What a special day at Quabbin Reservoir! I've always been fascinated by the history of the towns that were flooded to create the reservoir, so getting to see it in person was something special and our friends told us the history while we drove around and saw different spots along the way. The views were absolutely beautiful, and we may have gotten a little too excited when we spotted the turkeys. The best part was sharing the day with friends we met on a cruise 24 years ago. Beautiful scenery, fascinating history, wildlife, and longtime friends... it doesn't get much better than that. read more

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The Quabbin Reservoir Visitor Center is well worth a visit. The history and evolution of the reservoir including indigenous wildlife are explained in detail. Very friendly and helpful staff. Ample free parking, too. The Reservoir is astounding. read more

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This place used to be my favorite, now I wouldn't step foot back if you paid me. On Sunday, August 3rd around 1:15pm at Gate 8, we were greeted by the most VILE, DISRESPECTFUL woman I've ever had to deal with. From the second we pulled up, she looked at us with pure attitude, like we were beneath her. She made us feel like an inconvenience, snapping and acting like we didn't belong there. It was humiliating and completely uncalled for, especially considering she was literally with 2 different customers- how professional! After snapping at us for simply entering the premises, she continued to laugh at how she had just treated us in front of other customers (who experienced the whole thing) For reference, she was a blonde woman with neck tattoos, so there's no excuse for whoever in charge to not know exactly who this is and take action. I seriously don't understand how someone with that kind of nasty, hostile energy is allowed to work with the public. She has no business being employed anywhere near customers. She should be FIRED IMMEDIATELY. This woman ruined the entire experience, and because of her, they've permanently lost a loyal customer. Absolutely VILE behavior that will not be tolerated and this will be continually reported until action is taken. It's sad, because the gentlemen that work there are so kind and made our past experiences so wholesome. It was truly the place to go when you needed a break from the busy world. Super unfortunate how some nasty unhappy woman could ruin it. read more

Always snap.some nice photos whether in the Summer or Fall. Very peaceful! Wanna check out in the Winter too, Stay tune read more

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Always a wonderful spot to visit, especially in the fall for foliage season. Still feeling disappointed the tower is closed...has been since COVID which was the excuse about 4 years; now it's because of structural integrity. Let's get this fixed so we can enjoy it again! We noticed they've been pointing the rock walls along the dam areas, etc. so let's see some headway on the lookout tower. Maybe actively patrolling the area and raising funds for our dog lovers visiting...I spot $1000.00 on the trip today. BTW, I do like dogs, but it's frustrating when people think the rules apply to everyone but them. There's a reason dogs aren't allowed; educate yourselves! read more

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Lucky to live so close to this treasure. Stunning views of this engineering masterpiece. read more

Quabbin Reservoir - Sunset at the Quabbin - Parks Near Me - Belchertown, Massachusetts

Quabbin Reservoir has a nice "boardwalk" type walking path that includes beautiful scenery. The trees you see from afar are trees that could be painted by Bob Ross, along with the reflective blue waters. It's a perfect walking path to take a stroller on or even ride your bike. I enjoy coming here because even on the weekend, it's not too crowded. It's a big enough space to "social distance" and enjoy the weather on a nice day. Also, the grassy area and walking path is very clean and the public bathrooms are sanitary which is rare in this day and age. You can tell the park rangers take pride in the Quabbin Reservoir and it's land. read more

Quabbin Reservoir - Parks Near Me - Belchertown, Massachusetts

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We love this place it's somewhere my parents brought me from the moment t I was born 1-2 times a week and now the tradition continues with my boys (not as often, but still well known to them) we like picking a different path to hike every now and again. Our favorite is the one that leads to the water with all the abandoned cellar holes and what's left of their foundations. Great place to see mostly deer.. but had been known to see the occasional bear and moose. I loved feeding the foxes and geese when I was little although that's not really aloud now. But still an absolute beautiful place to see. read more

So beautiful here! Great place to picnic and view fall foliage! The dam is awesome to see so much history. I wish we had more time to go in the museum. read more

Quabbin Reservoir - From the dam - Parks Near Me - Belchertown, Massachusetts

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I loved it here, seriously, I didn't want to leave. If you are in the area, get on over here because the hike, the reservoir and being surrounded by such a beautiful scenery is breath taking. We hiked down all the way to the bottom to where the river ran through, just absolutely breath taking, check out the short video clip I took, the water looks good enough to jump into! read more

