The Bureau of State Parks and Recreation division of Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts) (DCR) is responsible for the maintenance and management of over 450,000 acres (1,820 sq km) of privately and state-owned forests and parks, nearly 10% of the Commonwealth's total land mass. Within the lands managed by the Bureau of State Parks and Recreation are some 29 campgrounds, over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of trails, 87 beaches, 37 swimming, wading, and spray pools, 62 playgrounds, 55 ballfields, and 145 miles (233 km) of paved bike and rail trails.
DCR's Bureau of Urban Parks and Recreation manages the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston, the components of which are included in this list.
| Name | County | Area | Estab- lished | River / lake / other | Image | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| acres | ha | ||||||
| Middlesex 42.3967°N -71.1439°W | 136acres | 1900 | A major portion of the Alewife Reservation is designated wetland. The Reservation is located at the end of the Minuteman Bike Path in Arlington | ||||
| Plymouth 42.1202°N -70.9871°W | 612acres | 1959 | The park is primarily used for boating and fishing. | ||||
| Middlesex 42.2417°N -71.4661°W | 472acres | 1947 | |||||
| Berkshire 42.1147°N -73.4928°W | 424acres | 1924 | Massachusetts' highest single-drop waterfall lies within the park borders. | ||||
| Berkshire 42.2333°N -73.2744°W | 120acres | 1921 | Approximately 7.5miles of the Appalachian Trail travels through the forest. | ||||
| Middlesex 42.3906°N -71.1978°W | 303acres | 1893 | The park includes a cascading waterfall and a wading pool. | ||||
| Suffolk 42.3892°N -70.9892°W | 188acres | 1978 | The reservation includes landscaped pathways, benches, and an observation tower. A portion of the Boston Harborwalk runs through the reservation. | ||||
| Worcester 42.0944°N -71.6231°W | 1066acres | 1981 | The park is the midpoint of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor of the National Park System. | ||||
| Norfolk 42.2111°N -71.1278°W | 6165acres | 1893 | The reservation has the distinction of being the largest conservation land within a major metropolitan area. | ||||
| Bristol, Norfolk 42.0675°N -71.1536°W | 1843acres | 1971 | On National Register of Historic Places | ||||
| Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk 42.3199°N -70.9293°W | 404acres | 1996 | |||||
| Essex 42.6333°N -70.8953°W | 736acres | 1944 | The park that features rolling meadows, lush evergreens and old carriage roads lined with rhododendrons. | ||||
| Essex, Middlesex 42.4892°N -71.0397°W | 652acres | 1934 | The reservation is hardwood forest principally used for birding, fishing and hiking. | ||||
| Hampden 42.1°N -72.2489°W | 3523acres | 1924 | |||||
| Norfolk 42.1079°N -71.3181°W | 140acres | 1959[1] | Kingfisher Pond, Stony Brook Pond, Teal Marsh | Adjacent to Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary | |||
| Suffolk 42.2914°N -71.1741°W | 141acres | 1988 | |||||
| Hampden 42.2753°N -72.8707°W | 85acres | 1959 | Westfield River | ||||
| Middlesex 42.3431°N -71.4486°W | 958acres | 1970 | |||||
| Essex 42.4924°N -71.0198°W | 65acres | 1929 | Part of Breakheart Reservation | ||||
| Suffolk 42.3375°N -71.0106°W | 22acres | The present fort, built between 1834 and 1851, is the eighth generation of forts and it is one of the oldest fortified sites in British North America. | |||||
