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!

Playground is closed as of 10/25/2023. All the old fixtures for little kids are gone and there is a…read moreplayscape with orange fencing around it.

Beautiful park where you can walk through the woods to the pond in the back, then sit down and…read moreenjoy watching nature. For younger kids there is a playground and so much more. Highly recommend.

I love to walk. I used to get exercise at Planet Fitness. I…read moreleft their a few months ago and started walking outside instead of on a treadmill in an indoor environment. Normally, I go to Bird Park in Walpole or Millenium in West Roxbury, but when I don't feel like driving very far, off to the Father Max field I go! Father Max is a large complex in a small neighborhood area, visible from the Norwood Senior Center, and located at the intersection of Hawthorne Street & Vernon Street, easily accessible via Winter & Prospect Streets in Norwood. It has 2 large fields, as well as a large pool complex area (that gets very busy in the summer!), a playground, and a baseball field. Each of the large fields are perfect for walking around, and bringing pets. here are also large soccer nets for the athletes. Playground is great for kids with slides, swings and more. Parking lot on Hawthorne Street as well. Good neighborhood park, perfect for any day (except thunderstorms....). 4 stars.

Nice mile loop on the hill. It was a lot shorter then I expected. You get to see the Boston skyline…read morebut when we got on top people did some graffiti that was totally disgraceful. Parking is available good place for a walk with the dog and family.

Great view of the Blue Hills, Boston Skyline. Through various trails a 2-3 mile hike can be made…read more Canoe rentals on site with access to the Neponset River. Open sunrise to sunset, no camping.

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!

Ah pictures are on the digi cam and I haven't pulled them yet…read more Houghton's pond is a nice local spot to us. It's got plenty of free parking, small park for the kiddos, a viewing area for the marsh, beach side is small but nice for picnic and swim. Plenty of geese and ducks that leave their natural presents all over the beach haha but that's nature. It's def a chill spot, i normally only ever went there as a meeting point when we are riding our motorbikes and meeting up with other friends. There are porta-potty bathrooms available between the beach and the kids park. Looks to be area for food vendors but don't know if it's going to open for the summer or not haha.

I've been going to Houghton's Pond for years! It's one of…read morethe many ponds in town and is always a great place to go for chill vibes. Popular for tanning in the summer & taking kids to play. They have a playground that's perfect to bring the kids. I love having picnic days here & going for after dinner walks here! Parking: lots of free parking available & is right off the highway Exit 3 Houghton's Pond or Exit 2B.

Been wanting to check out these trails for a while now and today was the day. There was no clear…read moreaddress on yelp directions but it got me there correctly. There's a tiny little spot you can park right before the head of the trail but only enough for a few cars. I guess if you came and it was full you could park down the street. There is a pretty big lot there that usually has quite a few spots open. You'd have to walk a bit to the trail though. Great trail around Ponkapoag pond. My Fit bit says it was a little over 11,000 steps. Most trails are marked good. There are maps posted every so often and most have an arrow that point "you are here". I would suggest to bring a map although at the place where I started from the box holding the Maps was empty so I just took a picture of the one posted. Definitely bring bug spray! This place is loaded with bugs. I was pretty bitten up at the end of my walk. I stayed on the main trail but there were lots of small trails to go off on. I was pretty disappointed to see signage that said no bikes allowed on a lot of them though. That's a real bummer for me and my beloved mountain bike. Saw lots of beautiful birds and butterflies. Luckily I didn't run into any coyotes but just be aware that they are around. 3.5 stars.

4.5 mile loop around Ponkapoag Pond in Canton. Parking can be a little challenging in the entryway…read moreto the park, or you can park at nearby Houghton's Pond and walk over. I love the "boardwalk" - a long series of linked planks leading through the bog to the pond. So scenic and a unique off-trail walk. The trail is rocky and rolling in parts and flat in others, with a brief paved portion along the golf course. The trail also passes the YMCA camping sites and outdoors center, and is fairly well traveled in all seasons. Great place for running, dog walking and hiking.

The address on Yelp will lead you to the parking lot for a skating rink and a community pool. It is…read morea convenient place to park, but I am not sure if is the best place to access longer trails. This location is not near the lake. The area is beautifully wooded, providing plenty of shade on a sunny day. The trails here were relatively short. I ventured off the main trail and discovered areas with overgrown greenery, lots of graffiti and decayed benches. Without anybody else around, it looked like a post apocalyptic world, and it felt eerie! Not sure who is supposed to fund or do the maintenance for this beautiful nature spot, so close to Boston, but it really needs some love! Without signage in the area and no phone connection, I almost got lost! I Ma aged to walk/run the trails for an hour but would love to explore different areas of Stony Brook if in the area again.

I used to come here often while walking my two Jack Russell Terriers. One day we were near the…read moreGeorge Wright golf course when (at least) two coyotes snuck up behind me and almost got one of my dogs. The coyotes were wicked bold and only my loud yelling got them to back off but they still followed. I'm bummed that I can't go any more because it is nice and quiet and the dogs love being off leash. Not trying to discourage anyone from going but if you have small dogs off leash, be careful.

This park was great when it opened. And it was continuing on a great path of PROGRESS…read more Then all of the progress STOPPED completely! Now everything has been left, and everything is already overgrown. They need to finish it! Yet, it is a full volunteer committee, so they can work on it when they want. Who ever decided to make this a park, made a great decision though.... it's in a wonderful location (as nearby Norwood really doesn't have a large park like this). Yet they need to keep working on this or hire other people, because the paths already need work, and lots of shrubs are overgrowing. All in all, I enjoy this park and would give it 5 stars, yet won't be until they hire others or keep working on it and learn what "UPKEEP" means. I would suggest this park for others, yet for now (until the park is fixed), I would HIGHLY suggest Bird Park in Walpole.

Nice little park with interesting history. A little swampy after the rain but beautiful wetlands…read moreare fun to see

Loved this place. Trails are mostly well maintained with a couple dicey spots, but well marked and…read moreeasy to navigate with signage at all junctions and a clear map on the website. We didn't have the cash to drop our admission fee into the drop box since the visitor centers were closed due to covid so I just bought a membership right then and there, I was so impressed. Bluff views were quite lovely and the trails were advertised- easy to moderate walks with tons of fun plant life to enjoy. Lots of varied fungi to check out. My kids were gaga over the abundance of different mushrooms. Can't wait to check it out when the trees are changing for some real true New England vibes.

I visited on an August Sunday. The visitor center is nice and has clean bathrooms. The woman…read moreworking the desk gave me a map and some tips on where I might see birds. I hit the trails on the other side of Moose Hill Road, and the Bluff was the highlight with beautiful views and a nice breeze. It is quite hilly in this area so lots of up and down. Clean trails. I took a paper map in the visitor center and used my Garmin to navigate, otherwise some of the back trails may have been confusing.