Ashland State Park

Ashland State Park is a public recreation area surrounding the 157-acre (64 ha) Ashland Reservoir in the town of Ashland, Massachusetts. The state park's 472 acres (191 ha) incorporate the entire shoreline of the reservoir which is abutted by the Warren Conference Center and Inn, Camp Winnetaska, a former Girl Scouts of the United States of America camp, and residential houses. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.[3]

Ashland State Park
The spillway below the reservoir dam
Location in Massachusetts
LocationAshland, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°14′30″N 71°27′58″W[1]
Area472 acres (191 ha)[2]
Elevation230 ft (70 m)[1]
Established1947
Governing bodyMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteAshland State Park

History

The park was created when the Ashland Reservoir, which was completed in 1895, was taken out of service in 1947.[4] The reservoir's dam and spillway are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The park was unstaffed from 2009 through 2012 due to budget cuts and reopened in 2013 with funding to restore facilities that had deteriorated during the shutdown.[5][6]

Activities and amenities

The park's trails are used for hiking, bicycling, and cross-country skiing. The park has wheelchair-accessible restrooms, picnic grounds and swimming beach in addition to a ramp for motorized and non-motorized boating and fishing. It is staffed seasonally.[3]

In the news

The film Sea of Trees starring Matthew McConaughey was partially filmed in Ashland State Park in August 2014.[7]

On August 24, 2016, an ultralight helicopter crashed into the Ashland Reservoir after experiencing engine trouble. No one was injured when the craft submerged in water up to 30 feet deep some 200 to 300 yards offshore.[8]

References
  1. "Ashland State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  3. "Ashland State Park". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  4. "Sudbury Reservoir". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  5. Ishkanian, Ellen (November 10, 2012). "Ashland State Park reopening next year". Boston.com. Globe Newspaper Company. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  6. McGagh, Ken (June 22, 2013). "Ashland State Park reopens". MetroWest Daily News. Framingham, Mass.: GateHouse Media. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  7. "Matthew McConaughey in Ashland for movie". MetroWest Daily News. Framingham, Mass.: GateHouse Media. August 18, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  8. Miller, Norman (August 25, 2016). "Aircraft crashes in reservoir at Ashland State Park". MetroWest Daily News. Framingham, Mass.: GateHouse Media. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
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