Moore State Park

January 12, 2020 Sunny

Moore State Park is famous for its restored grist mill and waterfall, and flowers. We were surprised at how full the parking lot was. This park seems to be popular year round. There is also a handicap parking area separate from the main lot, so it is also a handicap friendly park.

We started on the Enchanta Trail which leads to Eames Pond. This narrow Enchanta Trail was lined with huge rhododendrons on both sides, which could be very pretty when the flowers are blooming. Unfortunately we visited on a winter day and the grounds were muddy.

The Enchanta Trail opens up to the beautiful Eames Pond. There was a covered bridge spanning across a small waterfall, which flows and eventually powers the grist mill.

The pond was quite frozen, but there were several chairs on the bank. On a warmer day this would have been an amazing place to relax.

We took the Stairway Loop Trail which first hugged the pond, and then eventually veered into the woods. We came out near the restored grist mill. It opens up to a large field and picnic areas. Some kids were playing ball on the open areas and seniors were enjoying the sun on the benches.

Even though we came in the winter, I can see that this place would be filled with flowers from the spring to the fall. In addition to the grist mill and the pond, it is a beautiful and peaceful place to spend an afternoon.

I enjoyed the large rhododendrons, the stream, and the grist mill. A lot of variety packed into a compact park.
Trails were muddy but the grist mill was unique.
Sooo boring. I’m getting sick of walking in the woods every Sunday the entire day.
The trail and the lake was nice and had a good view.
The trail was muddy.

For more information: Moore State Park official site

Wells State Park

January 12, 2020 Sunny

Wells State Park is located near Sturbridge around a pond called Walker Pond. There is a campground and boat ramps for outdoor activities in the summer. We went on a warm winter day, when the snow on the ground had melted and puddled on the trails.

From the parking lot, there’s a side trail to a small pond called Mill Pond. After this side trail, the road went uphill to a large picnic tent and a signpost marking the “Walker Homestead”. Although nothing was left of the Walker family’s homestead, the nearby Walker Pond was probably named after them.

Past the sign, there were two major loops – the North Trail and the South Trail. We chose the North Trail and followed up to the Carpenter Rocks, named after John Carpenter who operated a sawmill nearby. Carpenter Rocks was a ledge that overlooked the surrounding areas, but we could not see Walker Pond or Mill Pond from the ledge.

In general, the trails were not too strenuous, but muddy and flooded at places and icy at other places. It wasn’t very pleasant. This is a park that’s better experienced in the fall, or as part of a camping trip.

Trails are quite rocky and rutted and better when dry. Views from the cliffs were pretty generic.
The trails were too muddy and quite ordinary. Views were limited.
This was a huge waste of time. All the views we attempted to see were garbage, just trees for many miles, and dead ones at that. The only highlight was when Ryan slipped on the ice after specifically saying that he wouldn’t slip on it.
The day was very warm and the view was great from the hill.
I liked the hill view and Ryan slipped on the ice .

For more information: Wells State Park official site

Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park

October 20, 2019 Sunny

This state park is along the midpoint of a canal that was used to transport goods in the 1800s from the Worcester area south to ports in Providence, Rhode Island. It’s also within the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, a park dedicated to the early years of the American Industrial Revolution.

We visited the River Bend Farm with the park, to learn about the history of the canal, and to walk the canal towpath.

The farm is by a wider and peaceful section of the canal.

Once you cross the bridge you can join the path, which is mainly for pedestrians.

There is a 1.5 mile section you can follow along the canal south from the farm, but we walked a shorter path north to the dam.

After this we drove a few minutes to check out the Blackstone River Greenway. This is a really well-maintained, flat path that follows an old railroad bed.

The riding is easy and passes through forested areas, open sections, across old bridges spanning rivers, and past small towns.

There are very few road crossings, which makes it great for younger cyclists. We took the path south a few miles into Blackstone Village, where we stopped for lunch. This small town is just on the border with Rhode Island.