Quabbin Reservoir - Parks Near Me - Belchertown, Massachusetts

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Always enjoyed the many walks in the Quabbin reservoir. Years ago we could drive through the park and over the dike and dam but things change. Plenty of parking in many areas. Favorite hiking trail is Gate 40 where the old town of Dana was and markings with pictures. History of small town America. Visitor center in belchertown is very nice and sometimes staff is helpful? Best part about the park is No Dogs allowed. The dam walk is great and you can loop around to the bottom road and see the water bubble up with water releasing to the Swift river. Further down to catch and release area with a bridge that goes over water. Watching fly fishing year round. Off route 9 in Ware is the dike and another great walking trail. Crossing the dike on foot up hill for great view. Many spots to snowshoe through out the park. Fishing license for the day $5.00 at the 3 different boat rental spots. Even kayaking and canoe at gate 43 when covid19 is over again as before. You can rent a boat and motor for like $40.00 for the day. Excellent shore fishing, gate 16 a favorite. No booze, no dogs. But it's like going to the Canadian wilderness. Lots of solitude! Great inner peace. Namaste! read more

Quabbin Reservoir - Dike in ware - Parks Near Me - Belchertown, Massachusetts

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A beautiful place to hike or just relax Snow sledding is a blast..There is also a waterfall gem read more

Great place to take walks in the spring and summer! Also great place to take picture with family! It is super pretty there, the water is beautiful read more

What beauty in our State, and its all free to take in ! Long walking trails and plenty of wildlife Been go to place all my life and I'm near 70 so enjoy your time there it's beautiful ! read more

Prescott Dana Greenwich and Enfield Back in the 1920's the city of Boston was thirsty, really, really thirsty. They needed lots of fresh water to supply the growing population so the politicians in Beacon Hill decided to built a really huge reservoir. The problem of course was where to put this really huge reservoir. They decided that a quiet area about 65 miles to the west called the Swift River Valley was perfect. Lot of open land and rivers to dam up. The politicians were happy, the workers that got jobs were happy and the people of Boston were happy. Everyone was happy. Except of course the people in the four towns that were going to be flooded and destroyed by the massive project. Of course politicians don't like to use words liked destroyed so the towns of Prescott, Greenwich, Dana and Enfield were going to be "disincorporated". Sounds a whole lot nicer than destroyed but to the people of the towns it meant the same thing, not only were their homes going to be under hundreds of feet of water but also their towns and ways of life were going to come to an end. Of course nobody cared what the people of the towns thought so they had to move and from 1930 to 1939 the massive project was completed. Bezillions of gallons of water were stored in the massive reservoir, and huge dams, dikes and tunnels were constructed. Quabbin Reservior is the largest body of water in the state and always will be. Today Quabbin Reservior is a lovely and pristine place. A great area for hiking, bird watching, bike riding, snow shoeing, cross country skiing or just getting out and seeing a stunning lovely and beautiful place. Miles of trails wander all over the area and the reservoir is still supplying Boston and the surrounding towns with all the water it requires. There are lots of good books about the remarkable engineering that build the massive reservoir and also a few very poignant ones written by the people that lost their homes and towns. Those are the ones I prefer reading. In Memoriam Prescott, Dana, Greenwich and Enfield. read more

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I have to say that many locals even to Western Mass don't know much about the Quabbin. It once was four towns in the 1930's that was flooded to make the reservoir to provide fresh drinking water to the Boston area. So It may be confusing to find a entrance and your gps maybe confused-- because there is more then one entrance. I recommend gate 43 in Belchertown because its the easiest to get around and there are signs that I have noticed. Here are some gates.. but there are more out there. Gate 28-30 is in Petersham Road (Rte 122) New Salem, Ma and mostly paved Gate 34-35 is in Old North Dana Road, New Salem Ma Gate 43 Belchertown, Ma off of Route 32A (My gps always finds this gate) This is a great place to go: -walking - running, biking (some steep spots) -snowshoeing -picnicking -bird watching or just to explore and yes there is more then just fishing to do here. ( Gate 43 is popular for boat launches and fishing.. but there are rules of course check out -- Quabbin Reservoir Fishing Guide - Mass.Gov There is a observation tower near gate 43 that you can climb up and have a overview of the area. And there are paved paths off the main roads that leads you right to the water. There is a visitor center also. There are many rules that apply when on the property like no swimming, no dogs, no campfires or camping.. the list goes on. Quabbin is truly a hidden Gem and worth exploring! read more

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Beautiful and so well kept. The one place I feel safe walking alone too. Some unreal view for Massachusetts's in this oasis!

