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    Chestnut Hill Reservoir

    4.5 (78 reviews)

    Chestnut Hill Reservoir Photos

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    Sunrise at Chestnut Hill Reservoir
    Brooke T.

    This place is so beautiful and peaceful in the morning! A lovely place to watch the sunrise or enjoy a walk or jog.

    One of the entrances to Chestnut Hill Reservoir
    Bruce K.

    On a warm day that was more summer than spring, it was wonderful to see the joggers and the walkers out this evening. Chestnut Hill Reservoir is more of a park than a water supply with a 1.5 mile loop that runs around the water. The trail is nice and flat and well maintained. I took a bit to rest, reflect and look out at the water which was surprisingly calm and offered a lovely reflection of the structures on the other side.

    Olivia B.

    I love this quick loop. It is smooth and easy to walk on and is just a nice area to walk in. During winter, the trail is not maintained so beware of ice. It can get kind of busy at times but there is plenty of parking available. Definitely recommend if you want to get a bit of exercise or take on the loop a couple of times.

    Running trail
    Paulomi M.

    Gorgeous spot for walking and running and just chilling during spring-fall. Easily can take a few laps of the lake.

    Cleveland Circle - at Chestnut Hill Reservoir
    Courtney P.

    What an amazing little "hidden" gem near Cleveland Circle. Having just moved to the area, I was so excited to have a beautiful park and place to run. The trail around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir is wide and well maintained. There are always people out running, walking, biking, and enjoying the benches along the path. Half of the trail has a decent amount of shade and gets good breezes, depending which way the wind is blowing. The other half of the trail can get a little warm on a hot day with the sun beating down and little shade to escape from it. (I always finish my runs on that side of the trail). The water is clean and there are plenty of birds to watch. On one side of the reservoir you have Boston College as the backdrop and on the other, you can spot downtown Boston and the Prudential Tower. The Chestnut Hill Reservoir is a nice break from the city life and place to just gather your thoughts and get some exercise.

    Garth S.

    Unlike Fresh Pond in Cambridge, the Town of Brookline hasn't wrapped the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in a prison-issue chain link fence, so you and the water have a much better chance of establishing a meaningful relationship. Also unlike its Cambridge neighbor, the Chestnut Hill Reservoir is T-accessible and never crowded. No mothers with SUV-sized baby strollers; no herds of dogs sniffing one another's asses. No Under Armour-clad Lance Armstrong wannabes knocking over old ladies as they pedal their overpriced Treks with reckless douchebaggery. Here, it's just a handful of joggers, a few strolling old people, and more Canadian snow geese than you can stand. If you squint properly, you might even find a few vistas where, for a few moments, you could almost convince yourself that the past hundred years have been naught but a dream. I especially like the view from Commonwealth Avenue across the water to the Richardson Romanesque waterworks on Beacon Street. In the right mood, I can almost imagine I've stepped into a Jack Finney novel; or, perhaps, "Somewhere in Time," with less disastrous results. (Yes, I know these references are a bit esoteric. Deal with it.)

    One of the many illegally unleashed dogs I have seen here, posing a risk to people, wildlife, other dogs, and the dog itself.
    Vincent G.

    While I love this greenspace for its long and winding path, its numerous waterfowl species (mergansers, ruddy ducks, and cormorants alongside Canadas and Mallards) and its easy access, I see aspects to be improved upon. Let me begin by stating this: it is required by Massachusetts State Law (chapter 140, section 173) and a Boston City ordinance (Section 16-1.9) that dogs be leashed on public property. Fees for a violation are $50 first time, $60 the second time, and $100 the third time in one calendar year. The city of Boston could seriously profit from policing the Reservoir. It is appalling how inconsiderate many of the local dog owners are by letting their pets off leash. This entitled attitude to do as they please results in dogs swimming in the reservoir, chasing wildlife, and running up to elders, adults and children who have a right to enjoyment of the Reservoir without another's dog running up to them. I myself was nearly bowled over by a large labrador. Dogs may behave unpredictably--in another location, my first dog was wounded by an unleashed dog, and a friend's dog was killed by two unleashed dogs. Just the other day, a Great Blue Heron was killed at the Arnold Arboretum. I firmly believe that this situation needs to be monitored at the Reservoir. Finally, what is with the weekly mowing of the grass between the path and the rocks that lead to the pond? Milkweed, wildflowers and grasses contribute to the beauty and ecology of the place. I thought this was a park, not a sterile running track. The Vegetation Plan of the Reservoir states that this is to prevent plants from encroaching upon the view of the Reservoir, but this current practice seems to me rather extreme. Also, why are there people fishing here in the evening? Perhaps I am mistaken, but this location is not explicitly listed at the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/recreational-activities/fishing.html So, while I see much potential in this place, I am a little disappointed by the lack of care others take to preserve it and share with others. If you click on the photo below, you'll see an unleashed dog running free, a typical scene at the Reservoir.

