We were looking for an activity for the kiddos. Decided on Callahan State Park and parked off the…read moreEdmondon road. There are many different trails. We stayed on the main train from the middle of park and went south to Rock Road over a newish looking bridge. We turned back around after one hour with two young kids. We all had a lot of fun, especially the youngest walking through mud.

This large park has many maintained hiking trails for runners/joggers/bicycles and of course people…read moreand pets. Depending where you go in the park, there is a lot of bio-diversity. It is also a little obscure and gets much less foot traffic. Bring a printed map from the net.

It was as if it was a picture taken from the enchanted garden as you walk directly into the garden…read moreas it was hidden in the woods surrounded by trees and a very nice bog with charming Lilly pads. The price was right and my mom and I really enjoyed it. Nothing but peaceful all around.

Excellent little jaunt through the flowery woods on crushed gravel trails lined with many varieties…read moreof plants and blossoming flora. Possibly the best prize for labeling as many species as possible. So many gardens do not provide good and legible labels on their plants, trees, bushes, ferns, and flowers. This was joyfully, thoroughly well-labeled. As was the path itself on the loop trail. There is an additional outer trail you could take if you're channeling your inner Thoreau but we stuck with the anti-Frost and took the road more traveled. Stay on the path. Recommendations say you can walk the loop in 30mins. You probably could. But we found plenty to keep us oohing and aahing for 90 mins! Turtles, frogs, dragonflies, butterflies, and some fab funghi in the lily pond. Unique and colorful small flowers every which way. The trail has mostly small inclines here and there, but the hike at the end to return to the visitor center is a bit huffy puffy. While there were beautifully carved benches throughout other parts of the loop, there were no benches on this steepest part and there really should be at least one halfway up the hill. Take your time. Wear proper shoes, bring a water bottle. Small parking lot. Bonus gift shop, plant shop, and proper rest rooms.

Of all the state parks in the area, Ashland has always been my favorite. It's not human-made and…read morehas great nooks and crannies that are fun to explore from a kayak or canoe on the water or along the perimeter on trails. We've been coming here since we moved to the area 25 years ago and because the entire reservoir is within the park property, it looks much the same as it did a quarter century ago. This morning I met a friend and we took our dogs for a walk. We were shocked that on a summer morning, we only passed two people along the trail- one with a dog (on leash as required) and one friendly solo human. The trails are very rooted and while I've done mountain biking here in the past, it's definitely easier to maneuver this one on foot. The trails are *sort of* marked with yellow spray paint on trees. As other people have mentioned, despite many times walking here I still always question if I'm going the right way. Even in the trail area, it's easy to wander off a bit. But also as someone mentioned, the beauty of this trail is that as long as you keep the reservoir on the same side and within view, you'll be fine! I like to park at the Boat Launch side of the park because you can access the trail right there without walking through a giant parking lot- so it feels more natural. I also like to head to the right (facing the water at the boat launch), therefore keeping the reservoir on my left the whole time. The public beach area (no lifeguards) is about halfway from the boat launch which is a great water/snack/bathroom break. The ranger station was open and the bathrooms were, as well. This section of the park has tons of shaded picnic areas and plenty of sandy and grassy space to spread out. This area used to get very busy on weekends with large gatherings - I'm not sure if that's still the case. But today there was one family group having a quiet picnic but the beach was empty. The trail around the reservoir is almost completely shaded except for the elevated causeway across the dam which is about .3miles of exposed trail- also of note are the annoying bugs that zip around this tall grass but seem to not bother humans. Ashland State Park is a great place to visit! Definitely recommend checking out this gem!

The lake is like a mirror. It blends into the blue sky and reflects the surrounding beauty. Walking…read morein the sun by the lake makes people feel relaxed and happy.

Upping my review to 3 stars…read more They rebuilt the dock area so it is a nice place to sit, drink a coffee, eat lunch, etc. in the spring and fall, many of the assisted living facilities bring van loads of residents to visit. I try to visit on those days with my dogs - it helps bring joy to the residents.

This is the second time I've been to Cochituate State Park and I came in around noon and I didn't…read morego to the conventional way to the beach, but this was a side trail, which was much nicer and was able to just swim. It was so pretty. It was really nice with bathwater temperature considering it's been 88° out. I really enjoyed myself. This is a very popular beach for the local people and visitors alike. There are lots of children and lifeguards at the small beach, but it is a huge state park where you can do a lot of running around and picnicking. If you are not an advanced swimmer, I do not recommend coming here with children to be safe . But if you can tread water and you know how to swim well and basically live in the water, it's fine.

