regulations for Conservation Areas

Lynnfield is proud of its many open spaces. The Conservation Commission acts as steward for many of these areas that are open to residents and visitors for active and passive recreation, or preserved for animal and plant habitat and resource protection. Rules and regulations for Lynnfield conservation areas are detailed in the Town of Lynnfield Chapter 320 Article II "Conservation Areas" and accessible at the link below:

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR CONSERVATION AREAS