Massachusetts - Paddling

Brimfield State Forest
86 Dearth Hill Road
Brimfield, MA
Phone: 413-267-9687

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This rolling, heavily forested property has over 20 miles of roads and trails and is used primarily for hiking, walking, horseback riding and fishing. Dean Pond Recreation Area, located in the western portion of Brimfield State Forest, has a pavilion, comfort station, 100 linear feet of beach and picnic facilities. The roads are popular for equestrian use and related special events. Accessible Restrooms. Recreational uses: fishing, group day use, horseback riding trails, hunting (with restrictions), mountain biking, picnicking, cross-country skiing, swimming, walking trails. Headquarters and Dean Pond Recreation Area are located off of Route 20 in south-central Mass

C.M. Gardner Park
Route 112
Huntington, MA
Phone: 413-354-6347

This small 29-acre park offers canoeing, fishing, and swimming areas. Riverside picnicking is available.

Chester-Blandford State Forest
Route 20
Chester, MA
Phone: 413-354-6347

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Chester-Blandford State Forest offers a rustic park experience and spectacular Sanderson Brook Falls. Boulder Park features an easy interpretive trail and pavilion. Hike up an easy grade for a mile to see the cascade at Sanderson Brook Falls; hike the Newman Marsh Memorial Trail to the top of Observation Hill. Forest is open year-round, sunrise to sunset. Access is free. Limited number RV sites. Carry-in, carry-out all trash. Be aware of bears. Pets permitted on a leash. Motorized off-road vehicles prohibited. Swimming prohibite at Sanderson Brook Falls. Recreational uses: fishing, hiking, horseback riding trails, hunting (restrictions), mountain biking, picnicking, cross-country skiing, walking trails.

Clarksburg State Park
1199 Middle Road
Clarksburg, MA
Phone: 413-663-8469

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Park has areas for canoeing, swimming, fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing, and public camping. Great for viewing fall foliage.

Connecticut River Greenway State Park
Damon Road and Route 9
Northampton, MA
Phone: 413-586-8706, ext. 12

This park features canoeing, hiking trails, and picnic areas. Rest facilities are available. One of Massachusetts’ newest state parks.

D.A.R. State Forest
Route 112
Goshen, MA
Phone: 413-268-7098

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This public forest includes Upper and Lower Highland Lakes, with a swimming beach, picnic area, and group picnic pavilion. There are 15 miles of mixed-use trails through the forest. The campground offers 51 wooded campsites with showers and a private beach. Wheelchair accessible campsites available. Summer activities include: paddling, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Winter activities are ice fishing, skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.
Open: year-round, sunrise until sunset. A $5 fee per vehicle from Memorial Day through mid-September. Camping from mid-May through mid-October. Off-season camping October through April. All facilities accessible to handicapped. Guarded Swimming is available at the day-use area. Unguarded swimming is available at campers-only beach. Pets are permitted except on the sandy beach area. Non-motorized boating is available. Snowmobiling is available, conditions permitting. Parking at day-use area parking lot off Route 112.

Erving State Forest
Route 2A
Erving, MA
Phone: 978-544-3939

Forest has swimming, canoeing, fishing, motorboating, and picnic areas. There are hiking and cross-country ski trails. Public campgrounds and scheduled programs are offered for visitors.

Hampton Ponds
Route 202
Westfield, MA
Phone: 413-532-3985

This 42-acre park features water activities, such as swimming, fishing, canoeing, and motor boating. Rest facilities are available.

Kenneth Dubuque Memorial State Forest
Route 8A
Hawley, MA  01339
Phone: 413-339-5504

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This 7,882-acre northern hardwood and spruce-fir forest offers 35 miles of mixed-use trails, six miles of hiking trails and one mile interpretive trail around Hallockville Pond. Discover an abundance of historic sites including cellar holes from the abandoned village of South Hawley; a fieldstone beehive charcoal kiln; and remains of mill complex. Open: year-round, sunrise to sunset. Access is free. Interior roads are in poor condition. Carry-in, carry-out all your belongings and trash. Snowmobiling: is available on 35 miles of trails, conditions permitting. Parking is available at King Corner garage on Route 8A. Prohibited: All-terrain vehicles and alcoholic beverages.

