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.

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.

large playground fenced in and plenty of parking. lots of new structures and an onsite bathroom is…read moreconvenient with littles.

very nice neighborhood playground, especially after renovation! (there were so many kids in it now…read moreit was difficult to take pictures without looking creepy LOL) new structures promote climbing and safe spins; swing set streamlined and added with a large full-back seat and pull-down lock-in harness. many of above state "for age 5 and up", but plenty of younger folks seem to enjoy them equally. i personally supervise my own very closely to ensure safety for all. most caretakers i have seen on this ground seem to be doing the same. small "tree house" library is added on new ground as well. hope we can all take part in keeping it nice and filled. only issue so far is the bathroom. while i'm glad the facility was available when i needed to use it, the condition inside was abysmal. it stank, toilet paper thrown everywhere, hand soap dispenser missing with the refilling bag lying around helplessly. was shocked to find the stark contrast of the state of the bathroom with the new stuff right outside. later learned it was likely a result of repeated vandalism and irresponsible use during off hours. sad that the town may have to decide to lock it up to prevent future happenings.

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.

The whole place is amazing, especially the "castle". The trails are very well maintained, and VERY…read morewell marked. And the lake is beautiful. The best part is how amazing it is for dogs! Highly recommend!!

Borderland is a wonderful place. I usually only stay on the main trail for walking and running…read more Plenty of grass areas to play catch or picnic, plus benches and picnic tables throughout. Relaxing, quiet, and so many nice spots to enjoy the ponds, waterfall, spring noises of frogs, and foliage in the fall. I ride my bike or run or walk through regularly and enjoy it. I have also taken the kids to some of the mansion tours and the presentations about nature in the park building. Enjoyed those too.

A friend suggested that it wouldn't be a good idea to check out the Quincy Quarries Reservation on…read moremy own. So, last year, when I saw an event was scheduled to take place there, I figured it would be a safer time to visit. Well, yes and no. I wasn't the only person going, but because I wasn't the only person going, their parking lot was full, so parking was a bit of an issue. I checked out the grafitti, making my way around the folks standing or sitting around, to get a closer look at the rocks. I stayed on the grassy ground while I noticed some folks climbing up the rocky cliffs, both with and without rock climbing gear.

My friend is from Boston and while visiting here she want to go to the quarries. I thought to…read moremyself "whats the big deal we see graffiti in FL on everything " when we arrived I was surprised at the place. I found myself walking around and reading all I could, wondering how they got to the heights to do the artwork. Why they wrote or painted what they did, how long it took for all this beauty. Next trip I will be adding my name, someplace low! LOL

Not sure if I picked the wrong day or the wrong trail but my "hiking" experience in the Blue Hills…read morefell short. In general, there's not great hiking around Boston unless you keep doing the same trails in Milddlesex but I had heard a lot of good things about Blue Hills so off I went. 1. The Skyline trail, for being the most popular one, was extremely poorly marked. I'm glad I downloaded the AllTrails map ahead of time for the route because even with the map, I got turned around several times and had to scurry forward and back to try to find the markings. At one point, the markings disappeared completely, i.e., I was definitely off-trail, and I couldn't find my way back without committing to another rock scramble back down, so I just consulted the map, did another trail, and cut back to the same route a few minutes later. 2. So very, very buggy. Most of the time that I was walking, I was swatting a bug, trying not to eat a bug, or actually eating a bug. Not the most pleasant of hiking conditions but something avoidable by just coming later in the season when all the bugs are dead. Passed by some lakes that looked very scenic from a distance but then, when you get close, you see it's all pretty much stagnant water/pond scum and millions of mating bugs. 3. This may be relatively minor but if you're coming from Boston, the traffic to get over here is dreadful and, again depending on which starting point you use, there aren't bathrooms available. Plan accordingly. 4. Parking was free and easy - I went with the Shea Memorial Rink in Quincy and hopped right onto the trailhead from there. 5. Hiking shoes are fine but I think this hike is doable in sneakers. Aside from a scramble here or there, the elevation was pretty gradual. Do be careful of the various roots and whatnot. I guess the lesson is: bug spray and download the trail map. Unless you're fine making a day of it and trying different trails, but even so, download the map.

If you're looking for a place to go hiking near Boston, Blue Hills Reservation is the perfect spot…read moreto go to! It is just a couple miles south of Boston! There's many different trails here, though I haven't done all of them, I mainly enjoy going up from Chickatawbut Rd (towards Braintree/Quincy) and near the Milton 2B Exit on Canton Ave/Washington St. The Skyline Trail is great if you've got some time on your hands but for a short hike, I wouldn't recommend. This trail is around 3 miles and at the summit, you get a grand skyline view of Boston! On this route, you will see the Summit tower & the Observatory. In the winter time, skiing and snow tubing is very popular here.

This is one of the best places in the area to go for a hike. There are several scenic ponds to…read moremeander around and a nearly endless possibility of trails to take. We typically like to hike up to the radio tower in the center of the park on one trail and take a different way back to the car. There are boulders, cliffs, and rock gardens all over the place. That scores bonus points for me because I can't seem to pass a rock without wanting to climb to the top of it. Mountaing biking here is just as fun. You can wind your way up some rock infested single track to the top and then barrel down the fire roads. Or meader along the double track that crisscrosses all over the place before coming across a sign that leads you to a bike loop. There's a little something for everyone here and you can ride half the day without seeing the same parts twice. A lot of the single track is very challenging and covered with rocks, but there are still plenty of trails for every skill level. My only complaint is that while many of the main trails are clearly marked there are a lot of trails with no markings and a lot of them that aren't even on the map. The last time I was here I decided that I had had enough biking and wanted to head back to the car. The only problem is I had no idea where I was. Getting lost can be half the fun, but sometimes it's also nice to know where you are.

I walked the Megley Trail from Wrentham, up to the High Rock Road, and came back through other…read moretrails to see the stone staircase and the sunrise ledge. This is an expansive set of trails - I walked 3 miles but only touched a portion of the forest. The trails held a surprising amount of water on them despite it being dry lately, I did not expect this.