| Suffolk, Middlesex 42.3556°N -71.1156°W | 863acres | 1910 | Includes Charles River Dam, Charles River Basin and Esplanade, John F. Kennedy Park, and Teddy Ebersol's Red Sox Fields. Covers Charles River below Watertown Dam; see also Upper Charles River Reservation | ||||
| Hampden 42.2494°N -72.9494°W | 2776acres | 1924 | |||||
| Suffolk 42.3353°N -71.1581°W | 1acres | 1870 | The Chestnut Hill Reservoir Historic District is considered a nineteenth-century masterpiece of engineering, urban planning and landscape design. | ||||
| Hampden 42.1792°N -72.5369°W | 562acres | 1893 | The park includes two 25acres ponds. | ||||
| Berkshire 42.7347°N -73.0764°W | 3629acres | Adjoins acre Clarksburg State Forest | |||||
| Middlesex 42.3125°N -71.3742°W | 872acres | ||||||
| Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire 42.6075°N -72.5417°W | 1048acres | 1986 | Multiple state land holdings in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts | ||||
| Suffolk 42.3849°N -71.0101°W | 82acres | 1952 | |||||
| Norfolk 42.2711°N -71.1958°W | 739acres | 1962 | It contains the largest remaining fresh water marsh on the middle Charles, and includes a boardwalk through a cattail marsh out onto an island. | ||||
| Hampshire 42.4569°N -72.7972°W | 1728acres | 1929 | Upper and Lower Highland Lake | ||||
| Bristol 41.5289°N -70.9833°W | 200acres | 1953 | |||||
| Bristol 41.8128°N -71.1064°W | 98acres | 1955 | Dighton Rock is an 11feet high glacial erratic covered with petroglyphs and has since been moved to a museum at the park. | ||||
| Suffolk 42.2972°N -71.0456°W | 44acres | 1962 | The reservation comprises two beaches and a park. | ||||
| Worcester 42.0583°N -71.7869°W | 5525acres | 1934 | Features include a rare Atlantic White Cedar swamp and 7.8 miles (12.6 km) of the Midstate Trail | ||||
| Worcester 42.58°N -71.97°W | 132acres | 1915 | |||||
| Plymouth 41.8428°N -70.5369°W | 97acres | 1991 | Walking trails overlooking a tidal marsh, sandy/rocky beach at trail end | ||||
| Norfolk 42.2761°N -71.3025°W | 175acres | 1996 | Benjamin Pierce Cheney's property, now run by Massachusetts Horticultural Society | ||||
| Franklin 42.6225°N -72.3781°W | 2422acres | 1920 | The 110miles Metacomet-Monadnock Trail passes through a western parcel of the state forest. | ||||
| Norfolk 42.0578°N -71.2833°W | 1030acres | ||||||
| Bristol 41.7056°N -71.1606°W | 14acres | 1985 | |||||
| Worcester 42.4908°N -72.2542°W | 970acres | 1933 | |||||
| Bristol 41.6242°N -70.8989°W | 1acres | Revolutionary War fort; 1/2 mile of Buzzards Bay beachfront | |||||
| Plymouth 42.3047°N -70.9058°W | 6acres | 1976 | On Telegraph Hill in Hull, Massachusetts. Remnants of two seacoast fortifications, water tower with observation deck, military history museum and picnic facilities | ||||
| Suffolk 42.2433°N -71.1269°W | 5.6acres | Outdoor theatre and play fields | |||||
| Bristol 41.7578°N -71.0633°W | 5217acres | 1930 | The park includes Profile Rock, a granite outcropping which local Native Americans believe to be the image of Chief Massasoit. Also in the forest is a 227acres Wampanoag reservation | ||||
| Worcester 42.5772°N -71.9942°W | 0acres | 1985 | Restored 19th century fire station with exhibits; closed since 2002 | ||||
| Essex 42.7014°N -70.9739°W | 1041acres | ||||||
| Hampden 42.0597°N -72.9714°W | 2432acres | 1921 | |||||
