10 Outdoor Day Trips in Central Mass

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Summer Day Trips | Central Mass Mom

Summer is finally here and I don’t know about the rest of you mommas out there, but summer planning is something I do that makes me happy.

While planning for summer day trips can be fun, we can always use a little help finding fun places to bring our children this summer. Below is a list of great outdoor day trips for children of all ages. These places are great for getting your child out into nature to enjoy the fresh air and to give you a chance to take in some deep breaths because you are amazing and deserve it!

10 Outdoor Day Trips in Central Massachusetts

1. Wachusett Mountain, Princeton

Located at 345 Mountain Road, Princeton MA 01541, Wachusett Mountain has trails for everyone. In other words, you can do it!! Grab a map at the visitor center and hike to the summit to see beautiful views of Boston on a clear day or pick an easier trail and explore the base of the mountain. Check out the top three hikes recommended by Wachusett Mountain State Park staff here.

2. Rail Trail, Berlin

Experience three miles of flat terrain in the scenic woodland of Berlin. Rail trails are great for walking, riding bikes, jogging, running, horseback riding, and leisure strolls. Click the link to choose which trails you and your family want to explore this summer!

3. Hopkinton State Park, Hopkinton

Located at 164 Cedar St, Hopkinton MA 01748 this state park is a great place for the whole family. With hiking, fishing, picnics, swimming, boating, and more, you could easily spend the day here. In addition, there are public restrooms that make this appealing to those with little ones.  There is a parking fee for Massachusetts residents, a small price to pay for a day full of fun!

4. Brook Meadow Brook Conservation Center & Wildlife Sanctuary, Worcester

Located at 414 Massasoit Road, Worcester MA 01604, this day trip will surely be a family favorite once you have experienced it! With a sensory trail (ropes, Braille, and tactile formats), a Nature Play area (for designing your own gnome homes), and a variety of creatures to see, you and your little ones can explore for hours!

5. Bancroft Tower, Worcester

Bancroft Tower looks like a castle from a fairytale and is located right here in Salisbury Park in Worcester. Pack a lunch and have your children dress in their finest royal attire while you enjoy a picnic lunch. After that, sit down and enjoy a nice spot of tea on the grass!

6. Tully Lake, Royalston

Tully Lake is a 1,300-acre reservoir maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with many activities for your whole family. Biking, hiking, boating, camping, fishing, and more to make a whole day of this trip. In addition to all these fun activities,  be sure to check out Doane’s Falls. You will see a beautiful waterfall with a 1/2 mile trail that brings you from the top to the bottom of the falls.

7. Purgatory Chasm, Sutton

Explore this natural landmark in Massachusetts and the beautiful 2 miles of hiking trails it boasts. Thought to have been made by glaciers thousands of years ago, this is a great place to explore with your little ones. Be sure to follow the safety guidelines put in place by those who maintain the park as slippery conditions can be dangerous.

8. Wachusett Reservoir, Clinton

Known to the locals as the Clinton Dam, this is a fun place to go exploring. The dam has stairs leading down to the basin where you can check out the dam wall that was built to hold water for over 3 million people in Massachusetts!

9. The Cascades Trail System, Worcester

This 1.4-mile loop offers beautiful nature scenes with a cascading waterfall nestled in the woods of Worcester. In addition to the main trail, you can explore over 120 acres of woodland right in the heart of Central MA.

10. Moore State Park, Paxton

Moore State Park is 400 acres of a beautiful woodland atmosphere to be enjoyed by all ages. Canoeing, kayaking, hiking, bike trails, picnic areas, and more attract families from all over Massachusetts to this beautiful park each year. In addition to trails, there are many beautiful flowers and natural landscapes making for some amazing photo opportunities too.

Above all, we hope you enjoy these outdoor day trips. We also invite you to take a picture of your family when you visit one of the locations above and tag Central Mass Mom (@centralmassmom) on Facebook and Instagram to show us how much fun you had!

1 COMMENT

  1. This was a great information source for places to go hiking, walking, or just exploring! I live in Central MA and had not heard of some of these yet! I can’t wait to get out and enjoy them!

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