DOG OWNERS! did you know this pond does not test for bacteria? did you know the fisherman next to…read moreyou watching your dog swim (when there are no swimming signs) are silently infuriated as you scare aware the fish. Your not being whimsical with your dog, your endangering your pet and annoying people who are trying to fish. Ear infections, Giardia, Leptospirosis, Cyanobacteria(fatal)... read up, this is why you bring dogs to places that test for bacteria. Its a fishing pond.. be smart keep dog'o on leash

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!

The whole place is amazing, especially the "castle". The trails are very well maintained, and VERY…read morewell marked. And the lake is beautiful. The best part is how amazing it is for dogs! Highly recommend!!

Borderland is a wonderful place. I usually only stay on the main trail for walking and running…read more Plenty of grass areas to play catch or picnic, plus benches and picnic tables throughout. Relaxing, quiet, and so many nice spots to enjoy the ponds, waterfall, spring noises of frogs, and foliage in the fall. I ride my bike or run or walk through regularly and enjoy it. I have also taken the kids to some of the mansion tours and the presentations about nature in the park building. Enjoyed those too.

Was out driving around today looking for someone for the kids to play & randomly saw this park…read more.. Decided to pull in & give it a try... Its probably the best park I have seen/been to this summer... They had so many different little stations. They even have this Music area where there are drum like pedestals that when you bang on make music & big chime like things you can bang hammers off to make noise... it was super cool! There are several slides, plank like walking pedestals & monkey bars.. There is a sprinkler section... There are tons of Picnic tables under a covered roof to hide in the shade, you even have to walk over a bridge to get there... Kinda cool! Only downside, no close bathroom & its woodchips which I admit is great for when kids fall, but horrible for women in flip flops! Will defintely be coming back.

Great park, preferably for older children 6 and up. If…read moreyounger make sure you have your hands free and can walk through the obstacles with them. Lots to do! And they have a toddler area, but my toddler wasn't interested.

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.

Well maintained and clean. We took our 3 grandkids and they had a ball. The time we went we were…read morethe only ones there. It was like having the grandkids in our own backyard. Very nice

Very cute play area for kids with lots of shade for babies. Many trees and big parking lot. Highly…read morerecommend

large playground fenced in and plenty of parking. lots of new structures and an onsite bathroom is…read moreconvenient with littles.

very nice neighborhood playground, especially after renovation! (there were so many kids in it now…read moreit was difficult to take pictures without looking creepy LOL) new structures promote climbing and safe spins; swing set streamlined and added with a large full-back seat and pull-down lock-in harness. many of above state "for age 5 and up", but plenty of younger folks seem to enjoy them equally. i personally supervise my own very closely to ensure safety for all. most caretakers i have seen on this ground seem to be doing the same. small "tree house" library is added on new ground as well. hope we can all take part in keeping it nice and filled. only issue so far is the bathroom. while i'm glad the facility was available when i needed to use it, the condition inside was abysmal. it stank, toilet paper thrown everywhere, hand soap dispenser missing with the refilling bag lying around helplessly. was shocked to find the stark contrast of the state of the bathroom with the new stuff right outside. later learned it was likely a result of repeated vandalism and irresponsible use during off hours. sad that the town may have to decide to lock it up to prevent future happenings.

This past weekend, myself and a buddy wanted to get out of Boston and shake up our walking route…read moreand landed on World's End. Be careful when putting the address into your navigation, especially Waze users, as it took us to the totally wrong location at first. Once you arrive, however, parking is pretty straightforward. It costs $10/car. The staff at the hut where you pay for parking was super helpful in letting us know what route would best suit our time constraints. We were even given a map! The trails were pretty clear, some maybe weren't as clearly defined as they could've been. Note for hikers: this does feel like more a stroll in the park as opposed to a true hike. Some hidden paths did feel like one, however, so don't be afraid to venture off what seems to be the most defined routes. We loved the views of the Boston skyline, harbour, and Hull, MA. This place is definitely worth a visit. I'm looking forward to coming back in autumn to see some good foliage!

Large park with great views of Boston and Nantasket beach it's a about 4 miles round trip. There…read moreare different trails and maps around the park. Parking you just go online it's $10 for parking and entrance for every one in your car so it's cheap. There is a rest room you can use near the parking lot.

This park is great for smaller kids. It is a fenced in park, there is a shaded sand box that is not…read morefenced in, and a large open grass field. It does get rather hot at the peak of the day. There are bathrooms, and the floor of the playground is the rubberized mat, not woodchips or cement.

Such a fun park and love that it's enclosed and has soft ground! Not many parks have decent sized…read moreplayground equipment for younger toddlers, and the one here is great!

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!

I really enjoy visiting Ashland State Park. Unfortunately, the reservoir is currently not safe for…read moreswimming 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.

This is one of the best places in the area to go for a hike. There are several scenic ponds to…read moremeander around and a nearly endless possibility of trails to take. We typically like to hike up to the radio tower in the center of the park on one trail and take a different way back to the car. There are boulders, cliffs, and rock gardens all over the place. That scores bonus points for me because I can't seem to pass a rock without wanting to climb to the top of it. Mountaing biking here is just as fun. You can wind your way up some rock infested single track to the top and then barrel down the fire roads. Or meader along the double track that crisscrosses all over the place before coming across a sign that leads you to a bike loop. There's a little something for everyone here and you can ride half the day without seeing the same parts twice. A lot of the single track is very challenging and covered with rocks, but there are still plenty of trails for every skill level. My only complaint is that while many of the main trails are clearly marked there are a lot of trails with no markings and a lot of them that aren't even on the map. The last time I was here I decided that I had had enough biking and wanted to head back to the car. The only problem is I had no idea where I was. Getting lost can be half the fun, but sometimes it's also nice to know where you are.

I walked the Megley Trail from Wrentham, up to the High Rock Road, and came back through other…read moretrails to see the stone staircase and the sunrise ledge. This is an expansive set of trails - I walked 3 miles but only touched a portion of the forest. The trails held a surprising amount of water on them despite it being dry lately, I did not expect this.