Mystic River State Reservation

December 15, 2019 Cold

The Mystic River State Reservation consists of 4 different parks along the Mystic River near Boston. This review covers the Torbert Macdonald Park, off of I-93 near Assembly Square. It was constructed in the 1970s and has a rolling landscape with more than 1 mile of trails.

The trail meanders through a marshy area with view of the Boston skyline to the south, and then follows the river.

To enjoy a longer loop we crossed the Fellsway to the opposite side of the river and then headed west along the shore so we could survey the park.

A boardwalk passes under the roadway and provides access to the shore path and neighborhoods.

Continuing along we passed a boat rental and then the path was squeezed by I-93 to the west and the river to the east. Apart from the road noise it was a pretty scene.

Along the way we saw a surprising number of swans in the water.

We then crossed over the river on Rte. 16 and rejoined the other side of the Torbert Macdonald Park.

An observation tower invited a climb to see the views of the park and Boston to the south.

As we headed back, the path led through rolling grassy areas with benches and sculptures. The kids stopped for a few minutes to play songs and bang on the organ pipes.

Just beyond was a long sculpture showing the wildlife of the area. There were also a few picnic tables overlooking the water from a sunny slope.

With a final view across the river, we entered a more marshy stretch and returned to the parking lot along Rte. 16.

Although we visited on a chilly winter day, I can see this would be a great place to relax and read in the sun on a lazy summer afternoon. If you’re interested in more wildlife and natural scenery, consider this instead of the nearby Mary O’Malley State Park, which is also part of the Mystic River State Reservation.

The scenery along the river banks is fine and the rolling slopes would make for a good picnic, but there is lot of noise from I-93.
This park is right next to I-93, so it’s rather noisy.
The park was nice. The river was cool. But 5 Guys was EPIC.
The watchtower was cool to look out onto the river.
I like the swans, and I like the tower, and I like the sculpture.

For more information: Mystic River State Reservation 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

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

Middlesex Fells Reservation

July 14, 2019 Sunny

Middlesex Fells Reservation is a large collection of parks, trails, and ponds north of Boston. We visited Spot Pond Reservoir and Crystal Spring Trail.

Our first stop was the boat rental at Spot Pond Reservoir. They have canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, row boats, and small sailboats for renting, and they also offer lessons. We opted for a large canoe for the four of us. The rental process was painless and very fast. There were no crowds and no lines.

The Pond is fairly small. There are two bigger islands – Great Island and Bold Point. A 10-minute paddle from the boat ramp brought us to Great Island, where we stepped onto a stony shore and had a picnic. The island was full of goose poop though, so the kids were a little grossed out.

Along the way we saw many water fowls. Again, not many people on the water, although the pond borders I-93 and the noise from the Interstate was very annoying.

We rowed all around for about an hour, and explored almost the whole pond. We saw people fishing on the shores.

Our next stop was the Crystal Spring Trail. The trail was rocky at places, shady and flat for the most part. There were many side trails and short-cuts, but in general the trails were well marked.

The only interesting thing we saw was this Split Rock. The trail was unremarkable, and sometimes ventured close to parking lots, houses, or playgrounds. It might be a pleasant little walk if you live nearby, but nothing special.

Canoeing around the pond and islands provided plenty of fun. But the trails were pretty ordinary.
Boating was fun. Trails were unremarkable.
The boating was good and so was the hike.
The hike was pretty. The boating was fun boating.

For more information: Middlesex Fells Reservation 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

Whitehall State Park

July 6, 2019 Sunny

The Whitehall State Park is right outside of the I-495 loop in Hopkinton. There is a loop trail (about 7 miles) around the Whitehall Reservoir.

We visited on a hot summer day. Right away from the trailhead there’s water views, and the views were plentiful around the reservoir.

The water was warm and very clear. We were very tempted to take a dip.

The trails are clearly marked and did not seem buggy at all. However, the trail is not all flat. There are some hilly parts. The trees are tall and there was a shade and a breeze, making the walk very pleasant.

In some places the reservoir is close to houses, and it’s clear the residents are taking advantage of this. We saw chairs placed near the water for a relaxing time.

Overall we were very happy with this hidden gem. There were no crowds and plenty of parking, making this a great place to swim on a hot day or take a boat out.

The reservoir loop was very scenic with plenty of water views.
Water was clear and warm. No crowds. A hidden gem.
The lake was peaceful and there weren’t many bugs. Overall a pleasant experience.
I found a one person seesaw, which was just a fallen tree which part of it was secure in the ground, and the other part was hanging about 2 feet off the trail. Overall, the trail was nice.
The lake was beautiful and also I didn’t get many bug bites.

For more information: Whitehall State Park official site.