Above: Looking at the range of options in our area for water play this summer. (images L-R Marlborough Rec Facebook post and photo by Beth Melo)
The “Heat Advisory” is in effect until 8:00 pm tonight. Even after that passes, it will be a hot weekend with highs of 90 and 92. Mornings will be more bearable for classic outdoor summertime fun.
For those of you who aren’t planning weekend getaways to coastal beaches or lake houses, but are still eager to frolic in the sun and water, I’m posting this summer’s updated details on local places to splash around.
Southborough doesn’t have any public wading areas of our own (yet), but there are nearby options that residents can take advantage of.
Before you visit, please click on links for details including rules of use for each facility. (Plus any updates from authorities if there’s an unexpected, temporary closing.)
Splash pads and wading pools may get quite hot some days, but they can be an easy option for some fun water play for young ones. The following are free, and some are already open for the season:
Northborough’s Assabet Park includes a splash pad that opens this Saturday. The hours will be Mon, Wed, Fri, and weekends from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, except in inclement weather. (It is closed on Tues & Thurs.) (No date is listed yet for when the season will end.)- Marlborough:
Splash pads are open at Ghiloni Park and Stevens Park daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm through September 7th. The Town website does warn of potential occasional automatic shutdowns “if the chemical levels fall outside standard parameters”.
Later this summer, Wading pools are “anticipated” to open on June 23rd. Those are located at Sawin Street and Ward Park. The planned hours are still posted as daily fro noon – 5:45 pm (with gates locked at 6:00 pm). Regular disposable diapers are prohibited in the pools, but “Little Swimmers Disposable Swim Pants are allowed”.
Lake Swimming. If you’re family is too old for the above options (or your kids are demanding real swimming) then you may want to find a beach. No need to drive for hours in traffic. Take advantage of parks a stone’s throw away.
The state has three local swimming holes. Unfortunately, those can sometimes be closed due to bacteria issues. And parking can also fill up, especially on weekends.
Due to the frequency of beach closures from algae/bacteria spikes, DCR has posted an “Interactive Beach Water Quality Dashboard” with hourly updates. You can also check for DCR’s updated advisories (including ones unrelated to water quality) here. (You may also want to check their tweets, since they have used it in the past to announce when a park’s parking lot reached full capacity.)
The State parks only charge admission for parking. Cash is no longer accepted. (They now have parking meters and an app for online payments). You can borrow a free pass for the day from the Southborough Library to display on your dashboard (limited availability). For the parks with beaches near us, the cost for is $8/day (for state license plates). You can also purchase a $60 season pass, or a $10 senior-lifetime pass (for ages 62+).
Except for the occasional closures, these are open for swimming daily:
- Hopkinton State Park (10:00 am – 6:00 pm through Labor Day; the park is open for other activities from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm year round)
- Ashland State Park (10:00 am – 6:00 pm through Labor Day)
- Cochituate State Park in Natick (weekdays sunrise to sunset, weekends 8:00 am – 7:00 pm, boats off the water at 6:00 pm): As of the morning of June 12th, a “No swim warning” Advisory was in effect due to Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom. (You can check here to see if that has been lifted.) But boating activities were still available.
The Town of Marlborough also allows use of its lakeside beach by out-of-towners, though at the below non-resident rate:
- Memorial Beach – Parking is $20 per car, and no drop-offs are allowed. It is open daily 11:00 am – 6:45 pm (though the bathrooms close at 6:30 pm). There are special hours for Labor Day weekend. (Closing date not listed yet.)
Do you have a favorite water play spot not listed above? (Or have a tip about one of these to share?) Shout out in the comments.