Unfortunately, Ryan had a bicycle accident on the return trip, in which he knocked out a front adult tooth, so this emergency cast a shadow on our visit. 😦

However, we can say that the State Park is well worth a visit, especially during fall foliage season. And if you’re in the mood for cycling, the Blackstone River Greenway comes highly recommended. Just be sure to wear a helmet and stay on the path.

The canal and towpath make for a picturesque walk. The bikeway was well-maintained, flat, with interesting scenery.
The visitor’s center was educational. The pond and path was beautiful in the fall. The bike path was awesome.
The visitor center smelled like… musty stuff! But the path was pretty cool, so it wasn’t bad.
Walking on the path was nice but the visitor center was smelly
I liked the canal but the water was cold.

For more information: Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park official site.

Nashua River Rail Trail

October 14, 2019 Sunny

The Nashua River Rail Trail is a 12.5 paved trail that runs from Ayer into Nashua, ending about 1 mile across the New Hampshire border. We decided to start out on the southern terminus of the trail at Ayer, where you can park in the commuter rail parking lot on weekends. Several restaurants in the small downtown make this a potential lunch spot on your return.

This rail trail is wide and mainly flat and, for a beautiful fall day, it was surprisingly quiet. The relative light crowds make this easier for children to enjoy.

The trail passes by a wide variety of scenery including forested areas, fields, wetlands, and more.

Several areas offer scenic rest, and others even offer a bicycle repair pit-stop. We stopped for a break in the middle of a wetland area on our way north.

On our trip we explored only the first part from Ayer to Groton (about 4-5 miles of easy riding), turning back near the Route 119 junction. We would love to come back and ride the northern section of the path.

The Nashua River Rail Trail has beautiful scenery, light crowds, and has very few road crossings. It was a joy to ride here on a sunny day.

Great and varied scenery and relative lack of crowds makes this trail a gem.
Biking along the river was beautiful.
Biking was fun but everyone else was way too slow ‘~’
Biking is fun and it was smooth
The biking was fun but I fell like 5 times.

For more information: Nashua River Rail Trail official site.

Quabbin Reservoir

October 13, 2019 Sunny

Quabbin Reservoir is the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts, and serves over 3 million people in Boston and other suburbs. It holds about 412 billion gallons and has an area of nearly 39 square miles.

We drove the length of it from north to south, catching glimpses from the mountainous terrain just west as we came down US 202, on our way to the Quabbin Visitor Center at the south tip of the reservoir.

Although the visitor center is small, there are a few interesting exhibits covering the history of the reservoir as well as short photo albums showing black and white pictures of the towns that were flooded and lost to history as part of reservoir expansion in the 1930’s.

For us, a key attraction was viewing the reservoir and walking across the enormous earthen Winsor Dam, built around 1940. It’s one of the largest such dams in the Eastern U.S. and is roughly 1/2 mile across.

As you walk across, on one side is the water and on the other, a steep grass hill flowing down into forest below, seen below.

Reaching the other side you find another marker for the dam.

If you continue just a little farther past the dam you reach an interesting bridge with beautiful views of the Quabbin Reservoir Spillway far below.

On our way back, we decided to walk along the base of the dam and then run up the side to the top. The kids loved running zigzagging up and down the dam a few times, and were really worn out after a few runs. Other kids joined them – it was irresistible.

Although swimming and boating are not allowed, Quabbin is a great place for hiking and biking. Be sure to stop by the visitor center and dam to appreciate the history and scale of the engineering work that built out the reservoir.

A scenic reservoir with a special earthen dam and great views.
Running up and down the big dam was so much fun fir the kids!
I ran up and down the hill ’till I couldn’t no more. I also saw small red beetles with black dots on them, so that was pretty epic.
I really liked running up and down the big hill
I liked running down the hill. I like the bridge.

For more information: Quabbin Reservoir official site

Lake Dennison Recreation Area

October 13, 2019 Sunny

This recreation area has a campground with 150 sites and a beautiful lake with a small beach. We reached it via a trail from the Otter River State Park, but it also has a large parking area of its own.

The first thing we noticed was the beautiful fall foliage and stunning waters. Under the trees in the photo above is a picnic area that offers shade and a view of the lake.

The beach is relatively small but was clean, with inviting sand. The boys stopped to play for a while.