| Middlesex 42.5558°N -71.3533°W | 909acres | 1967 | |||||
| Essex 42.7294°N -71.1808°W | 24acres | 2001 | The park is built atop the restored ruins of the Charles H. Tenney estate. | ||||
| Essex 42.6894°N -70.6331°W | 55acres | 1981 | Features a former granite quarry and 60feet tower with coastal views | ||||
| Middlesex 42.325°N -71.1767°W | 59acres | 1968 | |||||
| Hampden 42.1792°N -72.6894°W | 47acres | ||||||
| Essex 42.6258°N -71.0817°W | 3320acres | 1916 | Stearns Pond | ||||
| Middlesex 42.3144°N -71.2264°W | 16acres | 1895 | |||||
| Hampden 42.205°N -72.6072°W | 7acres | 1986 | The park features include a visitor center with exhibits about paper manufacturing and Holyoke's industrial and cultural history. | ||||
| Middlesex 42.2492°N -71.5256°W | 1245acres | 1947 | The park features a bathing pond for swimming that is physically separated from the reservoir, where nonmotorized boating is permitted | ||||
| Bristol 41.5078°N -71.0486°W | 815acres | 1956 | Popular for its two-mile (3 km) long sandy beach on the shore of Buzzards Bay. Also camping, fishing and a salt marsh. | ||||
| 1191acres | 1994 | ||||||
| 7405acres | 1997 | Hallockville Pond, Crooked Pond | |||||
| 121acres | The park is an extension of Otter River State Forest | ||||||
| 3acres | closed to the public | ||||||
| 42acres | 1997 | ||||||
| 50acres | 1980 | ||||||
| 4246acres | 1922 | The Midstate Trail runs through the western edge of the forest. | |||||
| 1109acres | 1941 | ||||||
| 60acres | 1975 | Precursor to Lowell National Historical Park; preserves the city's seminal role in the American Industrial Revolution | |||||
| 4acres | 1986 | ||||||
| 22acres | |||||||
| 5215acres | 1908 | Little Pond | In the interior of Martha's Vineyard, the park is the focus of one of the largest environmental restoration projects in the country. | ||||
| 1207acres | Lake Rico, Furnace Pond, King's Pond, Middle Pond, Little Bearhole Pond, and Big Bearhole Pond | ||||||
| 483acres | 1985 | ||||||
| 2283acres | 1893 | Bellevue and Spot Ponds | |||||
| 7758acres | 1921 | Includes Cold River Virgin Forest, National Natural Landmark | |||||
| 3750acres | 1924 | ||||||
| 737acres | |||||||
| 2492acres | 1908 | ||||||
| 1578acres | 1920 | ||||||
| 12455acres | 1898 | ||||||
| 3000acres | 1940 | ||||||
| 533acres | 1907 | ||||||
| 1967acres | 1902 | ||||||
| 4619acres | 1958 | ||||||
| 30acres | 1920 | A 120feet tower with 125 steps that overlooks Plymouth Harbor and Duxbury Beach. | |||||
| 12029acres | 1916 | Pitch pine and scrub oak forest with sixteen ponds for fishing, canoeing, swimming. Camping on four of the ponds, bicycle trails, equestrian trails, and horse camping. | |||||
| 359acres | 1893 | Mystic Lakes | |||||
| 67acres | |||||||
| 39acres | |||||||
| 210acres | 1999 | ||||||
| 44acres | 1985 | It contains the only natural white marble arch/bridge in North America. The natural bridge spanning Hudson Brook, was formed by glacial melt about 11,000 BC, from 550 million year old bedrock. | |||||
| 1880acres | |||||||
| 1967acres | 1934 | ||||||
| 16460acres | 1915 | ||||||
| 1022acres | 1915 | ||||||
| 1000acres | Park Hill Brook | ||||||
| 6acres | 1920 | Site of Plymouth Rock | |||||
| 10601acres | |||||||
| 66acres | 2001 | Reclaimed former landfill and commercial area | |||||
| 100acres | 1919 | The Chasm was created when glacial meltwater from a burst ice dam ripped out blocks of bedrock at the end of the last Ice Age (14,000 years ago). | |||||
