An excellent place for recreation is Cold Spring Park! In addition to three full-size tennis…read morecourts, it features two single-rim basketball courts. A baseball field that might be utilized for a small league or softball. A huge field for football, lacrosse, and/or soccer is also available. There is even an outdoor exercise space that is accessible to people with disabilities. Highly recommended

Ok, as the President of Friends of Cold Spring Park, I'm biased, but this 67-acre multi-use park…read morenot only has playing fields, tennis and basketball courts, and an off-leash dog park, but a 1.43-mile mostly flat and shady loop trail, with exercise stations, has more than a mile of restored stone dust surface through varied terrain and habitats: vernal pools, a brook, wetlands, old oak hillsides, glacial eskers, a small meadow, grassy barrens, and a pollinator garden. The interior (unmarked) trails through the wetland, and parts of the West Side, can be muddy. The park is a birding hotspot with more than 160 species identified. The large off-leash dog park is unfenced but bordered by wooded slopes. Dogs must be leashed on the trail. Ample parking off Beacon Street. Enjoy!

NICE SCENIC AREA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Close to the green line too…read morejust about 14 min walk :-)

The easy, scenic trails that trace the pond attract families, joggers, fishers and dog walkers…read morealike. What motivated me was the large hunks of New England Puddingstone perfect for beginner to intermediate climbers and solid bouldering. I won't get into specific climbs, but the Boston Rocks book by the MIT Outing Club is a great reference. A practical tip though: many of the rocks are shaded by enormous hemlocks, and are often times a bit slick, so be sure to bring chalk. I'd also get there early, especially on the weekends, cuz it fills up fast and as there are no bolts to anchor from and a limited number of trees up top. You might want to play musical ropes with your climber cohorts. Great option for a quick excursion as it's accessible by the Green line (D) to Chestnut Hill.

I will forever love the res! It is truly my all-time favorite route for a walk or a jog. Whether…read moreI'm having the best or worst day ever, a loop or two around always leaves me so grounded and at peace. It is well kept (maybe besides in icy conditions in the winter), full of great people-watching, and just as beautiful when you walk it for the 300th time as it was the first. It is about a 1.5 mile loop for those interested in tracking their mileage. For those who don't live in the area, it is a short walk from the closest T-stop and it really worth the trip. In the warmer seasons, expect to see some wildlife (lots of birds & turtles). When colder, expect gorgeous icy views. Tip: If you like taking a stroll with a coffee in hand, grab a coffee at Starbucks or Eagles Deli nearby before you loop!

Sunsets, peaceful, community, cleanliness, all the things…read more The Chestnut Hill Reservoir is my my all-time favorite place to go for a walk or run. I've been coming here since middle school and it still remains as one of my absolute favorite places. Look at these pictures! It's so well-kept there's never any trash. There is one small stretch of geese droppings but the path is so wide you can easily maneuver your way around them. :) It's located right in between Boston College's campus and Cleveland Circle so there's always some action and people around (but is never too overwhelmingly crowded). A happy medium of crowded and empty for sure. At one point you're overlooking Cassidy Playground that usually has something going on-- be it softball games or grass volleyball games for example. It definitely gives you some entertainment to look at while you walk! The views are everything. It's a 1.55 mile loop and there's benches along the way that people use for all kinds of reasons (to read a book, take a phone call, chat with a friend, stretch, soak up the sun and look out at the water, etc.). I love coming here around sunset and seeing the sky change and light up on the whole reservoir. Magical. Hands down one of my favorite places to be!

I love Larzies. It's so beautiful no matter the time of year. There's a short walking path and…read moregazebo area, a grilling area with picnic tables that's covered with a roof that is perfect for cookouts or just hanging out, a softball field, an auto museum, an outdoor ice skating rink, and stunning skyline views of Boston from the top of the hill. The hill is perfect in the warmer months to have a picnic or toss a frisbee or football with some friends. In the winter, it's the best sledding hill. Truly Larzies has it all, and it's amazing year round.

This park is beautiful. It has a large parking lot . It is dog friendly. It has many acres to…read morego for a long walk with yourself or your dog . It has picnic tables and a grilling area but you need a permit for that from the town of brookline . They have a playground for kids . They have a huge walking area . No public bathrooms .

Beautiful park to walk around, bike with the dogs and family! What gorgeous place to spend the…read moreafternoon. Located by the hospital and different buildings. You can kayak and canoe on the river too! Stunning and lovely place!

Love that it's right off the highway and an agreeable halfway point for meeting some folks who…read morearen't too far down on the South Shore! It's got a lovely pond further from the highway down the path and my dog doesn't love water but she loved dipping herself in there to cool off. As others have said the trails are a nice nature getaway from the city along with behind right behind the office parks. There's a convenient parking lot that can get quite busy. There aren't any convenient trash cans or water fountains, other amenities on other walking trails. So if your dog goes you will need to be prepared to carry it. We did walk all the way back to an office park area and found one of those large business dumpsters that are quite a distance away so not the most convenient. That's unfortunate if a few more waste cans could reduce the amount of dog waste. Otherwise this is a lovely place to check out!