Mohawk Trail State Forest
175 Mohawk Trail / Route 2
Charlemont, MA  01339
Phone: 413-339-5504

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More than 6,000 acres of mountain ridges, deep gorges and tall old-growth trees support a diversity of plant and animal life. Fifty-six wooded campsites are available seasonally, and six overnight log cabins are available year-round.Discover miles of rivers and streams for excellent trout fishing, a swimming area, and a day-use picnic area. Open: Year-round, sunrise to sunset. A $5 fee per vehicle charged from May through mid-October. Camping season is mid-April through mid-October. Cabins are available year-round. Recreational vehicles are permitted on designated sites. Off-season camping is available. Pets are permitted on tent sites only, on leash. Motorized off-road vehicles prohibited.

Mount Everett State Reservation
East Street
Mount Washington, MA
Phone: 413-528-0330

Enjoy canoeing, fishing, hiking, cross-country ski trails, and picnic areas. The park offers breathtaking views and is adjacent to the Appalachian Trail.

Mount Tom State Reservation
Reservation Road
Holyoke, MA
Phone: 413-534-1186

Visitors to this reservation can enjoy canoeing, fishing, hiking, and picnic areas in the summertime, and cross-country skiing in the winter. One of New England’s best hawk watching spots.

October Mountain State Forest
Woodland Road
Lee, MA
Phone: 413-243-1778

The largest state forest in Massachusetts is more than 16,000 acres. It offers visitors canoeing, fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing, and a public campground with wheelchair accessible sites.

Pittsfield State Forest
Cascade Street
Pittsfield, MA
Phone: 413-442-8992

A wheelchair-accessible trail highlights this 10,000-acre forest that features swimming, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and cross-country skiing. Programs scheduled year-round. Two public campgrounds/picnic areas are available.

Sandisfield State Forest
York Lake Street
Sandisfield, MA
Phone: 413-258-4774

This 7,785-acre forest offers fishing areas, canoeing, swimming, and picnic areas. There are trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. York Lake has a 300-foot sandy beach.

Savoy Mountain State Forest
Central Shraft Road
Florida, MA
Phone: 413-663-8469

This forest offers a variety of activities, including swimming, canoeing, motor boating, fishing, hiking, and cross-country skiing. A public campground in an apple orchard is available.

Tolland State Forest
Route 8
East Otis, MA
Phone: 413-269-6002

This 4,893-acre state forest offers camping, fishing, motor boating (with boat ramp), swimming, hiking, and cross-country ski trails. In season hunting is permitted.

Wendell State Park
Montague Road
Wendell, MA
Phone: 413-659-3797

Visitors will enjoy fishing, canoeing, swimming, and picnic areas in this 7,566-acre forest. In season, trails are open for hiking and cross-country skiing.

Windsor State Forest
River Road
Windsor, MA
Phone: 413-663-8469

Visitors to this forest will enjoy swimming, fishing, and canoeing. Trails for hiking and cross-country skiing are available, in addition to a public campground. Hunters and snowmobilers are welcome.

Zoar Outdoor
Route 2 (Mohawk Trail)
Charlemont, MA  01339
Toll-Free: 800-532-7483

The Northeast's leader in outdoor adventure

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Zoar Outdoor is New England's Leader in Outdoor Adventure, offering whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, biking and rock climbing at our adventure resort on the Deerfield River in western Massachusetts. Our friendly professional staff, comfortable base camp and top-notch equipment ensure that your adventure will be memorable. From half-day family raft trips to week-long whitewater kayak clinics we can match your schedule and your desire for adventure. The Outfitters Shop is the Northeast's premier whitewater outlet featuring over 100 of the hottest designs in stock. Our expert staff can help you select a boat, but the greatest part of shopping at The Outfitters Shop is that you can try any boat before you buy it on the Deerfield River right in front of our shop.