    Erica B.

    This was my favorite place to run over the summer (before I moved to Somerville). Go figure; the park surrounding the now retired water supply was designed by none other than Fredrick Law Olmsted. Translation: it's freaking gorgeous! Nearly the entire loop (totaling just over a mile and a half) is lined with trees and greenery, and where it's not you get fantastic views of the Waterworks Museum and other historic buildings. For me this is a welcome distraction when I get a stitch in my side or can't stop thinking about the couch at home. I can only name two drawbacks of this runner's haven. First, the reservoir was over a mile away from my apartment in Brookline, so I really had to motivate if I was going to run around it. The second drawback is the population of geese that live there. When the scenery wasn't distraction enough, I could always resort to moments of deep prayer, hoping I wouldn't be attacked as I whizzed by gaggles of them. They're big, they're many and they OWN that path!

    Tammy T.

    This is a gorgeous park at sunset but hardly worth going out of your way to visit if you aren't in this area of Boston. If you're a local, though, shame on you for not checking this park out yet! It's basically a looped path around the reservoir where many residents walk or run. I also see dogs every once and awhile. Sometimes I think the geese are ready to attack, but it hasn't happened yet.

    Kevin walking the girls
    Melissa S.

    I love coming to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. The trail around the reservoir is wide and very well maintained. There are constantly people running and walking around it and lots of benches to sit and people watch on. It gets busy on warm days and at night when people are exercising. I come here fairly often to run or to give my dogs a nice long walk. The reservoir itself is beautiful with lots of fish, turtles, and birds to watch. There's also the occasional rabbit hopping along in the nearby woods. In the winter, the trail sometimes gets a little icy in the shaded spots but that is to be expected from the dirt trail. Spring and summer are a little rough with the amount of geese poop as well so be wary and watch where you step. Overall, it's a great staple in Cleveland Circle and really makes the neighborhood feel homey in the middle of an urban setting.

    Beautiful evening at the Reservoir

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Chestnut Hill Reservoir

    Review Highlights - Chestnut Hill Reservoir

    It's easily accessible off both the B and C lines and right across the street from Cleveland Circle.

    Mentioned in 13 reviews

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    Coolidge Park - Park

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    4.4(5 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    Twenty-somethings probably aren't reviewing neighborhood parks that often, but I come here so often…read morethat I had to! It's a great spot to lay out in the sun, read, and listen to music, in the sun or the shade - just a nice park and great place to spend some time on a nice day at any age. There are always kids playing here: water gun fights, wiffle ball, you name it. There a small water fountain to run through to cool off and a water fountain for drinking out of. If you want to bring food or relax in the shade, there's a picnic table as well as several benches. For a little more exercise (at any age), there's also a playground - a few swings, a slide, etc. - a small basketball court, and a tennis court.

    If I hadn't tripped over a stack of boxes yesterday, fallen, fractured my elbow, and not been…read moreallowed to work today because of the intense painkillers I was prescribed, I never would have had the opportunity to spend some time in the sun at Coolidge Park. I live mere blocks away, but for whatever reason, never park-ed it up until today. I decided it was way too early in my recovery process to start complaining and feeling sorry for myself, so I grabbed the blanket I stole from the hospital, a good book, and headed out. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, two men were playing tennis, and several small children were running around the playground. I claimed a spot of land as my own, and read until a man driving the biggest lawnmower I've ever seen came to mow the grass. I wasn't in the mood for another hospital visit to treat the injuries I might have sustained had I continued to lie on the grass unnoticed, so I packed up and headed home. After all, my bank account can only handle so many hospital co-payments.

    Photos
    Coolidge Park - Summer day in a quiet park :)

    Summer day in a quiet park :)

    Coolidge Park - Open grassy area of the park - with some of the playground and fountain in background.

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    Open grassy area of the park - with some of the playground and fountain in background.

    Chestnut Hill Reservoir - parks - Updated May 2026

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