| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Ashland State Park, MA |
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 | Trails: |
Reservoir Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, June 8, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The guidebook doesn't say this (and the website online says 8am?!) but the gate doesn't open up until 10am (people walk in and out earlier though). It closes at 6pm. $8 for MA plates and $30 for non-MA plates (the guidebook says it's only $15). Handicap, disabled veteran, and purple hearts get in for free. Lots of paved parking. Bathrooms at the beach. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
I think there may have been a trivial crossing or two of an inlet of the reservoir, but nothing of any consequence. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The trail is blazed in yellow but there's really several different paths at varying distances from the water that are blazed in yellow. Most parts are blazed well but there are some spots that aren't. Two stepover/straddlers on the southern peninsula that the trail does not actually go on. A couple other easier stepovers on the western peninsula that the trail does go on. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Dogs are allowed but must be leashed at all times and are not allowed on the beach from May 1st - September 15th. |
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 | Bugs: |
Almost non-noticable, even when we stopped. I noticed them a bit when I got a little deeper in the woods and was further away from the water. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
1st hike of the day, this one with mom and dad :) Busy state park, but the trails, while busy, were not crazy crowded by any means. We hiked the loop clockwise, which was not the way the guidebook describes it, but worked fine and seemed to be the way most people were going. Note that there isn't really just one blazed, well defined path, but there are several yellow blazed paths at varying distances from the water. I opted to stay on the one closest to the water. It's not clear if the trail bears left or right onto the southern peninsula at first as no blaze is visible here and both looked well travelled at first, so we bore right, but this path around the peninsula eventually becomes more like a herd path and very overgrown at times. I don't recommend it and it wasn't blazed. We also took the path around the next peninsula north along the western side which was blazed in yellow. The dike was cool and we saw a snapping turtle laying many eggs here. Gaia had us at 3.8mi, 85ft of gain. |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-06-09 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.mass.gov/locations/ashland-state-park |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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