This dog park is a muddy mess. It's not maintained, and the perimeter becomes a tick-fest during…read morethe summer. There's also no water supply, so bring your own.

This is the fourth dog park I've visited lately. Recently,…read moreI've been around more dogs, and therefore have been going to more dog parks. Now, technically I probably could've gotten in trouble for coming here as it's supposed to be for Needham residents only, but I live in a nearby town, so didn't think it would be too big of a deal (and what, they're going to check an ID at a dog park?). This is a cool place off of Pine Street in the rural section of southern Needham close to the Dover line. It's accessible only via Central Avenue as Pine Street is a one way. Off Pine St, there are two signs, one white and one brown (as in the one of the pictures I uploaded), where you will turn onto a long, dirt road, filled with potholes, leading to the park as well as the Needham Community Farm at the end of the long road. There are two large fenced in areas for dogs. They are both good size and they both are extremely clean. There wasn't anyone else their when I arrived and left for that matter... so it's on the slow side, which can be a plus and a minus. Not much parking, but a small amount at the entrance and I think you can park a bit farther down the road in a large paved area. Overall, 4 star dog park. Better than some of the others I've visited, and in comparison, not as good as others. 4 stars.

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!

Very clean, friendly pups! There are toys, benches and even agility equipment. There's also a…read moregrassy area but that's not fenced.

This is a great place to take your dog. This dog park is pretty big. My dog loves this place. The…read moreonly thing why I cannot give this dog park a 5-star review is because I wish it has a water fountain in the park. Sometimes I forget to take a water bottle for my dog and if nobody brings water, dogs are thirsty. In other dog parks that I have been to there were fountains for dogs. It was in Florida tho. Overall, this place is good. During the winter, the ground becomes super slippery like on the skating rink. After the rain, it is kind of dirty in there. My dog looks like a pig. But those are weather conditions and it does not relate to my review. It is just a sharing of the experience that people can be prepared for it.

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!

Great hike! This hike is easy and the length is 1.2 mi, it might take 30 minutes to walk around…read more The huge surprise was that you can let your dog walk without the leash. A lot of people bring their dogs. This hike has a lake where your dog can swim. Nature is beautiful, when you are walking around you could hear the woodpeckers. The only problem is parking. There are not a lot of parking spots, and if you go there, there are only residents parking on the weekends. There is no additional parking available for people who just visiting the park.

First time here, but I don't know a single person that hasn't recommended it without rave reviews…read more PROS: Trails. Great for off leash dog walking. There were tons of dogs roaming about, owners right on their heels, so no worries about unattended animals. Clean(er) ponds, since they're connected to flowing water sources. There was only spot we saw where the water seemed stagnant. Most everywhere else it was relatively clean. It's not crystal blue Caribbean waters, obviously, but for your dog to swim in, it's good. CONS: Parking seemed tight. Found a spot, but it looks like local residents are not happy about street parking for overflow, so there were signs prohibiting street parking. This was at the Drabbington entrance. I'm sure there's another entrance I don't know about. OVERALL: My new gold standard for off leash hiking.

It is a very beautiful, well-maintained park I only walked a mile so far, on a pleasant summer…read moreday, but will go back.

Noanet Woodlands is another favorite woodsy area to add to my list (another recent favorite is…read moreanother Trustees property in Andover, the Ward Reservation). The two are somewhat similar with different color coded trails and a trail to reach a summit for the skyline of Boston (I didn't check that out here at Noanet Woodlands for this trip). I enjoyed coming here on the weekend: it was moderately trafficked (which I like so it's not *too* isolated), and easy/moderate trails (I prefer long, ambling hikes). The only thing is that the orange trail I took was a bit confusing/not super clear. The overall system does a good job, but I would be sure to download a map/have AllTrails active to ensure you don't end up in the wrong spot. I fortunately ran into some folks who helped me get back on track, but a heads up that it could get confusing as it did for me. Otherwise, a wonderful shady (important to know on hotter days) set of trails that I would recommend!

The actual dog park is not even really a dog park in my opinion. The space is limited for both big…read moreand small dogs but gated. Dogs are allowed to be off leash. There's no water fountain for your pups to have fresh water after playing. Parking lot is available upon entering and is decent size for multiple vehicles. More than anything I love that they have few trails and makes it fun to walk your pup with abundance grass for them to smell and play on. My dodo loves playing on the grass and we have walked on the short trails while he sniffs everything on his way. I personally feel it's a great park for a brisk walk with your dodo. My rating is exclusively based on the trials overall and taking 1 star away for the dog ranch area.

This new dog park is tucked away on the site of the old Metropolitan State Hospital site in Waltham…read moreoff Trapelo Road, next to one of the remaining old buildings. There is parking and nearby bike paths. While there are lots of open fields nearby, the fenced in areas of the dog park itself are small. There is an area for small dogs, separate from that of big dogs, but they are both small areas. The big dog area could stand to be much larger. The ground is gravel/packed dirt... pebbles would be better. I can see this being muddy and have heard some owners complain the gravel is too sharp for paws. The entry/exit points of the enclosures are not the usual "airlock" system with two gates, but a separate entry/exit which did not keep other dogs from trying to escape with us when we left. There is one bench for people to sit on, more benches would be nice. There is a trash can. There is currently no water, but I have heard that there are plans to add that in the spring. There are fun things for dogs to run over and around, and someone has stocked the pens with tennis balls, but the best things dogs like to play with is the other dogs. Our dog was very happy to play with everyone! This new park was already very busy with dogs on a Sunday afternoon. If we really want our dog to get some exercise, we would probably still go to Beaver Brook or Cat Rock Pak where there is more space to run, but this is a good option for play time! I hope Waltham listens and continues to make this park even better!

Great dog park .. great energy ! Fun!! Warm welcoming!! Friendly for dog owners and lovely…read moreenvironment for dogs to play of all sizes!!

You need a membership to use the park. Outside is a nice green area I use to play with my dogread more

Spacious off leash dog park with ample parking and lots of room for playing and running. Can be…read moremuddy after rain, but that's typical of most parks! There is also lots of parking right outside the park which is so convenient. Make sure to bring your own poop bags!

0 stars First time I went both of my dogs got a serious…read morevirus. Second time I went a dog tried to maul my son. Without my son going near him or provoking him in any way. Owner said, after the fact, "oh he doesn't like kids". Not a single person tried to help us while my husband and I were trying to hold our son up and the dog kept jumping at him. Not to give a bad name to the breed but it was a pitbull. Never going back there again, although it's a nice field.

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.