Cape Cod National Seashore
Salt Pond Visitor Center at Nauset Road and Route 6
Eastham, MA  02642
Phone: 508-255-3421

Open: Daily, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (longer during the summer)

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Forty miles of pristine sandy beach, marshes, ponds, and uplands support diverse species. Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod’s ways of life. Swimming beaches and walking and biking trails beckon visitors. The park's six oceanside swimming beaches have life guards from late June through August. Eleven self-guided nature trails are open year-round. Parking lots are open year-round, daily, 6 a.m. to midnight.
Salt Pond Visitor Center is Cape Cod National Seashore's main visitor facility, with orientation movies, a bookstore, a museum, and restrooms. The Visitor Center is also convenient to the popular 1.5-mile Nauset Marsh Trail and the Buttonbush Trail, a quarter-mile trail that features a guide rope and text panels in Braille, and the Nauset Bicycle Trail.
The Province Lands Visitor Center is located on Race Point Road, off Route 6, at the northern end of Cape Cod National Seashore, approximately one mile from Provincetown. It is open May 1 through October 31, daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone number is 508-487-1256. The observation deck at this Visitor Center provides a 360-degree view of the Province Lands dunes, the Outer Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Exhibits about local plants and animals and the Pilgrim's landing in Provincetown are featured.
Other highlights of the National Seashore are the Fort Hill Area off Route 6(Eastham); the Coast Guard and Nauset Light beaches, Nauset and Three Sisters Lighthouses off Route 6 (Eastham); the Marconi Station Site(Wellfleet); the Highland Lighthouse (Cape Cod Light) and Highland House (Truro); and the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station (Provincetown).

Lowell Holly
South Sandwich Road
Mashpee & Sandwich, MA  02563
Phone: 508-679-2115

Open: Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset

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Lowell Holly’s 135 acres feature stands of a wide variety of holly trees, rhododendrons, and mountain laurel, but the property’s most intriguing feature may be its two peninsular knolls, jutting into Mashpee Pond and Wakeby Pond. Both vantage points offer spectacular views over these large ponds. Mashpee and Wakeby ponds are renowned for their exceptional trout, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, and bluegill. Four miles of carriage paths and footpaths connect all points of interest, including two small sandy beaches. Activities at the reservation include swimming, fishing, boating, bicycling, birdwatching, hiking, food concessions, restrooms, bathhouses, and wheelchair access. Year-round parking area is free to all. Seasonal parking area is available Memorial Day through Labor Day. Fee is $6 per car or motorcycle. Boat landing fee is $6 for daily landing fee or $40 for seasonal permit.

Nickerson State Park
Route 6A
Brewster, MA  02631
Phone: 508-896-3491

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Travel to the upper campgrounds in Nickerson State Park, you may think that you have been transported to the Berkshire Hills or the piney woods of the Carolinas. Nowhere are the sand dunes and salt marshes usually associated with Cape Cod. Instead, you are surrounded by woods that slope down to the banks of eight crystal clear fresh water ponds, known as kettle ponds.
Nickerson's 1,900 acres offer 420 campsites, yurt camping, an amphitheater, eight miles of roads, hiking trails, an eight-mile bike path that connects to the 25-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail, and ponds stocked year-round with trout. Cape Cod Bay is within walking or bicycling distance. You can swim and canoe at Flax Pond; birdwatch or catch-and-release fish at Higgins Pond; or join the interpretive and recreational programs offered by park staff.
Park amenities include: beaches, camping, fishing, picnicking, restrooms, bike paths, nonmotorized boating, boat ramp, yurt camping, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding trails, mountain biking, showers, cross-country skiing, swimming, trailer and RV dumping, walking trails.

South Cape Beach State Park
Great Oak Road
Mashpee, MA  02649
Phone: 508-457-0495

Open: Memorial Day to Labor Day

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South Cape Beach, located between Waquoit Bay and Vineyard Sound, contains a wide variety of coastal environments, including barrier beach and dunes, salt marsh, scrub oak/pitch pine woodland and "kettle" ponds. A magnificent white sand beach stretches for over a mile. Newly constructed over-the-dune boardwalks, a small parking area and bathrooms make this a lovely place to spend a day at the shore. Interpretive programs are offered during the summer months.

Doane's Falls
Athol Road
Royalston, MA
Phone: 978-840-4446

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When the tranquil waters of Lawrence Brook reach Doane's Falls, they tumble in a sequence of dramatic waterfalls. Along the way, large boulders in the streambed, small forested islands, and flat rock slabs divide the fast-rushing stream before it empties into Tully Lake. On the southern bank of Lawrence Brook, just upstream from the falls, is Coddings Meadow, a little-known clearing in the wood that offers views of the quiet waters of Lawrence Brook and is an excellent launch site for exploring the brook by canoe or kayak.