First off, what a great name. Say Quabbin 5 times fast. Good job, let's continue. My girlfriend and I visited on a hot Sunday afternoon, hoping to find a good place to lay out in the sun, catch some rays, and maybe wade into the water to cool off. Before I go any further, there is no going in the water. It was the very first thing they told me at the Visitor's Center. Ugh, such beautiful, off-limits water. Kinda just makes you want it more. Call it a conspiracy theory, but didn't the Loch Ness Monster go missing around the same time this was built?... Anyway, we did find our way to a very small patch of sand/dirt next to water, in the area called Hank's Meadow. I wouldn't call it a beach, but it was nice enough for a few hours of hanging out. Definitely bring a blanket and/or towels. Even the mowed, grassy areas are made of pretty rough, stiff grass. There are three entrances to the park. West Gate is Visitor's Center and the dam, Middle Gate and East Gate are connected by a big loop for visiting the lookouts, the tower, and the dike. We didn't visit the tower, but I have a feeling the view is spectacular. We also didn't hike, but it seems very well groomed, and the vast size of the park leads me to believe there are some cool spots. No trash cans, so gather up your own crap, don't be a nuance to the old people watching birds, and be kind to nature. Oh, and don't go swimming. :) read more

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Beautiful place! Love the name! Visited the Quabbin Reservoir Park in late June. The Reservoir itself is about 9 miles long and you can hike, bike, or drive it. Start from the Visitor Center, which has some interesting pictures of before & after this area was flooded. A restroom is also located here. Pick up visitors map and follow it to visit different overlooks along the way. My favorites are the Windsor Dam Spillway and Observation Tower, which you can climb for fantastic, panoramic view read more

Quabbin Reservoir - Windsor Dam Spillway - Parks Near Me - Belchertown, Massachusetts

My Favorite Place Ever! So beautiful and relaxing. Perfect place to spend time with family or friends. Beautiful scenery, perfect for hiking/walking and also for picnics. read more

Quabbin Reservoir - Parks Near Me - Belchertown, Massachusetts

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It can be scenic as long as it's good weather. It is a great place for a day hike or just a walk. Great picnic spots. It not easy to get lost and the people who work there are friendly and sometimes when I go there they give me a fact or two. If your more hardcore and want a better view there are better places around. Also get for a day picnic or just driving around. If you bike it let me warn you that you have to make sure the weather is going to be good because one time I got stuck in a lightning storm a half a mile away from my car read more

What else needs to be said beautiful place clean air great views , And wildlife everywhere don't be surprised to see deer Moose bald eagles and I'll menagerie of little birds and if you like to fish there you go read more

Definitely worth the views. If you make it north to gate 30, check out the Keystone Arch Bridge. Entirely built by hand in 1866. It's gorgeous and worth the little hike. Just past the gate, it's really easy to find on the left. You can't miss the sound of the rushing water. read more

Quabbin Reservoir - Keystone Arch Bridge, built by Adolphus Porter in 1866 after being sent home from military duty due to an injury at the battle of Newbury. - Parks Near Me - Belchertown, Massachusetts

Great place to take the family. Very nice areas to walk, picnic and looking at the views throughout the area.

Being very well maintained compared to past, grass is always mowed. Park rangers are always nice and helpful. Exept for one named Page. Thankfully the state police which have a barracks on the premise had a stern talk with him about discrimination against disabled people. Refused to let a 10 year old in a wheelchair access to handicapped bathroom and parking at the quabbin tower. which a handicapped placard was in clear display and also told that handicapped person needed to use facilities. read more

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There's true, natural, unfiltered beauty in Quabbin. I feel blessed that it's located in my town. Whether you want to hike, go for a run, have a picnic, fish, you can do it all here. Every local has their favorite trail, mine is 53....right to the water, nothing beats it. Have to say, taking people who've never been before here for the first time is definitely a fun experience, they're always in awe! read more

Beautiful place to enjoy nature and bird watch! I love coming here and walking across the dams or up to the tower.

Wonderful place to explore and take the children to teach them a little bit about the history I lived on the street of old Enfield road for many years and love that I have two gates into Quabbin at the end read more

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It's always beautiful at the Quabbin! Hard to review nature? Pick up after yourself! Great for picnics or hikes.

Best kept secret for a beautiful hike! The views are tremendous. The staff was helpful and the fishing was the best of it all

This place is so beautiful that it takes my breath away. You can see deer on the side of the road just driving through one of the route 9 entrances in the late afternoon. No matter if your walking one of the many trails or visiting one of the buildings your in for a treat. read more

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I would compare this to the Mansfield Hollow State Dam in CT; as far as the walking along the reservoir. The walk along the river is beautiful, several people were out fly fishing, as this is only a catch & release area. It was nice to watch people fly fishing. One nice thing I will add, is they did have a very clean portable potty to use, that had a signed sheet to when it was last cleaned. read more

I just kind of stumbled upon this place and ended up spending the day. Tons of trails to hike, a lookout tower, and the dam make for awesome sights. read more

What can you say about this place other than how beautiful it is. I do miss the old days where you could drive more places and really appreciate the whole scenery but you still can get around pretty well now. I would always recommend a visit here any time. read more