High Ridge Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 5
High Ridge Wildlife Management Area is 1,040 acres of MassWildlife land in Ashburnham, Gardner and Westminster (Worcester County), in Wildlife Management Zone 5. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 917 deer in Zone 5 in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 4 parking areas for the property with room for about 40 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's High Ridge WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landState forest and park land (DCR)High Ridge WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 1,040 acres (MassWildlife), in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Ashburnham, Gardner and Westminster |
| County | Worcester |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 5 |
| MassWildlife district | Central District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 4 lots, about 40 spaces |
| Pheasant | Stocked; blaze orange hat required in pheasant season |
| Deer taken in Zone 5, 2025 | 917 (541 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Westminster (under a mile), Gardner (under a mile) and Ashburnham (3 mi) |
What is High Ridge WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "High Ridge WMA contains a combination of grassland areas, rolling forested lands, and beaver-enhanced wetlands. Scattered apple trees and many acres of grassy fields serve as a reminder that the area was once a working farm. MassWildlife maintains the fields by mowing annually to support the birds, mammals, and insects that thrive in grasslands. Watch for wildlife near the edges of field and forest as this habitat is often used by white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and hawks. Several maintenance roads wind through the WMA and can be used for walking, hiking, birding, cross-country skiing, and hunting access. On a clear day, Mount Monadnock to the north and Mount Wachusett to the south can be seen from the high point of Beech Hill. This was once the site of the Gardner State Hospital. Today, a Department of Corrections facility abuts the WMA."
On wildlife: "More than 100 nest boxes are installed near the abandoned roads and field edges, offering a unique opportunity to observe cavity-nesting birds. Virtually every box is occupied during the nesting season by tree swallows, eastern bluebirds, house wrens, or black-capped chickadees. Watch the nest boxes from a short distance away to observe adult birds bringing food to their chicks. The wetland areas support uncommon marsh birds and great blue herons. This is also a popular spot for observing the fall hawk migration in mid-September."
Quoted from MassWildlife's High Ridge WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting High Ridge WMA?
"This WMA is stocked with ring-necked pheasants during the fall season. The mix of field and forest attracts white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, eastern coyotes, and foxes. The wetlands support wood ducks and mallards, while snowshoe hares frequent their marshy borders. Canada geese are often found in the fields."
Its rules for the area: "During pheasant season, a blaze orange hat must be worn by all hunters except while night-hunting raccoon or opossum or while hunting waterfowl from within a blind or boat."
How do you get into High Ridge WMA?
"There are three major access points and parking lots at High Ridge. The two eastern accesses are located in Westminster at the end of Overlook and East Gardner Roads respectively. The western access is in Gardner, off of Route 140 via Smith Street. It is marked with a "Wildlife Viewing Area" sign."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parking | 20 | Dirt | Good | 42.58483 | -71.95504 |
| Maintained | 5 | Paved | Good | 42.57759 | -71.94738 |
| Unmaintained | 5 | Dirt | Fair | 42.57241 | -71.92034 |
| Parking | 10 | Paved | Good | 42.58236 | -71.91794 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 2, MA 140, MA 12, MA 101, MA 68 and MA 31. Distances to the nearest town centers: Westminster under a mile, Gardner under a mile, Ashburnham 3 miles and Fitchburg 5 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Scripture Hill (7 miles), Hubbardston (7 miles), Winchendon Springs (8 miles).
When can you hunt deer on High Ridge WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 5: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 337 deer to archers and 411 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 5 | 2,358 | 917 | 541 | 798 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on High Ridge WMA?
It is stocked with pheasant, so every hunter must wear a blaze orange hat during pheasant season, except raccoon and opossum hunters at night and waterfowl hunters in a blind or boat. Under 321 CMR 3.01, camping, fires and target practice need the Director's written permission, vehicles stay on roads open to traffic, and dogs must be leashed unless hunting or training with a licensed hunter.
Source: MassWildlife WMA regulations.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on High Ridge WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 5, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is High Ridge WMA in?
Zone 5, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 917 deer in Zone 5 in 2025, 541 of them adult males, after 798 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for High Ridge WMA?
MassWildlife maps 4 parking areas: a lot (about 20 cars, dirt); Maintained (about 5 cars, paved); Unmaintained (about 5 cars, dirt); a lot (about 10 cars, paved). Its fact sheet adds: "There are three major access points and parking lots at High Ridge. The two eastern accesses are located in Westminster at the end of Overlook and East Gardner Roads respectively. The western access is in Gardner, off of Route 140 via Smith Street."
What can you hunt on High Ridge WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "This WMA is stocked with ring-necked pheasants during the fall season. The mix of field and forest attracts white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, eastern coyotes, and foxes. The wetlands support wood ducks and mallards, while snowshoe hares frequent their marshy borders. Canada geese are often found in the fields."
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Sources: MassWildlife fact sheet; MassWildlife Lands (MassGIS); MassWildlife parking for recreation; MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates); MassWildlife WMA regulations; public land MassGIS Protected and Recreational OpenSpace for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land; towns U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, towns (county subdivisions). FilledTag is not part of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife).