Of all the state parks in the area, Ashland has always been my favorite. It's not human-made and has 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! read more

I really enjoy visiting Ashland State Park. Unfortunately, the reservoir is currently not safe for swimming due to bacterial exceedance (otherwise, this park is 5 stars). Without the option to swim, the beach doesn't have the same appeal, but it is still a nice spot for walking or boating. The trail around the reservoir is an almost 4 mile loop, and the vast majority of it is shaded. There are many roots along the trail, and the terrain slopes toward the water, so it is not flat. Just something to keep in mind for folks with knee or ankle issues. During our most recent visit, the trail was not crowded, and thankfully was very clean with very little noticeable litter. We did encounter a small amount of broken glass and a few dog owners who ignored the "dogs must be leashed" signs. Either from the trail or water, the view in almost all directions is natural woods. There are just a few homes within site from the trail, so it really feels like an escape hidden within the suburbs. read more

Ashland State Park - Parks Near Me - Ashland, Massachusetts

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

Ashland State Park - Parks Near Me - Ashland, Massachusetts

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Came with the pupsels to walk around the reservoir. Though the website says open dawn to dusk, the gate 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. read more

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It's a nice chill dog friendly spot. I had a great time with my dogs and met some nice people there with their dogs too. Loved it!

Such an amazing place to go and take a break from everything ! I loved the views and the peace I felt at this place. You can take your dog for walk here too I do recommend wearing shoes some place there can be very slippery to walk. There's such a nice view of the lake and the waterfall. read more

Ashland State Park - Parks Near Me - Ashland, Massachusetts

I love taking my dog to ashland state park! I live in Hopkinton and probably live equidistant between Hopkinton state park and ashland state park and typically favor ashland for whatever reason. When I first started coming here I would walk my dog on the leash in the paved areas/when I would see other people (especially kids) or when there were many people in one area (I don't like to assume that everyone will want to socialize with my overly friendly but very submissive dog). Some people who have been going here for a while said "if you keep your dog on a leash, people will assume it is not friendly and your dog won't be invited to socialize with other dogs or people" so I started taking her off leash as soon as we got there and since her recall is pretty good (especially with the treats I tend to bring to the park). As I read reviews on this site clearly many people feel like the dogs should stay on leash (I hear ya loud and clear everyone! My dog will now stay on leash in areas where other people will be and I'm sure she won't care) I love this park. I don't know all the trails yet but have liked walking the ones I have done. I love the beach and its true on off hours there will be a lot of dogs there particularly swimming and on the beach which is fun social time for them. The people who visit ashland state park have all been super friendly to me as well. Everyone will strike up conversation and being that I am new to the area I have had a couple different people tell me about good things in the area, history of ashland/Hopkinton and I welcome all of these conversations. The only thing I didn't love about this park is that I generally work normal business hours. One day I took a day off and took my dog to the park mid day and when I reached the beach there were 2 dog walkers that had tons of dogs with them. I love for my dog to have social time but I thought this was too much. Each dog walker probably had close to 8 dogs with them (varying sizes) and being that I didn't know the dogs, I called my dog and put her on the leash immediately. This seemed like too many unleashed dogs to me (they may have been all friendly dogs and everything maybe would have been fine if my dog did start mixing with them but I wasn't ready to chance it.) Anyways, I'm sure ill come to this park as long as I live in Hopkinton. read more

Ashland State Park - My dog enjoying ashland state park. - Parks Near Me - Ashland, Massachusetts

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What a wonderful place to discover for hiking. I was on a hiking tear since last Wednesday probably channeling my youngest son who is an avid back packer. On the previous day we had hiked the Fells which is a magical place and we were in the Framingham area so decided to check this place out. It was a beautiful day, a great place to walk as well. If you took it all the way around following the water on your right you went up and down the pine forest till you eventually reach your car in the lot. Took several hours. I would recommend highly. There is a lovely aqueduct near the entrance and the large gush of water fall was an awesome sound. read more

