It was a damn fine day to be at the Wachusett Reservoir Dam, in the low 80's and partly sunny. This…read moreis a beautiful spot, with hundreds of steps to conquer if you want to go to the bottom of the dam and back up. There is also a picturesque fountain with a pool at the bottom of the dam, a great spot to picnic as there are shade trees around the fountain. There are many trails around the reservoir, boasting great views of the pristine waterfront. You can't walk on top of the dam however, as it's been closed off for security reasons. There are many aprking spots around the reservoir, and near the busy dam, you can park on the side of the road. Be careful crossing, it's busy there. We've been here multiple times, and would be happy to return.

It is not a business, it is run by the government. Totally roped off for safety concerns. So you…read morecannot go onto the top of the reservoir but can view Wachusett reservoir from the sidelines. Beautiful view, nice hike and street parking.

Lovely mostly level and paved trail for walking and biking. It is pretty and serene in fall with…read moresome nice views of the foliage and a view of fort meadow reservoir at one point. Multiple access points in multiple towns including Marlborough and Hudson.

We access in Sudbury and Hudson. It is plenty wide and paved. There is also a building and areas to…read morefish, picnic and walk. Dogs allowed. It isn't all level.

Tripps Pond is a nice little space to spend some time outdoors... I had the opportunity to do so…read morewhile visiting friends this past weekend! Located on River Street, Hog Brook runs into the pond which in turn becomes the Assabet River. There are paths and trails on each side of the pond which are great for a stroll or a change of pace but certainly aren't built for lengthy hikes of any sort. One path travels through the woods over a couple small bridges and ends on a small peninsula at the pond's edge. The other side of the pond is well manicured with wide walking paths and multiple benches and picnic tables. When I was here, a few dedicated Hudson families were cleaning up the park and clearing away fallen trees and branches in anticipation of Earth Day! Plenty of space to soak in the early spring sun. There is a bench dedicated to George Chiasson (at one time a park commissioner who firmly supported the return of an annual fishing derby at the pond). The event is so aptly named the "George Chiasson Memorial Trout Fishing Derby". Sounds like the pond is stocked with trout for the event with a single tagged fish that if not caught on the day of the event, remains part of a prized contest until such day that some lucky person reels it in! The flowers are starting to bloom and the buds starting to emerge from the trees. Looks like the local boy and girl scout troops dedicate work and time to the park. There is a weeping willow and white birch tree there with plaques from the groups. I found a "#kindnessrocks" rock nearby to a bench in the park, a welcome message during my visit. A nice place to breathe in the fresh air and come together with the residents of Hudson.

Nice little pond for strolling, dog walking, and even fishing. On one side, there are several stone…read moreand wooden benches for sitting, a couple picnic tables, and swings. On the other side there's a path through the woods for a short nature walk. Plenty of Great Blue Heron sightings!

This was one of the best trips I've been on. A friend of mine who had taken another trip with SUP…read moreYO invited me to go with her. There were 12 of us and everyone got along. I don't know if the type of vacation (hiking and camping) helped to self select the people but by the end of the week we had gotten really close as a group. SUP YO also picked amazing guides. They were fun, funny, knowledgeable, and basically one of the gang with guide authority. The owner of the company came with us on this trip. She was fun, did everything we did, never put on any airs, and I felt like she was "one of us.". All of the food, hotel, etc was taken care of. We even celebrated a birthday for one one of the hikers in the group! I am looking for more trips to go on with SUP YO and a group of us are planning to go in another trip or a weekend hike together again!!

From the owner: SUP YO exists to connect like-minded souls through outdoor adventure. With transformative…read morepaddleboard yoga, hikes, retreats, and outdoor escapes, we inspire others to step outside of their comfort zones, challenge themselves in mind, body, and spirit, and discover their truest selves.

This site is near a major road and has free parking. The trails to the quarry and kiln are short…read moreand could easily be done with a young child. If you're more ambitious there are longer sections I went on with typical New England woodland plants. I and my hiking partner were the only ones there, so social distancing is not an issue. I did have to pee in the woods because there are no bathrooms.

Nice local place to take a walk, learn about the environment, and geocache. The trails are…read morerelatively flat but are not well marked as there is heavy geocaching traffic. The dirt parking lot is just off of 117 and there are maps and booklets to borrow during your trip. The booklet teaches you about fauna & flora found off the trails. Additionally, you can see the old lime quarries and lime kiln. Nice place to visit if you're a local.