What struck me most was the clarity of the waters, which you can see below. It was breathtaking.

Although we didn’t explore the campsites, the beach was warm and inviting even under the October skies, with amenities including a picnic pavilion and public restrooms. Lake Dennison seems to be a real gem and we’d like to return for the beach and swimming.

Beautiful scenery, clear water, and a clean beach.
Looks like a fun place to swim and hang out in the summer.
I threw a stick at a rowboat but I missed 😦 Otherwise, great beach!
The sand was soft and the weather was great
I liked the beach but we didn’t have much time to play.

For more information: Lake Dennison Recreation Area official site

Otter River State Forest

October 13, 2019 Sunny

Otter River State Forest was the first area acquired by the State Forest Commission in 1915, and also the first campground in the Massachusetts State Park system.

There are a number of trails, but we decided to take a trail, about 2 miles round trip, to Lake Dennison.

Immediately we noticed that we were walking in the pine forest. It was such a contrast from the surrounding areas that had more maples and birches and colors. The trail was narrow and at places quite steep.

We saw large areas of the pine forest being cleared. The sign on the trail explained that this State Park was reforested with groves of pines which were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s.

Otter River looks like a great place to camp, and we will surely check it out in the spring when the campground (and yurts) and open.

The recent clearings gave the forests an interesting texture but road noise was a noticeable presence.
Forest has limited views. Not as colorful as other forests in the area.
Just another futile forest…
The hike was cool and so were the trees.
I liked running down the hill.

For more information: Otter River State Forest official site

Dunn State Park

October 13, 2019 Sunny

Dunn State Park is located in Gardner in Central Mass near the New Hampshire border. We picked a beautiful fall day, when the fall colors were in peak.

There is a short and easy trail around a small lake called Dunn Pond. The trail is about 1.3 miles, with water views all along.

The views were stunning! The leaves were bright red, orange, yellow, against the blue sky and clear water. The trail meanders, up and down gentle slopes, and offers peaks of the lake. Some people were taking portraits on some of the boulders on the shore.

Along the trail there were also some exercise bars which the kids enjoyed climbing.

Near the parking lot there are some picnic benches, grills, a playground, and a small beach. There is also a good-sized visitor’s center, which was closed when we visited. It was too cold to swim, but we saw life guard chairs, so this park is probably a fun place to spend an afternoon on a hot summer day.

A peaceful lake with interesting and varied scenery. Great spot for fall photos.
With the fall colors, this park is absolutely stunning. Easy hike for small children.
The pond was #beautiful and the lake, brook, river, and stream were similar as well. Well done, Mr. Dunn!
I liked the exercise places.
I liked the lifeguard chair. I liked the exercise stations.

For more information: Dunn State Park official site

Pearl Hill State Park

September 29, 2019 Sunny

Pearl Hill State Park is located near the New Hampshire border. It is primarily a campground with a lake, and there are hiking trails from Willard Brook State Forest.

We stopped here on a warm fall day. Right around the main entrance there was a lake and some picnic benches. The bathrooms were already closed for the season, so there was no place to change.

We packed a picnic and had picnic near the lake. There were no bugs. We were surrounded by a pine forest, which was very peaceful.

There was a loop road around the campsites. We did not see many hiking trails, so we drove on the loop road. Most of the campsites looked quite secluded amidst the tall pines. We only saw a few tents and a few campers taking walks on the loop road.

The leaves were already starting to turn, which made this a great place for fall camping.

Looks like a peaceful campground with plenty of privacy, but not much hiking unless you connect with trails to the Willard Brook State Forest trails.
Serene place for camping, but not many hiking trails.
This place was kinda stupid but it wasn’t too bad tbh.
The picnic was very fun.
The pond was very nice. The picnic was very yummy.

For more information: Pearl Hill State Park official site.

Willard Brook State Forest

September 29, 2019 Sunny

Willard Brook State Forest actually consists of several sites. Damon Pond has a visitor’s center and a campground. The Willard Brook Campground is one of few DCR campgrounds that offer yurts.