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! 5 STARS! How would you like to picnic on the grounds of a Castle for FREE!…read moreThis is one of the Secret Hidden Gems of America that most people have never heard of or been to before. It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist. We have set the dial to 1880's in the town of Wellesley MA. We have landed at this beautiful Castle that is in the middle of the center of Wellesley's business district. Well it looks like a castle but it's really Wellesley City Hall. I don't know about you but my city hall looks nothing like a Castle. LOL! Wellesley is a very affluent town & their city hall is a Castle. You can visit the park here for FREE & THE Parking is FREE as well. If they run out of spots there's metered parking on the perimeter & adjacent streets too. Near the front entrance there is a War Memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Armed Services. The grounds of Hunnewell Park are filled with green grass, trees, a stream, a bridge & a pond. There's wildlife that resides here including white swans & geese. There are benches & picnic tables scattered throughout the property. What a picturesque & relaxing setting to Picnic or kick back & read. It feels like you are at a nature retreat rather than a park. It's great to take a photo here with the Castle & send it to your family & friends & say " Sorry I can't talk to you peasants now, I'm picnicking at a Castle". LOL! They will hate you forever until you tell them it's Free & you'll take them with you next time. The stone government building is a prime example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture along with a bit of French Chateau. It was built between 1881 & 1886 & designed by Shaw & Hunnewell. It was funded by & built on donated land by H. H. Hunnewell. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There's also something special here for the medical community that they will really like. There are 2 Doctor memorial plaques placed on large stones. The first one is for DR W*T G MORTON who lived here. He gave the world Ether for Surgery. The second plaque is for DR. JOSEPH E. MURRAY who in 1954 performed the first successful Human Organ Transplant. He was also a 1990 Nobel Prize Winner & resided in the town. Since you are in the area be sure to check out the Babson Globe another Freebie. It's the 2nd largest rotating globe in the world. And you can get something great to eat right across the street @ Tutto Italiano. They serve great Meatball Subs & get a side of their Delicious Homemade red roasted peppers too. They also have authentic Italian red sauce to go. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

I spend a lot of time at Hunnewell Park. It is close to my home and although it used to offer a…read morelot more natural settings it has unfortunately become one giant athletic complex. Lights and sounds can be experienced almost every night now. We used to see and hear many more wild animals and experience it as a natural corridor. Alas, now it is only filled up with athletic equipment, stray plastic water bottles and other human trash.

This park has everything. There are two playgrounds, a tennis court, a baseball field, a basketball…read morecourt, and a large dog-friendly strolling area. There is plenty of nearby meter parking. or based on how you access the street parking lot. The park is kept up and kept tidy. No public restrooms unfortunately. A school and another playground are located on the opposite side.

Wonderful playground with a fenced in toddler section and an older kids' section. You also have…read moreaccess to the school playground next door. The park is within walking distance to the center of town, so it's perfect to get lunch, a snack or dinner afterward.

This lake is just wonderful. You need a day pass or a year membership for the summer . The cost…read moreis affordable and reasonable. You then have access to the bathroom and changing facilities. The free parking lot. We usually buy the year membership for the summer. The staff here is also welcoming.

Great neighborhood lake. there's a little beach here and if your residence of Newton, you can pay…read more$8 dollars to use the beach and jump off the platforms. You can park at the beach house. One of her little kids, and one for adults. But on the side of the lake, they're a bunch of people jumping at their own risk, but it's very, neighborly and unpretentious. I just jumped in to stay cool. I wouldn't call this lake a destination.

Challenging parking situation, especially after hours but still a great option for a walk, run, or…read morephotoshoot. We made the best out of an overcast day & the few trees still in color pulled their weight - for us and many others. I like that their map is so straightforward. There is one main paved roadway & several smaller unpaved offshoots.

I love the Arboretum at all times of the year! I've been coming here for many, many years. It is…read morewonderful to have a place like this in the city, and it's something to behold in every season. I Winter can be beautiful whether there is snow or not. There's plenty of evergreen trees for it to still be color. Spring and summer offer beautiful flowering trees and florals in abundance and in the fall during peak foliage season, the colors are gorgeous. It's such a perfect place to come for a walk, a run, a picnic, or a photoshoot. Its dog friendly, and kid friendly too. I see many people walking their dogs, and kids riding their bikes. If you are looking for a place to escape to nature but don't want to leave the city, the Arboretum is the place to go! Photos are from the snowstorm a few weeks ago, and springtime and falltime photos from a photoshoot I took here in the spring.

I'm reluctant to review because it might bring attention to this diamond in the rough…read more One of the major reasons I moved to Wellesley was Lake Waban; I'd drive from the city every weekend to walk the lake with my dog. As luck would have it, and I didn't know until moving into my home, Morse's Pond is a 7 minute walk and changes the entire dynamic of the community I live it - it's as if I live in Maine. My family spends almost every weekend here and enjoy biking on the vast trails and swimming in the gorgeous pond. A true gem!

I'm almost afraid to post this review because I want this place to stay a hidden gem, but…read moreanyway...if you are looking for a clean place to sun and swim, look no further. There's a decent beach and the water isn't too cold. It's mostly families, so I won't say it's peaceful, but it hits the mark on a hot day. $10 for non-Wellesley residents. $70 for a season pass.