I'm reluctant to review because it might bring attention to this diamond in the rough…read more One of the major reasons I moved to Wellesley was Lake Waban; I'd drive from the city every weekend to walk the lake with my dog. As luck would have it, and I didn't know until moving into my home, Morse's Pond is a 7 minute walk and changes the entire dynamic of the community I live it - it's as if I live in Maine. My family spends almost every weekend here and enjoy biking on the vast trails and swimming in the gorgeous pond. A true gem!

I'm almost afraid to post this review because I want this place to stay a hidden gem, but…read moreanyway...if you are looking for a clean place to sun and swim, look no further. There's a decent beach and the water isn't too cold. It's mostly families, so I won't say it's peaceful, but it hits the mark on a hot day. $10 for non-Wellesley residents. $70 for a season pass.

Hello Mayor/ City of Framingham,…read more I will start with this.... Welcome to Saxonville Beach the most filthiest disgusting city beach I ever been to. There is literally Geese SHIT EVERYWHERE on the walkway and all over the sand this beach has not been properly maintained at all..,not cleaned.. the sand needs to be replaced... It's obvious the the Park/DPW department City of Framingham don't care... If you don't care about the beach then completely shut it down....if you go and compare Saxonville beach to the other town beaches you will PUKE..... Look at this FALSE PICTURE of Saxonville beach that's on the city website ...I want city officials to go to Saxonville Beach and see for themselves... Obviously they don't go there.... Bring something to cover your shoes... ITS DISGUSTING.... If you plan on fixing it do it right DAMM IT...Put some money into it not some bullclean up..... Take a look at the Wayland town beach. I will contact a local news channel if it's not done properly.

This beach is one out of 3 in the town of Framingham and is run by the town…read more The life guards open it in mid June to mid Aug. Great place to cool off and let the kids run around. Parking is free but either a day pass or season pass is needed which you can buy there or get at the main office in downtown Framingham.

Upping my review to 3 stars…read more They rebuilt the dock area so it is a nice place to sit, drink a coffee, eat lunch, etc. in the spring and fall, many of the assisted living facilities bring van loads of residents to visit. I try to visit on those days with my dogs - it helps bring joy to the residents.

This is the second time I've been to Cochituate State Park and I came in around noon and I didn't…read morego to the conventional way to the beach, but this was a side trail, which was much nicer and was able to just swim. It was so pretty. It was really nice with bathwater temperature considering it's been 88° out. I really enjoyed myself. This is a very popular beach for the local people and visitors alike. There are lots of children and lifeguards at the small beach, but it is a huge state park where you can do a lot of running around and picnicking. If you are not an advanced swimmer, I do not recommend coming here with children to be safe . But if you can tread water and you know how to swim well and basically live in the water, it's fine.

The pond is lovely and peaceful in Fall/Winter, a nice place to escape the hustle and bustle of…read moretraffic, construction, strip malls, and more traffic. Framingham is lacking in open, public space considering its size (26 square miles), so this spot is special in its own rite. Enjoy the colorful foliage surrounding the water, or take a short walk in the woods next to the pond. Trailhead starts at the parking lot and dead-ends at the end of a very lucky property owner's yard. During the summer, it's probably a different story. I expect screaming children, trash, yelling parents, and overcrowding, but I'll have to come back and experience it to confirm these suspicions. As you can see in the photos, the parking lot is larger than the beach, which is sad and telling. The upside is that there actually are a few bike racks and presumably you could skip the parking fee if you bike here. According to the internet, the Town of Framingham operates three public beaches which are staffed from mid June to late August. Beach tags are available from the Park & Recreation Department for $10.00 per resident or $30.00 per resident family. Daily passes are available for $3.00 per person, per day. Non-resident rates are available.

I was walking through one busy summer afternoon and looked over and saw a Latina woman rinsing off…read moreher child's soiled diaper in the shallows only yards from people swimming and wading. I would never swim there after I witnessed that disgusting scene.

I never knew this was here! Had a great time and the staff were friendly and accommodating.read more

Nice lake and boats but... We arrived and the rangers at the…read morepark (this is the Cochituate State park site) told us there were high levels of cyanobacteria in the water, and not to get wet and/or to make sure we wash off after. Oh, and there is no hose and the bathrooms had closed at 2 pm. But there is still an $8 parking fee ($30 for out of state!) and the business is renting boats like crazy, with no warnings on the web site or at the boat launch (we had paid in advance).

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.

We had a few groupons to get our kayak on, and with the beautiful weather we had this weekend, it…read morewas the perfect time. Nothing better than being on the open ocean with a paddle. Four of us arrived, filled out a simple waiver, and got our life vests and paddles. After not so gracefully plopping into the kayaks, we were on our way. Once we got the hang of it, we were on our way to the closest island. We were hoping to get to Spectacle, (insert snicker here) but I think we would have passed out first, so we made it to land (I think it was Thompson, which may or may not have had No Tresspassing signs on it. Eh, We weren't exploring, just resting up with a nice picnic lunch. I can't wait to go back, after my aching arm muscles stop killing me!~ Next time I might wrapy my thumbs with tape to see if it will prevent the blisters I got.... Highly recommend for a fun day out!

UMass Boston is right on the ocean, so it's cold of the…read moreYear.... but beautiful. They offer many boating activitIes, and water sports equipment rentals, as well as a running trail along the ocean. The deal: Umass Boston students, with ID's, hey free boat rIdes, kayak lessons and more!