To the right of the Damon Pond entrance is a large pond for swimming. When we went, DCR had already drained the pond for the season to improve the water quality.

To the left of the entrance, there were hiking trails. We picked the shorter blue-blazed trail. The longer orange-blazed Friends Trail actually reaches Pearl Hill State Park and the campgrounds, so it may be a fun hike when camping at Pearl Hill.

Immediately the trail took us right by the brook, and covered bridge.

This was so unexpected and beautiful. We saw ducks and fish in the brook. The trail follows the brook for more than a mile before turning uphill. The kids had such a blast picking their way on the rocks, crossing and exploring the brook.

After that, the trail turned and we followed a carriage road and returned to the visitor’s center. On the way we spotted a snake sunning itself. That was really exciting for the kids!

The other part of Willard Brook is a waterfall called Trap Falls. When we went, the water was really sad. I think there’s supposed to be 3 main areas of flow, but we only saw a trickle of water. The kids climbed all the way up to the top of the falls. There’s also a bridge spanning the brook and rocks.

When the falls are bigger, this could be another adventure.

The walk along the brook was lovely but had some road noise. The waterfall was small when we visited, but would be impressive after a sudden rain.
The covered bridge was beautiful. The brook was fun.
The waterfall was small, but the rocks and trail were good.
Going on the rocks in the river was fun and the trail was good.
I like jumping on the rocks and I don’t like that I tripped.

For more information: Willard Brook State Forest official site.

Quinsigamond State Park

August 18, 2018 Sunny

This park mainly consists of a narrow lake that separates Worcester and Shrewsbury and in fact flows right under Route 9 and I-290. I had driven past and over it many times over the years but never thought of stopping, but am very glad I did.

We started by pulling into Regatta Point park just off of Route 9, which has a small beach and a good boat rental. The rental offers sailboats, kayaks, paddleboats, and paddle boards. We opted for 2 large kayaks with Diana and Liam together, while I took Ryan and Miles (our 2 younger boys).

This picture is looking south and you can see Route 9 traffic intersecting the lake. The water is actually quite clear and the bright sun shows this well.

We decided to head north on the lake toward the I-290 overpass, which was a little more than 1 mile away. All three of us were able to help paddle, which made it more fun.

The picture below shows Liam, our oldest son, approaching the I-290 overpass toward the north part of the lake, which was our goal.

Although it looked far, the trip north, circling the bridge posts, and returning to the boat rental only took a bit more than 1 hour. But it was a hot day and we were tired, so decided to hit the beach.

The beach, as you can see, is actually quite scenic for a lake and well kept, with plenty of clean sand and 2 lifeguards. The swimming area is quite small, but the water is clear and reasonably warm. It works well a safe area for younger children, but is not great for any kind of swimming, since the maximum depth is just a few feet near the buoys.

On the other hand, it’s surprisingly good for an inland beach, and works well for just lounging in the sun. The beach is backed by a shaded area with grills and picnic tables.

The downside as far as the boat rental and beach is the high volume of motor boat and jet ski traffic on the lake. There were several times our little kayak was rocked pretty hard by the wake. Just a note of caution if you visit.

Overall, it’s quite enjoyable for an urban setting and we definitely would like to come back to explore the southern end of the lake.

This was a great park to kayak on, but there was a lot of lake traffic.
The water was clear and cool. Kayaking was fun, but motorboats nearby were annoying. They offer sailing lessons. Would be fun to learn sailing there.
The beach was rocky and the water was cold, but overall not too bad for a non-ocean beach.
The bridge was nice and the were a lot of big rocks on the beach.
I got a little wet while kayaking. I also liked swimming at the beach.

For more information: Quinsigamond State Park official site

Hopkinton State Park

July 13, 2019 Sunny

This is a large park with a reservoir, beaches, boat rental, and a trail system. We visited on a hot July day mainly to swim at the beach. But first we climbed a large dike to look over the reservoir. In the picture below you can see the beach that fronts a pond and the changing rooms.

On the other side of the high dike is the main reservoir for boat rentals and fishing. It also has a small beach (center of picture below, on the opposite shore).

