Our go-to trails are in Natick and Wellesley because they’re fun and nearby, but on weekends we try to branch out and hit other trails across the state. This past weekend we returned to Ashland State Park, which we had visited last fall, and weren’t disappointed.

Ashland State Park is between 8 and 10 miles away from Natick Center and it takes about 20-25 minutes to get there. There’s free parking at the entrance and the main walk goes around Ashland Reservoir, which has a dam and spillway at one end, as well as a little island to explore at the other end. During the swimming season you can park further in at the park, but it’ll cost more or less depending on whether you’re a local or not.

Conditions over the weekend made for a nice winter walk, with snow packed down firmly the day we went (yaktrax recommended for surer footing). We saw evidence that fire tire cyclists also enjoy this path.

Our trek took about 1.5 hours at a steady pace. You can see the reservoir throughout the hike, and the day we went included the sight of several ice fishing packs yukking it up in late afternoon. We didn’t trust the ice’s stability ourselves, so stuck to the trails, which no doubt would be even more beautiful after a fresh snow covering on the trees surrounding the water.

We’ve attached a trail/site map at the bottom of this post.