Located along the southern border of massachusetts in the towns of granville and tolland, this state forest's 2,426 acres, borders with connecticut's 9,152 acre tunxis state forest, creating a sense of tranquil remoteness. formerly, this extensive rolling terrain was once the hunting and fishing ground of the tunxis tribe, later becoming open farmland and pastures; now slowly reverting back into a northern hardwood-conifer forest. in 1749 the first english pioneer to this area, samuel hubbard, settled along the banks of the river now bearing his name. enjoy a walk along the hubbard river as it cascades through natural rock formations forming pools and waterfalls, dropping a rapid 450 feet in 2.5 miles.

Chosen by yankee magazine's travel guide to new england as editor's pick 2000, great brook farm state park stands as a jewel in northern massachusetts! agriculture has been part of great brook's history for centuries. holsteins have been kept here for over 60 years and current farmer mark duffy continues the tradition with his black & white ladies. native americans used sections of great brook farm as sacred sites. seventeenth century cellar holes comprise "the city" where early english settlers worked one of numerous mill sites on the 1,000 acre park.

Halibut point is a uniquely beautiful coastal seascape. looking seaward on a clear day, the view stretches from crane beach in ipswich to mount agamenticus in maine and the isles of shoals off the coast of new hampshire.

Open year-round, dawn to dusk. hammond pond, a wooded reservation with a large, scenic pond, is located in the chestnut hill section of newton adjacent to the city's webster conservation area. it is a natural forest with wooded trails and large geological formations. nearby lost pond has a quaking bog and system of natural trails.

Located in the city of westfield, hampton pond state park offers water based recreation activities and picnicking.

Harold parker state forest, which lies in andover, north andover, north reading and middleton, comprises just over 3,000 acres of central hardwood-hemlock-white pine type of forest. the forest is twenty miles north of boston and within one hour's drive of three million people. recreational opportunities include hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, camping and picnicking. the forest has over 35 miles of logging roads and trails and offers quiet seclusion to off-road hikers and bikers. non-motorized boating is allowed on any of the 11 ponds. no horse, boat or bike rentals are available at the facilit

Open dawn to dusk. hemlock gorge in needham and newton is a small 23-acre wild area along the banks of the charles river. the park is dominated by the steep gorge, the river, its surrounding stands of hemlock trees and echo bridge, a huge granite and brick structure that spans the river and gorge. when built in 1877 by the boston water works, the bridge was the second largest masonry arch in the united states. and in 1982, it was designated a national historic landmark. atop the bridge one is afforded spectacular views of the river and neighboring lands. from a platform beneath the bridge's central arch, visitors have long enjoyed testing the echo that gave the structure its name. open year-round, dawn to dusk. for more information call (617) 698-1802 or check out the Friends of Hemlock Gorge.

The park's visitors' center features exhibits about paper manufacturing and holyoke's industrial history. a slide show celebrates the city's rich blend of cultures and people. special programs are offered year-round. the children's museum, the restored antique holyoke Merry-Go-Round and the volleyball hall of fame are also located within the park.

Hopkinton state park is located in the towns of hopkinton and ashland and includes the picturesque hopkinton reservoir.  the park offers a variety of year round recreational activities including 2 life guarded swimming beaches, stocked fishing, 1 reservable group picnic site (see split rock below), 12 tree shaded, first come first served, picnic areas (300 picnic tables and 165 charcoal cooking grills), 10 miles of marked trails, open field space and a concrete boat launching ramp for non-motorized watercraft. outdoor recreation of hopkinton inc. provides seasonal boat rentals (508) 435-3965. public restrooms are available during the spring, summer and fall months. 

Spread across nearly 600 acres of barrier beach and salt marsh, horseneck beach is one of the most popular facilities in the massachusetts state forests and parks system. located at the western end of buzzards bay, the sandy, southwest-facing, 2-mile long beach is breezy all year round, providing excellent wind surfing and a dependable respite from sweltering inland temperatures every summer. the combination of ocean beach and estuary habitat makes horseneck one of the premier birding locations in new england. behind the dunes near gooseberry neck (a rocky headland at the eastern end of the reservation), is a 100-site

The department of conservation and recreation invites you to spend the day and enjoy the calm, clear waters of houghton’s pond in the scenic blue hills reservation. offering 7,000 acres of open space, the blue hills reservation is a green oasis in an urban environment.

Jug end offers one of the most scenic areas in the berkshires. the former site of the popular Jug end barn resort, this 1,158 acre property has been returned to a natural state. it is now managed for passive recreation and environmental research in partnership between dcr and the department of fisheries and wildlife.

Lake dennison is a section of the army corps of engineers birch hill flood control project. the dcr, via otter river state park staff, manages 4,221 acres of corps land for recreational use. located in winchendon, the park has 150 campsites. there is a swimming beach on lake dennison.

Lake lorraine is a freshwater swimming area and regional boating safety training center.

