This camp was lots of fun! I got the pleasure of going because of a training activity for my College. Sheldon, Cam, and Birk in particular were amazing! Everyone seemed extremely nice. Super fun games and activities. Would do this again! And I definitely recommend! read more

Bringing hale down a few notches. Since the pandemic started, Hale has had to make up for funding by charging people a $10 day parking pass or a seasonal pass which was fine. Since then, they have operated at almost normal capacity and now rent out the main beach, run camps etc. I think they can let go of the parking fee or at least reduce it. They claim it's to pay for things like roads and services etc. well I haven't seen one road repaired in the years I've been going. Because of the parking fee I definitely go less. I went yesterday with my two young sons and a party rented the main beach. We were told we couldn't fish off the dock but then gave us a little time before the party started which was within minutes of us being there. The kids decided to play in the sand and shortly after was told they couldn't because of the "party". Another woman was way off to the end of the beach with a baby less than a year old, and she was told she couldn't be there. None of us were interfering with the party and it just felt wrong for a Saturday to reserve a whole beach area to a party. Especially when the party wasn't using the whole beach. They should coordinate that a little better to allow for the public to use a certain area during times like that. They had about 7-10 life guards there sitting under a canopy. Maybe that's part of the problem as far as funds go. They need to reevaluate. Took me a while to get ready for a short day of fishing with my boys. Loading up the car, cooler, walking to the area and basically leaving after 10 mins was a wasted day. I could of gone somewhere else and enjoyed the sun. Was frustrating. The place could also use some upkeep to the trails and landscaping to allow for more areas to fish from. I've complained about hornets nest near trails where I was attacked one time and nothing was done. Keeping clear paths allows for a clear view rather than heavy cover where you can't see snakes (which I've also encountered), and avoiding ticks. Just a few things to point out since my first days of experiencing Hale. read more

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We decided to hold our wedding at Hale after cancelling our originally planned wedding due to the pandemic. There were so many event site options and Shannon and the whole Hale was so accommodating - even with balancing everchanging Covid guidelines - as we explored our options and ultimately got married at Hale in the spring of 2021. Hale was a beautiful backdrop for our happily ever after! The Andrew Cucchiara Learning Center & Orchard was a perfect space: a rustic barn and enough outdoor space to configure 3 distinct functional areas with no changeover. The space allowed us to host the best day of our lives while easily respecting all the guidelines that caused us to cancel our initial wedding. We were able to completely make the space our own for the weekend which made it so easy to make our day special with every custom touch we wanted. Shannon was always quick to answer any questions as we were planning we had and made it so easy for us, our vendors, and our guests to get everything needed and ensured a great time on our day. Usually the logistics of a wedding - especially a small DIY event - are overwhelming, but even with constantly changing restrictions, Shannon went above and beyond in helping us with the onsite facilities, day-of details, and empowering our vendors to get what they needed leading up to and throughout our wedding. We may have been a covid couple, but we were able to host a celebration safely. Pandemic or not, Hale is absolutely a special wedding venue and a place that we will forever cherish. Thankfully we can go back and visit any time! We cannot thank everyone at Hale enough for giving us the opportunity to have the most perfect wedding. And the fact that they made it feel easy in the throws of a pandemic definitely helped make our wedding day even more magical. read more

I came here today for the first time as I was looking for a new place to hike in the area. This place was Siri recommended As soon as I parked the car and got out to the map location I got swarmed with insects buzzing above my head. My arms got a very good work out and I had to swat them away every 2 seconds Do yourself a favor if you come here on a nice sunny day , wrap yourself in a bug repellant body suit just make sure your eyes can see. 2 stars for the lovely pond that was discovered along the way. Strange place to hike. Cabins eveywhere and maybe I didn't get a good look at map , I walked into a dead end twice . Bugs . Lots of bugs. read more