But we returned to the Main Beach, which was fairly busy, even at 4 pm on a Saturday. It was family oriented, with plenty of children. Several lifeguards kept watch and there are buoys to mark the swimming area, which covers only a fraction of the pond.

The beach is sandy and clean, but the sand texture is fairly coarse. The water is warm enough to just wade in, and mainly shallow, which is great for kids to splash around. Near the edge of the swimming area, it’s maybe 6 or 7 feet, so not deep.

The kids really enjoyed splashing and swimming, and later playing on the shore. Since there are no waves or tides, it’s easy to build something elaborate and know that it will be there for a while.

An ice cream truck pulled up during our time there, offering a welcome treat, and I think the”Snowy Joey” truck is a regular. In fact, they came within minutes of an emergency medical situation that cleared the water for about 15 minutes. Maybe they knew it happened and what a great opportunity it was? In any case…it wasn’t related to swimming and we never did find out what happened.

Later in the day, around dinner time, we did a short drive over to the other “Upper Beach”, but were not impressed. The grilling is right next to the beach and the atmosphere is smoky (although in a good way). But there was also some trash on the beach, which was a bit muddier and not as sandy. I also noticed that it was shaded in the later afternoon hours, unlike the Main Beach that remained sunny the whole time.

But Ryan climbed up and enjoyed playing lifeguard.

The upper reservoir also has a nice-looking boat rental with paddleboards, canoes, kayaks, rowboats, paddleboats, and more. Although we didn’t take advantage of the boat rental, we definitely wanted to come back.

The reservoir is lovely in the afternoon and very clean. It’s quite large and more peaceful than I expected. There’s also no road noise within the park, which is great.

Overall, there’s plenty of variety here and the park is well kept. We were impressed with the Main Beach as an easy alternative to ocean beaches.

On our next visit, we’ll be sure to try the boat rental and report on it.

A clean, family-friendly beach with facilities and grills nearby. The water was warm and clear. Surprisingly fun for an inland location.
Nice big park with plenty of space for every activities. Swimming was fun for the little ones.
The water was warm but it was busy.
The water was nice and warm, and I like seeing Ryan on the life guard stand.

For more information: Hopkinton State Park official site

Elm Bank Reservation

June 8, 2019 Sunny

We visited Elm Bank in Wellesley on sunny June day and parked near the soccer fields to start a 3 mile loop trail. However, it’s probably better to continue on the loop road and park nearer the main garden entrance. In any case, we found a helpful trail guide, although it’s not directly at the start of the trails.

From the parking near the gate to the gardens, we soon came upon a wide path called the “Meander” and headed into a forest toward the Charles River.

The trail quickly comes to the river, which you follow for much of the walk on a wide, shady path. The kids stopped to skip some stones.

Later we came to an opening with a lovely bench and some interesting, twisted wood near the bank. There are other wide trails along the way that lead to the “Swamp” but we decided to stick along the river.

At several points we passed fire hydrants (in the woods!) And a curious metal pump or container. It was a strange site for sure.

I found that it’s really peaceful and quiet in the woods, and there are not many walkers. However, many of them do have dogs (off the leash, which is not really allowed). But they were well behaved and every person (and dog) seemed very tranquil.

In any case, when you come to the main gate with the house and gardens, it’s worthwhile to pay the nominal fee to check it out. Inside you’ll find all sorts of gardens (flowers, vegetables, herbs, etc.) and even a formal garden with fountains and statues. A really special and whimsical garden is just for kids and has giant sized furniture like below.

Ryan and Miles explore this giant branch

From the gardens it’s a short walk back to your car, or hang out in the shade and just enjoy a good book.

If you’re in the area, the combination of the peaceful river loop and gardens are hard to beat for an afternoon stroll. It’s a local gem in my view.
The trail itself was wide and flat and quiet, but accessing the trail involved walking on busy roads.
Not bad, definitely. There are more scenic walks, but it was still very tranquil.
It was good but not very natural. There was nobody else there.
Pretty good. I like the river. There are some bugs. There’s not that much stuff to do but walk.

For more information: Elm Bank Reservation official site.