We were on our way to a picnic dinner at Sweat Beach in Wrentham, MA but they decided to close two…read morehours early and shuffled everyone off. So we googled picnic areas nearby and put our GPS to Medway, MA. The rood trip was winding picturesque road through towns with beautiful houses and finally came to Choate Park. Free and plenty of parking. It's a trash free park, what you bring in, take out. There is an event pavilion and beautiful lake for catch & release fishing ....or turtles ( see pics) lol. There is a fantastic playground for the little & big ones. The trail around the lake has exercise spots and open fields with a huge wall mural. This will definitely be a go to spot for picnics, walking and being in nature.

I took my 5yo and 7yo to the playground and splash area. Very nice park. The splash area is simple…read more(just some fountains that shoot up from the ground) but is great to cool off on a hot day. The water stops at 5pm. I don't think the water area is particularly slippery but i would suggest water shoes. My son and a couple of other children who were barefoot did slip. The playground structures are really unique and fun. They have a smaller one for young kids and larger structure for older kids. There was also a trail and lake but we didn't follow. Highlights: -fenced in with only two doors -bathrooms (clean and open until 5pm) -clean - picnic area with tables and benches. Covered and large with plenty of seating. -electric car charging station (not free) -plenty of parking Cons -no trash cans. Small inconvenience. Overall would def recommend as a summertime activity.

Beautiful shared space for people and dogs. While we were there all dogs and their owners were…read moremindful of others and everyone had fun. Easy access to the water at multiple points. My senior dog had a great time swimming. Be cautious about algae/bacteria in the water and area!

Relaxing beautiful place to chill with the kids or have a picnic. Love it here so pretty in the…read morewarmer months.

this is a cool spot to go on a walk. there's some places where the trail breaks off and there's…read morealso a loop path around the water which is rly nice! would recommend

This place is awesome!! Great trails but we technically only hiked for a half hour but beautiful…read moreand lush with trees and it wraps around a beautiful lake with kayak launching spots. I parked in the private lot that was next to the gated playground. Playground was small but had great stuff.

This place was a quality beach/lake experience. We came here on a Sunday afternoon, and it was…read morequite peaceful. As advertised the snack shop was legit...cheeseburgers were like $2.50...can't beat that. The sand was gritty and dirty, but there was ample space to stretch out, which is always a necessity. I'd say the only thing preventing a 5-star rating is the "mussel farm" that seems to exist beneath the water. All I can say is watch your feet; otherwise, you'll be spending Monday morning at the pediatrist.

This was a new find for us, it's a great little beach. Clean area and the water was beautiful…read more Lifeguards on duty. Bathroom available. Snack shack was great and not too much money and the food was good. I look forward to going back over and over again.

I first found out about this path when my boss took me here after work one day. He likes to go on…read morewalks to delay returning home when his psychotic girlfriend (according to him) or her psychotic 10yr old daughter (also, according to him) are too much to handle. Sometimes his goal is to wait for them to fall asleep, then go home. I duck out before it gets to that point. The Upper Charles River Trail will eventually be 24 miles long and through Milford, Ashland, Sherborn, Holliston, and Hopkinton. It's on an old CSX right of way. I believe the Milford section is the only section complete so far, roughly ~5 miles. I don't jog that long anyway, especially with the sunset getting earlier. I usually park at Fino Field and go the trail until it intersects Route 85 by the Sports Authority, then turn back. Round trip is ~4.5 miles GPSed. The trail is paved and has mile markers in 1/4 mile increments. Traffic is pretty light when I'm there; dusk, weekdays. I see more walkers and less bikers. There are unimproved trails through the woods that you can stumble into and I'm still exploring where they all go. Also, I believe what they call "Vietnam" has an entrance on the north end of the trail across US495. NEMBA actually owns it. (http://www.nemba.org/Articles/VietnamFAQs.html) I'd like to try Vietnam out, but reading reviews saying that there are "6 foot drops out of nowhere" kind of scares me.

Update: I frequent this trail weekly and try to go a few times a week and go in the mornings when I…read moredo. Since August there's been this young couple I want to say in their early twenties with a dog and they have extremely loud music that plays vulgar songs. I don't mean to be a stick in the mud but there are young children and elderly on this trail and they don't need to hear songs about "suck a f****** d***" and other terrible expletives that shouldn't be played at an OBNOXIOUS LEVEL. Not only this but I guess it's you can smoke on this trail even though people are there to exercise so it's pretty rude!! BUT THEY'RE SMOKING WEED! Again I understand weed is recreational now so it's fine and I don't care if people smoke but they were smoking a huge blunt as a mother and a kid and her infant in a stroller passed them and I felt awful as she gave me an odd look and I was behind them. Why do that? There are plenty of areas to go off and hide and smoke do you really have to do it and pass it to each other in front of everyone's children when they're trying to get exercise? It's so rude! Also pick up your dogs shit! I think there should be more police on foot on this trail since were right by the police station or something because I am avoiding this trail until next year they are ALWAYS there. I sat by the lake for almost 2 hours in hopes they would be gone but nope. There they were passing the trail again. Do they live in the woods?? What the hell. The guy always has a backpack and they wear sunglasses. A cute little trail that's pretty clean. Usually pleasant people on this trail for the most part consisting of moms with their kids and the like.

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.

Came with the pupsels to walk around the reservoir. Though the website says open dawn to dusk, the…read moregate doesn't open until 10. So I had to park outside and walk in. Bonus - I saved the parking fee. The walk was pleasant. But lots of rocks and roots. So I constantly had to be looking at my feet. The trails aren't very well marked and there are lots of side trails that aren't on the map. It's hard to get lost there - just kept the reservoir on my right. But I was often wondering if I was headed in the right direction.

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.

Playground is closed as of 10/25/2023. All the old fixtures for little kids are gone and there is a…read moreplayscape with orange fencing around it.

Beautiful park where you can walk through the woods to the pond in the back, then sit down and…read moreenjoy watching nature. For younger kids there is a playground and so much more. Highly recommend.

It's a Trustees property. So parking is $6. Huge parking lot. Can easily accommodate 100 cars…read more Beware that many Trustees properties, including this one, allow hunting. Right now (October) it is Bow season. Lots of trail options, quite a few ponds, hills, and connects to Fork Factory Brook across the street. They have designated dog On Leash/Off Leash areas. Trails are well marked. But you need to carry a map. Unless you have memorized all the trail names. They do not have maps at the intersections.

Growing up in the 60's and 70's in Medfield was a gift looking back in time. One of the special…read moreplaces in town was Rocky Woods. Summers where you could rent paddle boats and row boats, private picnic areas around the pond where you had your own site with table and fire place to cook on. Miles of trails with an observation tower that enabled views of Southern New Hampshire on a clear day. Winters were magical, ice skating on the pond that was well lit for night time skating and music with a very large rustic log cabin that overlooked the pond. A place to socialize, enjoy hot coffee and hot chocolate along with snacks and food. A second pond across the parking lot was used for hockey games, and both skating areas were meticulously maintained. If that wasn't enough, there was a ski hill with rope tow at the end of the skating pond. So many memories of time spent with friends growing up all winter skating and coming of age. It was back in a time when we actually had winter here. Now, all of this is just a distant memory for the now elderly who remember how lucky we were. Tragically, The Trustees of Reservations who own the property ended all of these activities, removed the parking lot and tore down the majestic log cabin. I can only imagine how Dr. Joel Goldthwait who gave this property to the Trustees of Reservations, along with a large endowment in 1942 must feel about what they turned it into. Thank you Mario Pederzini and countless others for making Rocky Woods what it once was and most importantly what it was meant to be.