Is it possible to leave 10 Stars on Yelp! If so this park would get all TEN! I love the Ashland State Park and Reservoir. The grounds are immaculate and constantly being groomed. The hiking trails are some of the best in the area and you get a beautiful view no matter where you are. The 3.4 mile hike around the lake is a must. You will find a variety of birds, ducks and even beavers! I wouldn't recommend the hike if you have a stroller because there are quite a few tree roots the deeper you get into the hike. If hiking is not your thing there is a beautiful beach you can relax on and there is a dam that's fun for the little ones to see. Add this to your list of State Parks that are worth visiting! Let me know your thoughts and enjoy this fabulous location that I visit multiple times a week! read more

Great place to get some exercise in, meet a bunch of pups, and relax in the outdoors. To avoid paying a parking fee, you can park at the soccer fields at the beginning of the road and walk about a half mile into the park. This might not be particularly feasible with a group of children or while carrying heavy beach items, but totally doable if you're just going to walk the trails. There's a beach, some picnic tables, and grill setups. The trails are great and well-maintained. The path all the way around the water is deceptively long, so we often turn around and head back the way that we came after 3-4 miles. Many dogs are off leash on the trails, but owners are generally good about keeping their pups close. Overall, this place is a gem! read more

Ashland State Park - Parks Near Me - Ashland, Massachusetts

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Ashland State Park is a 470 acre park with a large pond with a sandy beach and plenty of picnic tables. There's a a lot of paths for walking and biking. The only downside to cooling off on a nice day (during the week) is the amount summer camp kids. I think all the children of Ashland are herded off to the park to go swimming. A few life guards were also on duty too. The park also charges $5 per vehicle as a parking fee admission. read more

This is one of my favorite places. Pet friendly, family fun, and great place to just relax.

We take our dog here every day after work, and usually in the mornings on weekends. We love going there because it is unstaffed since it is technically closed, so we let her off leash during the whole walk. There is a beach where most of the dog owners congregate and the dogs can go swimming with our without their people. I go running there every other day around the different trails, and it is great. read more

Be prepared to deal with ILLEGALLY off leash dogs if you come here, often with owners nowhere in sight, if you are on the trails. I have dogs and walk them LEASHED where required by law. I don't even attempt this park any more because there are too many out of control dogs and clueless, rude dog owners. read more

Ashland state park is a great place, nice and quiet. The only issue is the people who let their dogs run loose and then don't pick up after them. I was under the impression that dog owners were responsible people. I have come to the realization that most are not. It is very sad that most have children with them and are teaching them to ignore the numerous signs and then plead ignorance when told. The most of them seem to be nice people but seem to loose site of their manners. Overall the park is well run and very clesn with a great staff who tske pride in the park. It's sad that a few bad apples try to spoil it for the people who believe in following the rules. read more

Great spot to hike, trail run, swim, relax. The park is very clean. Trails are well marked & maintained. Bathrooms are clean. Lake is refreshing. I would definitely return. Probably with my dog. Who I would leash & pick up after. I did encounter some of those people mentioned that let their dogs off leash & allowed them to approach runners on trails in the woods. Not cool! Leash your dogs! read more

I love this park! It's a great walk around the reservoir. If you pick up after your dog, your dog is well behaved, and it's not crowded, I personally see no issues with letting your dog off-leash here once you leave the parking lot and beach area. Bring a leash along so you can leash her in the parking lot and beach area and for those suffering from Cynophobia on the trail. The people who work there will say something to you if they see your dog off-leash. The main thing is to clean up after your dog. Nobody wants to step in a pile of your dog's mess. read more

I've been here a bunch of times since moving to the MetroWest area because I love being able to walk around the lake. It can be a decent hike, depending on which parts you visit, so it's nice that you can have that option here. It has some really pretty wooded sections as well that I really enjoy. I prefer Callahan Park just because of how massive it is and how varied the terrain is, but this is a great park to have in Ashland. read more

I rediscovered this childhood favorite of mine this year....this is a fantastic place with many beautiful trails to walk, and also a great location for photos. During the past several months I have spent as many weekend hours as possible here with my dog. During the off-season at least, well-behaved dogs are typically off-leash and having a great time. I haven't visited in the summer since I was a child, and look forward to the upcoming months. read more

Summer 2013 - beach was dredged and filled with new sand. Water was so clean! I am not a lake swimmer but ventured in because it was so clean on the bottom as well as the beach in general. We are so grateful for this hidden gem! read more

This place is a gem. An autumn walk in any direction is relaxing and visually appealing. The trails are well traveled and the parking is plentiful. However, the number of unleashed dogs and rude owners is the worst I've ever experienced in any park. It 's a shame that the park service doesn't monitor and fine the owners. You'll also notice many doggy poop bags all over the grounds. I love dogs, but the law is in place for a reason. EVERY dog has the potential of biting, even if you say "oh, don't worry, he's harmless." I also bring some sort of deterrent, just in case a dog gets aggressive. Haven't had to use it yet, but came close several times. How sad that a dog may be injured by a nervous runner (like me) because a human is ignorant. Be responsible and leash your dog! read more

Very dog friendly and exactly what we were looking for. Wish the water was more swimmable but looks pretty mucky. If you love be your dog bring him or her here. Nice to see that staff is friendly and professional as well! read more

I absolutely love coming here with my dogs! I often come with my friends who also bring their pups. I like right outside of Boston so the ride is kind of long, but worth it. We usually make a day trip out of it, bringing snacks and drinks. I usually float around in the water while the dogs hang out, swim and say hi to those who pass by. I've never had a problem here, everyone is super nice too! read more

HUGE FIVE STARS for this place --- especially if you have a dog!! Technically, it closes at 6:00PM each night -- but the relaxed rangers understand the locals and allow people to stay past that time if they want. The only stipulation is that you have to MOVE YOUR CAR OFF the State Park grounds and into an adjacent lot about 1/4 mile up the road. A short walk. No problem!! (They like to close/lock the car gate at 6PM) The place is gorgeous during the day, but the magic happens each night around sunset when most people have gone home for the day and local dog owners bring their pups to the beach. I've been bringing my dogs there for years now and its always been one of their favorite places! I actually have to DRAG my current dog, Tuukka, off the beach when it is time to go! :-) Though dogs are allowed in the park AT ANY TIME -- they are asked to only swim in the designated "dog-swimming" areas during normal business hours. After 6PM, they are allowed to swim anywhere they want. If you love swimming in a beautiful lake, with a sandy bottom and clean water -- then this is the place for you! If you like doing that WITH YOUR DOG (and other people's dogs) - then this place is for you ALSO! :-) Even if you are not a dog-owner or a fan of swimming -- this place offers great hiking trails around, great views, clean facilities, and plenty of "fire-pits" if you'd like to just come and have a family BBQ. Massachusetts has a LOT of great State Parks --- but Ashland State Park is right up there as one of the best it has to offer. FIVE STARS!!! :-) read more

I agree with Vanna about the off leash dogs. I had a horrible experience here last Saturday (615/13) because some irresponsible dog owner let his two Pitbulls walk around without a leash. The owner of the Pitbulls kept walking while one of his dogs would not leave me and my black lab puppy alone. At one point the Pitbull started growling at my puppy. Finally the owner came back and couldn't understand why I was upset. Please people be respectful and walk your dog on a leash!!! read more

Visited the park several times this summer. The sand was covered in goose poop, that turned me off. The staff was cleaning it up but it was also in the water, very unhealthy. I would not recommend this beach for swimming. Great for a picnic and walking around the l;ake read more

A great place to take the dogs for a walk very nice area lake is beautiful. We have been going there for years. The best place to park is the small parking area next to the tennis courts. There is a huge field to let the dogs play and then nice trails through the woods that will bring you to the lake read more

Very well kept environment filled with friendly people and furry friends. Good place to walk around or post up for the day!

Beautiful park (hours 10-6), very clean and friendly staff. All trails, picnic areas and bathrooms are well maintained. Great park for dogs although many owners unleash dogs even though the sign states dogs be leashed. read more