Super cute and clean park. There's a great playground with unique structures. One structure is…read moregeared toward younger kids and one towards older kids. There is also a small plans area. Perfect for cooking off on a hot day. The splash area is fenced in with one entrance/exit which is also convenient for parents who want to sitervise. There is also a sanded volleyball net, a basketball court and a large field. There are bathrooms but I didn't use them so can't speak to their cleanliness. One major con is there is no shade and little seating. I would suggest bringing a lawn or beach chair that has its own canopy.

I love this park! (even though I don't like the outdoors haha)…read more This park is beautiful. They have a huge playground with things for very little kids and big kids to play on. They have a skateboard area. They have basketball courts. There is a baseball field and a couple areas where kids play soccer. The biggest reason I love this place is their walking track and trails. The track is 4 times around for a mile. They have a sign posted to tell you how long the trails are. There are also some paved walkways around the whole park. This park is always kept immaculately clean and is always packed! It is often hard to find parking. The other great thing about this park is that they spray for mosquitoes quite frequently so it is never very buggy here even with all of the woods and some marshy type areas.

I stopped by to see what this air was all about and it looks like it's a very beautiful trail walk…read morewe could see a lot of wildlife and I ended up seeing a lot of turtles. There is a membership in general admission. Since we were just being nosy, we took a brief walk on the boardwalk to see what it was all about. It is very family oriented and if you love the outdoors, you will love this place.

One of Mass Audubon's best for kids, in my humble opinion. (we are members)…read more The staff present in the building were very helpful, kind, and informed (in that kind of nature nerd, yet cool kind of way) There are clean bathrooms (they are porter potty toilets, yes. But still clean on the exterior). The pathways have a significant amount of boardwalk all across the sanctuary, which helps with keeping my hyper child away from poison ivy and ticks to some degree. There is a seated area for picnicking. (though no recycle bins. odd..) And best of all.. Lots of crawly, jumpy, flappy, slimy things to distract and de plug your pandemic technology-plugged child for a few hours. To enjoy fresh air. Take in nature's beauty. To learn to sit in the discomfort of possibly being bored when not overstimulated every second. My inattentive child's highlights were: - learning about the semi-toxic slime of a slug - listening to the bullfrogs in rhythm - chasing his buddy down the boardwalk in the last stretch - drinking sweet lemonade and picnicking as reward for all that walking

Really well marked trails, part of the East Bay circuit. Fairly wide trail with a little bit of an…read moreincline off the Oregon rd entrance. There are trail maps every half mile or so and Boardwalks over wet areas. I've only done a small loop but will come back to do more since it seems like there are interesting things along some parts (old cars and a quarry off one trail).

I work with free family programs at the Appalachian Mountain Club that visit this park, so I to see…read moreit regularly. The Ashland Town Forest is large, 550 acres of forest, streams and 5 different hiking trails, including the Bay Circuit Trail. You can go 1-2 miles on the trail and see vernal ponds, streams and quarries. What's really neat is the history behind this land: Governor Danforth once owned this land, and likely used it to help victims of the Salem Witch Trials and their families start a new life away from persecution in Salem. The nearby Salem's End Road is named for this. Several collapsed caves near the water towers are believed to be the first spot where the victims found shelter, and they're now known as the Witches Caves and Devil's Den. This is a great place to get away from it all. I see more deer than people when I'm here!

Had a lovely Sunday here, it was a perfect halfway meet up spot. The Main beach was closed, making…read morethe upper beach area more crowded. People set up to spend all day here. There are charcoal grills at the picnic tables. Lifeguards monitoring the swimming area, however the swimming area was very small. You can rent kayaks not too far away, although not familiar on the price. We bought our own paddleboards and there are several inlets along the water to load/unload the paddleboards. The beach area was crowded and all the picnic tables in this area was taken so we didn't get a chance to take advantage of those but that's ok we spent most of the day out on the water and then a short walk around the area. There seems to be quite a few hiking trail options as well, something to consider another time. Parking for out of state residents is $30!! Which is a lot, MA residents only $8 for all day parking.

A nice swimming area if it is not closed due to bacteria. It is a nice park. Lifeguards on duty and…read morea bathhouse. Pay online for parking.