Lake wyola state park, also known as the carroll a. holmes recreation area, is located in the quaint hill town of shutesbury, just north of amherst. This 40-acre day-use area is located on the shores of lake wyola, a native american word meaning “quiet waters”. here on the crystal clear waters of the 128-acre lake one can swim at the guarded beach or picnic at one of the many picnic sites all with charcoal grills.

A restored boarding house with two floors of interactive exhibits tells the tale of lawrence, one of the nation's first planned industrial cities. along with stories of lawrence's mill workers and industry, the workers' role in the 1912 bread and roses strike is relived with images and sounds. walk along the esplanade of a nineteenth-century canal and through a park created within the walls of an industrial-era building.

Ponkapoag golf course was built in 1936 and is a renowned, donald ross, 36-hole facility. it features a putting green, driving range, snack bar, pro shop, and power carts. tee times on a first come, first served basis. lessons are available.

Leominster state forest is a 4,300-acre parcel of forested land, located in the five towns of westminster, princeton, leominster, fitchburg and sterling in north central massachusetts. the forest is conveniently located off of rte 2 (exit 28), is an easy drive for local residents, and convenient from the boston and worcester communities. parking is available along rte. 31 in several areas. from memorial day to labor day, parking fees are charged in the paved parking lots. the forest offers recreational opportunities year round, ranging from mountain biking and swimming in the summer to cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. nature lovers will enjoy the numerous hiking trails, the prolific mountain laurel bloom in late june, early july and the opportunity to observe all kinds of wildlife.

Located in three towns, this forest contains 1,140 acres including 180 acres of ponds, swamps, and wetlands. it is the probable site of a native american village prior to colonial settlement and later was acquired to obtain granite for canals and factory foundations. the forest has six miles of trails offering hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. hunting is permitted in season.

Lowell boasts a remarkable network of nineteenth-century canals created to provide power to the bustling textile mills that operated along the water's edge. today the buildings remain and continue to evoke the sense of a great industrial city. visitors can participate in activities, including canal rides, and explore exhibits about lowell's role in america's industrial history presented in conjunction with the Lowell National Historical Park. a victorian garden in the heart of the downtown area, and over two miles of landscaped esplanade, summer concerts, and swimming and boating in the merrimack river are additional attractions at this popular park.

Open year-round, dawn to dusk. the lower neponset river trail follows the path of a former railroad bed along the shore of the neponset river. traversing a rich variety of historical and ecological contexts, the 2.4 mile path serves to link the neponset area to the larger network of dcr trails. the trail currently stretches from the historic port norfolk neighborhood in dorchester, through pope john paul ii park, across granite avenue through the neponset marshes, and through the lower mills area to central avenue in milton. in the future connections are planned from central avenue to mattapan and from port norfolk to commercial point, linking to existing trails to castle island.

The oceanfront community of lynn is famous for its shoe manufacturing, for pioneering developments in electronics and for the 19th century reformers who lived there. exhibits and tours highlight the innovation and industry of lynn, the turn-of-the-century shoemaking capital of the u.s. compare the craft and tools of a hand made shoe with a factory made shoe. experience the struggle of shoe workers during the strike of 1860. find out why lydia pinkham’s medicinals were known the world over. a boardwalk stroll at the nearby waterfront park features an extraordinary mosaic mural on lynn's history.

Open year round, dawn to dusk. boat ramps provide public access to lynn harbor. public swimming at long beach and king's beach. fee for parking at long beach, 8:00am - 6:00pm, may - sept. an expansive seascape can be viewed from over four miles of waterfront that is managed under public ownership. a promenade extends along the two-mile length of the two reservations at the edge of nahant bay and is available year round for activities such as walking, jogging and bicycling. vast areas of hard-packed sand are exposed at low tide which can be accessed at king's beach and long beach on nahant bay as well as near the boat launching area on lynn harbor. other interesting natural features include a mile-long system of fragile sand dunes parallel to long beach, and tide pools at red rock park that are often filled with colorful marine plants and animals.

Correllus state forest occupies over 5,100 acres in the center of martha's vineyard. it was created in 1908 as the "heath hen reserve," in an attempt to prevent the bird's extinction. sadly, the last heath hen (an eastern subspecies of the prairie chicken) was seen in 1932. today it is managed for passive recreation, mostly hiking and cycling on its 15 miles of bike paths. it is also the focus of one of the largest environmental restoration projects in the country. as part of a cooperative effort, the state forest is now working to bring back the site's native ecosystem.

Open year round dawn to dusk. the dcr martini shell was built in 1960 as an outdoor theatre and is named in honor of francis d. martini, a us army private who died in combat in world war ii, and is 34 feet tall with 334 square feet of stage area (approximately 30 feet wide at front, 10 feet wide at back, 20 feet deep) the shell is located at 1015 truman parkway in the readville/hyde park section of boston. the park area is 5.6 acres, shaped as an elongated triangle, situated between truman parkway and the neponset river