Douglas State Forest
107 Wallum Lake Road
Douglas, MA
Phone: 508-476-7872

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Bordering both Connecticut and Rhode Island, this popular 5,907-acre state forest offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Visitors can enjoy swimming, boating and fishing at Wallum Lake and hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling on miles of woodland trails. Facilities include two pavilions, boat ramp, swimming beach, picnic area and restrooms.
The Midstate Trail, a long-distance hiking trail that extends through central Massachusetts to Mount Watatic in the north, runs through the forest. Douglas State Forest also includes a rare example of Atlantic White Ceder swampland. A 5-acre portion of this swamp is designated as a Massachusetts Wildland. It is accessible to the public via a boardwalk trail.

Dunn Pond State Park
Route 101
Gardner, MA
Phone: 508-632-7897

Visitors to this small park will enjoy recreation around the pond: canoeing, fishing, swimming, hiking, and cross-country skiing. Programs are scheduled at the park throughout the year. Rest facilities are available.

Lake Dennison Recreation Area (Beach and Campground)
219 Balwinville State Road (Route 202)
Winchendon, MA
Phone: 508-939-8962

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More than 4,000 acres offer visitors swimming, canoeing, and fishing areas. Trails for hiking and cross-country skiing are available. There is a public campground with 150 campsites. There is a swimming beach on Lake Dennison. The campground office hours are 10 a.m.–10 p.m. The regular camping season is from late May to early September. Beach is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Leominster State Forest
90 Fitchburg Road / Route 31
Leominster, MA
Phone: 508-874-2303

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Leominster State Forest is a 4,300-acre parcel of forested off of Route 2 (exit 28), and convenient from Boston and Worcester. Parking is available along Route 31. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, parking fees are charged in the paved lots. The forest offers recreational opportunities year round, ranging from mountain biking and swimming in the summer to cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter.
The trails at Leominster State Forest offer a wide variety of terrains. For hikers, The Midstate Trail, a 95-mile long-distance trail that runs from Rhode Island to the New Hampshire border, passes through the western edge of the park. A popular day hike along the Midstate Trail begins at Redemption Rock on Route 140 in Princeton and heads north over a scenic ridgeline which includes Crow Hill Ledges.
The terrain available to mountain bikers ranges from rolling unpaved fire roads to multi-use trails. Hiking trails are off limits to bikers. There is rock climbing at Crow Hill Ledges. Permits are required (no fee) and are available at the park headquarters between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The swimming beach at Crow Hill Pond is located next to two picnic areas with picnic tables, grills, and a modern bathhouse. Lifeguards are on duty from mid-June until Labor Day. All other ponds in the park are off limits to swimming. Kayakers, canoeists and fishing enthusiasts enjoy using Paradise Pond. Several put-ins are available. Crow Hill Pond (swimming beach side) is stocked with trout. Hunting is also allowed in the park. Winter recreation includes cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and snowmobiling. Snow mobiling is limited to the unpaved roads and the multi use trails. There is no camping at Leominster State Forest.

Moore State Park
Route 31
Paxton, MA
Phone: 508-792-3969

Enjoy canoeing, fishing, swimming, and hiking and cross-country ski trails. This was the site of grist and saw mills from 1747 through the early 20th century.

Rutland State Park
Route 122A
Rutland, MA
Phone: 508-886-6333

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Rutland State Park is a 300-acre recreation area with developed facilities for fresh water swimming, picnicking, and boating. At Whitehall Pond, there is a swimming beach and adjacent picnic area. Uses includes paddling, fishing, hiking, hunting (with restrictions) mountain biking, cross country skiing, and walking.

Spencer State Forest
Howe Pond Road
Spencer, MA
Phone: 508-886-6333

Visitors to this state forest will enjoy fishing areas, canoeing, swimming, and cross-country skiing and hiking trails. Picnic areas are available.