I needed to kill time while I waited for my car to get detailed so I decided to go on this hike…read more From pictures, I was expecting a shorter bridge that only extended partially into the lake, almost like a dock. But to my surprise, it actually went from one side to the other. At the start of my walk across it, I could see fish in the water. Further down we noticed that there was a Dunkin' Donuts nearby across the street which is convenient for fuel. As we reached the end, we noticed a heron standing on the bridge. We walked with caution and got about 20 feet away before it fled. It stayed in the area for some time. After the bridge, there is a path along the woods that follows the perimeter of the lake. It is very easy to follow, and I think it only split once into two different avenues. Overall, it took us about 1 hour to walk the bridge and the woods. The bridge had very nice views, and the woods was very peaceful with an easy terrain. I would highly recommend for a good time out in nature.

Ugh. In a way I am so mad about this place, because after one visit here it has become my favorite…read moreplace to walk and be outdoors, and that frustrates me if only because it's an hour from my home. This hot spot randomly came up on my Facebook feed and I decided to check it out. It is simply an awesome spot. A mostly clear nature trail that loops around and the floating boardwalk. Even on a day like today where it was warm, walking the boardwalk was highly enjoyable as a breeze came across the water, and while there were a lot of people it was all spread out so everyone could still walk and enjoy the boardwalk. It simply an overall delight, and just a perfect little getaway. Parking is right in the district court parking lot, which you're allowed to do on weekends, holidays, and after 5 during the week. I can't say enough positive things about this place.

Don't come here in the summer. It's mosquito city due to all the stagnant water. The trails are…read morewell maintained, you see some nice canyons and boulders, but it's unbearable. I came prepared having applied mosquito repellent and they still swarmed around me and especially kept trying to go in my eyes since you can't spray repellent in your eyes. Would be nice after a hard frost in the fall.

We needed to kill time while we waited for my car to get detailed so we decided to go on this hike…read more We were following google maps so we were initially unsure where it began, and I was very close to giving up finding it, but we walked past the lake (used the shoulder of the road), and finally did find our way. We started walking and just followed the path. At the start of the path, there was a dock, which I assume is for kayakers, paddle boarders, or boats. After some minutes of walking, we came across an open area where there were a couple people with their dogs and some sand. We continued, and after a while, we found that the path was getting narrower, until we started trailblazing. It would be nice for there to be a better indication on how to loop around the body of water, but I also semi enjoyed the adventure of finding our way out.

Whitewater rafting trip. The staff was great! They were all very friendly and helpful. Zoar Outdoor…read moreis located on route 2 in Western MA directly across the street from the Deerfield River. Very beautiful area. After a brief safety video and briefing, we were given our rafting kit, loaded on buses, and brought up river to the raft slip, this was about a 30 minute trip north west. The raft trip ended across the street from where we started. An easy exit, we got out of the boat, returned our kit, and walked across the road to watch the video, and purchase souvenir photographs. We had an excellent day on the river during our 10 mile trip. My 14 year old son and I did the Zoar Gap trip which took most of the day with an hour break for lunch at a nice riverside picnic ground in the mountains. You can bring your own food( appropriately packaged) if you would like. They store it in a water proof bag and stow it on the raft. If there is even a hint of rain or you just don't want to get completely soaked, bring a three season jacket or rain coat. Also, you will be out on a river dress accordingly. NO open toed shoes! This includes flip- flops. You can rent shoes and wetsuits. If you have any medical issues like allergic reactions etc. I would either bring your own Epi Pen kit and medications with you, and stow it in the water proof bag, or possibly think about finding a less isolated outdoor experience. Be warned, white water rafting can be physically strenuous. The only issue I had was the lunch that was provided. Not that it was bad, it was well packaged and pre-made( not to order). If you have food allergies or don't like mayonnaise bring your own food. Zoar Outdoor is not really able to accommodate food allergies or pickey eaters. Mayonnaise was on every sandwich. I don't know why. They could just have provided packets on the side but they there were none available. My son hates mayonnaise so he only ate the chips, pickle, and cookies provided which got him through the remainder of the trip but not exactly a great lunch. One man we were with had a dairy allergy. I'm pretty sure he was not able to eat any of the food. I'm not sure why he didn't make sure a head of time if he could eat the food.I wish I had known the sandwiches had mayonnaise on them a head of time. Not a huge deal, we got over it. The trip was super fun! I would love to go again and will definitely choose Zoar Outdoor again.

Steve was our guide for white water rafting and he was awesome. Truly an expert on the route and…read moregave perfect instructions. All staff were very friendly. They even accommodated our dietary restrictions. 10/10 recommend!