| 39sqmi | 1938 | ||||||
| 22acres | 1985 | ||||||
| 87acres | 1899 | ||||||
| 38acres | |||||||
| 84acres | 1896 | ||||||
| 1025acres | 1934 | ||||||
| 3acres | 1992 | The 1750 Dillaway-Thomas House and a small park | |||||
| 815acres | 1992 | Saugus River
| |||||
| 284acres | Swimming, picnicking and boating. | ||||||
| 355acres | 1931 | The park's main feature is its 3.8miles-long beach, one of the most popular in the Commonwealth. | |||||
| 4190acres | |||||||
| 134acres | |||||||
| 10457acres | 1918 | ||||||
| 459acres | 1957 | On Cape Cod Bay at the east end of the Cape Cod Canal, a popular swimming and camping area. | |||||
| 624acres | Forested 285 site campground | ||||||
| 843acres | 1940 | ||||||
| 460acres | A component of the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve with a one-mile (1.6 km) stretch of beach. | ||||||
| 221acres | 1987 | Greenway of that runs South End, Back Bay, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods | |||||
| 903acres | 1922 | Howe Pond | |||||
| 46acres | 2001 | ||||||
| 616acres | 1894 | Turtle Pond | |||||
| 1acres | Fishing, swimming, picnicking | ||||||
| Middlesex | 4943acres | 1898 | |||||
| 4415acres | 1925 | ||||||
| 863acres | Covers Charles River between Watertown Dam and Riverdale Park, West Roxbury; see also Charles River Reservation | ||||||
| 2790acres | 1915 | Has Civilian Conservation Corps structures | |||||
| 2288acres | 1899 | ||||||
| 4135acres | 1908 | Nashua River | |||||
| 48acres | |||||||
| 335acres | 1922 | ||||||
| 110acres | 1987 | Waquoit Bay
| |||||
| 23000acres | |||||||
| 163acres | |||||||
| 59acres | 1980 | ||||||
| 1445acres | 1968 | ||||||
| 7566acres | 1921 | Millers River, Quabbin Reservoir | |||||
| 8acres | 1986 | ||||||
| 35acres | Site of Stodder's Neck and Abigail Adams Park | ||||||
| 837acres | 1947 | Whitehall Reservoir | |||||
| 2929acres | 1930 | ||||||
| 2491acres | |||||||
| 215acres | 1995 | ||||||
| 1824acres | 1925 | ||||||
| 18acres | 1900 | ||||||
| 3579acres | 1967 | ||||||
| Name | Towns | County | Length | Estab- lished | Image | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mi | km | ||||||
| Ashuwillticook Rail Trail | Cheshire, Lanesborough, Adams | Berkshire | 11miles | 2001 | Conversion of rail corridor dating from 1845 | ||
| Deerfield, Montague | Franklin | 3.7miles | 2008 | Trail along the Connecticut River | |||
| Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet | Barnstable | 25.5miles | 1976 | 22-mile trail on Cape Cod | |||
| City of Boston | Suffolk | 2.4miles | 2010[2] | Runs along the Neponset River in Dorchester | |||
| Berkshire, Franklin | 30miles | In development | |||||
| Mass Central Rail Trail—Wayside | Middlesex, Worcester | 23 mi | 37 km | 2010 | In development, sections in Waltham, Wayland, Weston, and Hudson are complete and sections in Waltham, Weston, Sudbury, Marlborough, Hudson, and Stow are under construction. | ||
| Ayer, Groton, Pepperell, Dunstable | Middlesex | 12.5miles | 2002 | Trail along the Nashua River | |||
| Northampton, Hadley, Amherst, Belchertown | Hampshire | 11miles | 1992 | Part of the Mass Central Rail Trail | |||
| Southern New England Trunkline Trail | Douglas, Uxbridge, Millville, Blackstone, Bellingham, Franklin | 22miles | 1984 | 22-mile trail from Franklin State Forest to Douglas State Forest | |||