Streeter Point Recreation Area
6 Streeter Point Avenue
Sturbridge, MA
Phone: 508-347-9316
Toll-Free: 508-347-9316 (summer)

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This accessible area has a 100-car parking area and offers fishing, swimming and picnicking on 400-acre East Brimfield Reservoir. Boating access is from ramps located on US Army Corps of Engineers-maintained ramps on Route 20.

The Last Green Valley
111 Main Street
Danielson, CT  06239
Phone: 860-774-3300
Toll-Free: 866-363-7226

Paddle Along Our Water Trails

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The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley or northeastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts has been called "The Last Green Valley" in the sprawling metropolitan Boston-New York-Washington corridor. At night, the region appears distinctively dark amid the urban and suburban glow when viewed from satellites or aircraft; In the daytime, the green fields and forests confirm the surprisingly rural character of this area, and the rugged hills that surround them.
This relatively undeveloped rural "island" in the midst of the most urbanized region in the nation makes it a resource of local, regional, and national importance. It is our mission to preserve the significant natural and cultural resources of the region while encouraging compatible economic development. And we invite you and your family to explore all we have to offer.

Whitehall State Park
Route 135
Hopkinton, MA
Phone: 508-435-4303

Park has mountain biking, canoing/sailing, fishing, hiking on marked trails and motorboating. Scheduled programs are offered for visitors.

Ashland State Park
Route 135
Ashland, MA
Phone: 508-435-4303

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Ashland State Park has 470 acres including the 157 acre Ashland Reservoir. The park is operated seasonally and provides opportunities for swimming, picnicking, boating, fishing, bicycling and hiking. Beach improvements at the park include facilities for wheelchair access to the boathouse and by ramp into the pond.

Bridge Island Meadows
South End Pond
Millis, MA  02054
Phone: 781-821-2977

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Accessible only by boat, Bridge Island Meadows is surrounded by wetlands and thus a private favorite of intrepid paddlers. Kayakers can paddle on the Charles River, turning west into a stream that leads to South End Pond. Bolder paddlers can creep along Bogastow Brook to South End Pond. Landing is a challenge, as grasses grow tall and thick. A successful journey is rewarded by bushwhacking to a 130-foot tree-covered knoll at the south end of the reservation offering glimpses of the surrounding floodplain.

Charles River Peninsula
Fisher Street
Needham, MA  02492
Phone: 781-821-2977

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Scenic paddling along the Charles River will take you to this reservation, where the Charles River makes a nearly 180-degree twist in the valley, a wooded shoreline of birch, hemlock, and beech conceals an upland peninsula that rises gently to a 20-acre open field, which has been farmed for more than a century. A narrow footpath tracks the river along the Reservation's shoreline, while the field's highest point offers views of the Charles River.

Charles River Reservation
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-698-1802

This natural refuge offers canoeing, hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing, and more. Interpretive programs are scheduled there throughout the year.

Cochituate State Park
Route 30
Natick, MA
Phone: 508-653-9641

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Cochituate State Park is a popular regional day use park featuring water-based recreational opportunities including boating, swimming, windsurfing, and fishing on its three large lakes. Picnicking, swimming, and boat launching are limited to the main area of the park on the middle lake and boaters can gain access to the other lakes through channels under roadways. Jet skis are not allowed on the lake.

Dorchester Shores Reservation (including Malibu Beach, Victory Road Park, Tenean Beach)
Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA  02125
Phone: 617-727-5290

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Malibu Beach, Victory Road Park, and Tenean Beach provide the public with coastal access along the extended mouth of the Neponset River. Malibu Beach offers protected swimming and bathhouse. Victory Road Park is a passive park with indigenous planting on a reclaimed landfill. Tenean Beach is a popular swimming beach with playground facilities, tennis and basketball courts. Nearby Savin Hill Beach, restored to its original Olmsted Brothers design, has a tot lot, baseball fields and protected swimming. Together these facilities are an important link in the continuous pathway and greenway system from Castle Island in South Boston to the Neponset River. Open year-round, dawn to dusk.