I am not sure where to begin with the Hale. I think it would be best to set the scene. It was a spectacular Sunday in September - the day before I started a new job. I thought what better way to destress from the new job jitters then to go for a hike. I had become acquainted with Hale from a Boston.com feature on local hiking spots. Given its proximity I decided to try it. Getting to the Hale is relatively easy, but that is when the easiness ends. We tried to hike on several trails. I use the hike loosely as you could have easily gone barefoot- Masai style. So I guess we ought to classify this as a "walk". Regardless, the trails were poorly marked. Actually, they weren't marked at all. You could be following a well blazed path and then it would disappear and then you suddenly come to an intersection of roughly 6 choices. I was fine with the poorly marked trails. I am all for exploring and bushwhacking and even the occasional geocache, but only if the scenery is visually appealing. The Hale consists mainly of trails under high-tension power lines and sand. There is no natural fauna to speak of. In fact, I didn't even see an insect or chipmunk or other similar rodents. The Hale seems devoid of life. Although it would be perfect for a light stroll or dog walk - I would not go there expecting a grand communion with nature. Sorry to all the Westwoodians who I may have offended. read more

Hale Reservation is DEFINITELY one of the best places to walk / jog / hike in the immediate Westwood area. (Noanet Woodlands (which is accessible right from Hale!) is the other good one). The paths are market (some other reviews have said they are not, but all of the MANY paths I have walked are always marked, and at some path intersections there are "mini" signs. The Beach at Hale Reservation (Membership Beach) is also a great place to go, and the other beach here at Hale. Everything is pretty, everything is nature-like, and the entire Hale Reservation campus is a non-crowded, great place to go. Just take CAUTION on Carby Street, it's really a one lane road, and is dangerous! And if you're going to Membership Beach (with a membership, or getting one of course), I would suggest turning at Brune Way instead of Carby. read more

We had our wedding here over the weekend and it was absolutely amazing!!! The location is gorgeous and the director Shannon is phenomenal. I would recommend it to any couples in search of their perfect outdoor wedding venue. read more

Hale Education - Day Camps Near Me - Westwood, Massachusetts

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Yo. Tell mark the camp counselor hes wack as hell.. he took my Eminem "the Eminem show" Cd back in 2004 and he owes my parents a cd. And his wife michelle was lame to ...Always complained to the camp about my personal hygiene which was made up. Not nice people. Hopefully they don't work there anymore. read more

I have to echo Nick B.'s comment about the poorly marked trails. If you asked me to recreate the route that we took through the woods, there is no way I could do it. We actually had to resort to my friend's iphone to get us back to the car because we were completely lost and we were losing light. I do have to say that we saw some cool animals along the way - turtles and frogs, and I do like how much forest there is. Hale reservation is not a place to hike, but it is a nice place for a nature walk or bike (we saw a bunch of mountain bikers). This place would be great if there wasn't the danger of getting lost in the woods. read more

I think it's a great family place for hiking easy paths. I tried biking there but you have to know where your going as trails aren't marked very well. You can go off the beaten path or stay on the main trails. There's a cool lake and the sunsets are pretty. Some clueless people don't leash their dogs so if you have a dog or child leary of other dogs, beware. read more

We thought this might be a nice place for a walk on a beautiful fall day, on a trail around the pond called "flat and easy." The trail turned out to be very poorly marked with many missing or faded blazes, underfoot was a bed of leaves that covered many roots and sharp rocks, the trail (when you could find it) was far from flat with lots of hills and valleys, and there were very few even glimpses of the pond. Not recommended. If you go after the leaves have fallen, be sure to wear sturdy footwear. read more

This place is a hidden gem. A great place for a hike, walk, or bike. It is one of our favorite places to fish and have a cookout. Bring a grill, some food, and spend the day. read more

I am always looking for new places to hike/walk locally. It's well organized, perhaps best for hiking newbies or young families. You're never too far from the main park road. For my purposes, I won't be coming back to Hale because it is more of a campground than fit for feeling like you're out in the middle of nature. That is the context for my rating.. read more

So peaceful and quiet here. Only thing is I wished they allowed dogs during the summer

Great place to walk? The trails are clean and people are generally respectful of the #wildlife

After reading the other two reviews, which weren't great, I want to add my experience, which is only for Membership Beach, where my family and I spend a lot of time in the summer. This marks our fifth year at Hale and we still love it, from the lifeguards to the volunteers to the administrators, this place runs like clockwork and has become one of the happiest memories in my kids' lives. Hale is great. read more

Now they have new camp director , had bad experience trying to find work experience for my son , in he past they went out f there way but had no support from new camp director who made an issue about everything . Stay away from it if your kid as any special needs not helpful in working with kids with needs that was my experience this year . read more