Wachusett Reservoir and Reservation Trail

very quiet trail,it's too long for kids.

biked/ hiked mostly hiked while dragging bike when off trail

Absolutely beautiful reservoir. Several trails that lead to the water. Very peaceful!

Very quiet trail not well marked and overgrown easy trail to walk for kids.

Some pictures of this posting, especially with the views are from a different trail Wachusett Mountain Reservation, however the directions are for Wachusett Reservoir.

I wish there was more places to view the reservoir

Nice trail. We went off it a bit and did a loop around the peninsula. Getting through was not bad with the exception of brushes.

Only street parking available here. There are a lot of gates and entry points all over the reservoir but this one isn't the easiest to access due to parking.

We entered gate # 8 across the street from Cross St on route 70. We hiked for about 2 hrs on the trails and covered about 5.5 miles. Trails were easy to moderate with a mix of short but steep uphills and some longer more gradual up and downhills. We crossed over to the trails behind Tahanto Regional HS and followed trails along the waters edge ( where they use to run the Deer Run Trail Race). These were challenging and narrow. Most trails were old logging roads though. Many trails were down to water and back off of a central beetleback trail. Great spot for Nordic skiing in winter.

I live in Holden and this is a great little gem close to my home! Some of the trails are a bit busy, but there are tons of routes one can take! There are trails you can take to escape the hustle and bustle! I would rate it as easy!

Always love this mountain! Close to home ! Always beautiful at the top -( of course painted sky)great starter for people training to hike more mountains !

love it

Great, well maintained rail trail, slight incline, very easy

Yes, this is Wachusett Reservoir which does not allow dogs. Not Wachusett Mountain

I think there might be some confusion, but I could be wrong. The photo of a lake is of the Wachusett Reservoir which has an entrance in Boylston, MA. Quite a few trails overall for jogging, fishing, some beautiful views of the reservoir, etc. It is not dog friendly because of the reservoir. The other two pictures appear to show the views of Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, MA, a popular area at least locally for winter skiing, hiking, and the views. I believe it is dog friendly. The two areas are about 15 miles apart from each other, both beautiful places to spend some time.

Even the Old Indian Trail route is brutally steep, but the summit was more than worth it. 360º vista. Because of the radio and cell towers I would have to describe it as "working summit," but the effect is not spoiled at all. Because there is a road up to the summit, there are a lot of families visiting, giving a charming "pocket park" feel to the place.

It looked like there were lots of option for biking and hiking but lots of signs and explanations of why no dogs are allowed. :( We turned around and found another nearby trail.

Great place!! Different awesome trails to do through the forest!!
Great views and dog friendly!

Echo Lake Trail to Administration Road to Summit, Memorial day they will open the Summit road to cars ( it has been closed to traffic for 3 years undergoing repairs) making the last section less enjoyable. Nice views of the windmills and on a clear day the Boston skyline. Distance and time are round trip excluding time at summit. Nice spring warm up trail for those of us in the 60+ group. Restrooms available at the visitor center about 1 mile away

Multiple hiking trails, great for all skill levels. Starters should stick with Balance Rock Trial / Old Indian Trail. A normal 5/6 year old should be able to do fine on this particular trail(s). Other ones need better skill level. Trail map located @ http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/WachusettMtn.gif