Hopkinton State Park
268 Cedar Street
Hopkinton, MA
Phone: 508-435-4303

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Hopkinton State Park offers a year-round recreation, including two guarded swimming beaches, stocked fishing, a group picnic site, 12 shaded picnic areas, 10 miles of marked trails, open field space, a boat launching ramp for non-motorized watercraft, and seasonal boat rentals. The swimming areas are supervised by lifeguards from late May through Labor Day. The waterfront has a handicapped accessible ramp.
Hours: Summer, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; rest of the year, 8 a.m.-sunset. Pets on leash are welcome. Trail system is multi-use. Hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, cross country skiers are welcome. Snowmobiles are permitted when snow cover is at least four inches deep.

Mystic River Reservation -- Mystic Lakes -- Sandy Beach
Off Mystic Valley Parkway
Medford, Somerville, Everett, MA
Phone: 617-727-5380

Open year round, dawn to dusk. The banks of the Mystic River are almost entirely publicly owned from the Amelia Earhart Dam at the mouth of the Mystic Lakes. The property includes:
Mary O'Malley Park. The park has striking views of the harbor and the Tobin Bridge over the Mystic River. A boat landing and shelter are located on an historic granite pier and a wind sculpture by William Wainwright enlivens the waterfront. Tennis courts and a large open lawn area for concerts and picnics are also available.
Torbert Macdonald Park. Macdonald Park has an award-winning landscape design of the meandering paths, trees and open lawns provides space for rest and enjoyment as well as bicycling, jogging, walking and informal games in a riverside setting.
Draw Seven Park. The Draw Number Seven Railroad Bridge, which once crossed the Mystic River, gave this park its name. This park provides field game space for Somerville and adjacent communities. Draw Seven Park offers nine acres of parkland including two soccer fields, a bikeway/walkway, a picnic area with shelter and beautiful landscaping.
Mystic Lakes. Today the Mystic Lakes are popular for freshwater swimming at Sandy Beach. Special sailing programs are available at the Tufts University Boathouse. The Upper Mystic Lake is for non-powered boats only. The Lower Mystic Lake is for power boats with no wake. Information about Shannon Beach: 617-727-5380.

Peters Reservation
Farm Road
Dover, MA  02492
Phone: 508-785-0339

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From the entrance on Farm Street, boaters can portage to the put-in, or canoes and kayaks on the Charles River can land along the plantation of red pines that lines much of the reservation's frontage on the river. Over two miles of trails traverse woodlands featuring a large, massed planting of Dexter hybrid rhododendrons and an oak and hickory forest, whose trails and understory plantings were laid out by landscape architect Fletcher Steele.

Rocky Narrows
South Main Street
Sherborn, MA  01770
Phone: 508-785-0339

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Known as the "Gates of the Charles," Rocky Narrows’ canoe landing connects to a two-mile loop trail that follows the river's edge to the Rocky Narrows Overlook. The overlook rewards visitors with views of steep, hemlock-clad rock cliffs that form a narrow river passage - the landmark that gives the reservation its name. Further south along the trail is King Philip's Overlook, named for the Wampanoag chief who warred against the early settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Bradley Palmer State Park
Asbury Street
Topsfield, MA
Phone: 508-887-5931

This park features trails for hiking, biking and cross-country skiing. In addition, there is an area set aside for canoeing.

Crane Wildlife Refuge
Essex River Estuary
Ipswich, MA  01938
Phone: 978-356-4351
Fax: 978-356-2143

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The Crane Wildlife Refuge is a patchwork of coastal and island habitats that includes a portion of Castle Neck and seven islands in the Essex River Estuary (Choate, Long, Dean, Dilly, Pine, Patterson, and Round). Surrounding the Crane Wildlife Refuge is the Great Marsh, the largest contiguous salt marsh in New England, covering more than 25,000 acres from Hampton Harbor, NH to Gloucester. The largest of the Refuge's islands, Choate Island, supports abundant wildlife, and during the 18th and 19th centuries, Choate Island and Long Island were connected by a causeway, comprising a prosperous farming community.

Harold Parker State Forest
1951 Turnpike St., Route 114
North Andover, MA  01845
Phone: 508-686-3391

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Harold Parker State Forest, 20 miles north of Boston, comprises 3,000 acres of hardwood forest. Swimming at Berry Pond,which has a sand beach, a new wash house, changing rooms, and flush toilets. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day. Lifeguards are on duty 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Grills and picnic tables are available.

Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest
Trotting Park Road
Lowell, MA
Phone: 508-453-0592

This is a 1,150-acre park with swimming, canoeing, and fishing areas. Visitors can enjoy hiking and cross-country ski trails, in addition to seasonally scheduled programs.

Middlesex Falls Reservation
Woodland Road
Winchester, MA
Phone: 781-322-2851 or

Natural refuge set on over 2,000 acres. Visitors here can enjoy biking, hiking and cross-country ski trails. Canoeing, fishing, and swimming areas are offered, as well as a visitor's center with historic information.

Salisbury Beach State Reservation
Beach Road, Route 1A
Salisbury, MA  01952
Phone: 508-462-4481

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Salisbury Beach is one of the state's most popular ocean beaches, stretching 3.8 miles along the Atlantic Ocean. This 521-acre park offers swimming, boating, fishing, and camping, and is very popular with trailer campers. Facilities include a 484-site campground with renovated bathhouses, an extensive day-use parking lot, three new comfort stations for beach users with boardwalks over the dunes, and a new playground and pavilion area. The facility also has two boat ramps on the Merrimack River at the campground's southern edge. In fall and winter, harbor seals often sun themselves on the jetty.
The campground office hours are 8 a.m.–10 p.m. The camping season is from early May to mid-October. Off-season camping is available from mid-October to late November for Thursday, Friday and Saturday night stays. There is a $2 per night surcharge for camping fees at Salisbury Beach. the $2 surcharge will be added to the day-use fee for cars and buses.

Ames Nowell State Park
Linwood Street
Abington, MA
Phone: 617-857-1336

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Ames Nowell is a year-round day use area with recreational activity centered around Cleveland Pond which is popular with boaters and fisherman. Development includes a picnic area, ball field and several miles of trails along the pond edge and the surrounding woods. Recreational uses: non-motorized boating; canoeing, fishing, group day use, horseback riding, mountain biking, picnicking, restrooms, cross country skiing, walking trails.

Borderland State Park
Massapoag Avenue
North Easton, MA
Phone: 508-238-6566

1,772 acre park offers fishing areas, hiking, cross-country ski trails, full rest facilities and scheduled visitor programs.

Demarest Lloyd State Park
Barney's Joy Road
Dartmouth, MA  02748
Phone: 508-636-3298 (summer)

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An 1800-foot saltwater beach is backed by rambling hills of beach grass and shaded, grassy picnic sites. A broad, scenic marsh lines the Slocum River on the park's eastern edge. The beach is ideal for families with children. The Buzzards Bay surf is calm and shallow, giving rise to warm water temperatures through most of the summer. It is also a great spot to see egrets, herons, ospreys, terns and hawks.
The park is open mid-May to mid-September, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. No pets allowed on the beach. Kite surfing, skim boards, boogey boards or flotation devices are not allowed. Powerboats and jet skis are not allowed to land on the beach. Recreational uses: Fishing, canoe/kayaking, picnicking, restrooms, showers, swimming, walking trails.

Dighton Rock State Park
Bay View Road
Berkley, MA
Phone: 508-644-5522

Small park features canoeing and fishing, hiking and cross-country ski trails, and picnic areas.

Horseneck Beach State Reservation
Route 88 South
Westport, MA  02790
Phone: 508-636-8816

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Located at the western end of Buzzards Bay, the sandy, southwest-facing, 2-mile long beach is breezy all year round, providing excellent wind surfing and a dependable respite from sweltering inland temperatures every summer. The combination of ocean beach and estuary habitat makes Horseneck one of the premier birding locations in New England. Behind the dunes near Gooseberry Neck is a 100-site campground.
The regular camping season is mid-May through mid-October. Swimming is permitted only at designated beaches. Pets are not allowed at swimming areas. Recreational uses: beaches, camping, picnicking, restrooms, boating (all types), boat ramp, fishing, historic site, picnicking, showers, swimming, trailer / R.V. dumping.

Massasoit State Park
Middleboro Avenue
Taunton, MA
Phone: 508-822-7405

This 1,500 acre park features canoeing and boating areas, swimming and fishing. Hiking and cross-country ski trails are also available. There are picnic areas as well as a public campsite.

Webb Memorial State Park
River Street
Weymouth, MA
Phone: 617-740-1605

Park with swimming and canoeing areas, as well as rest facilities.