Dunn State Park

Dunn State Park
Massachusetts State Park
Dunn Pond
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Worcester

City	Gardner

Location	Pearl Street
- elevation	1,119 ft (341 m) ^[1]
- coordinates	42°34′47.07″N 71°58′13.69″W / 42.5797417°N 71.9704694°W / 42.5797417; -71.9704694Coordinates: 42°34′47.07″N 71°58′13.69″W / 42.5797417°N 71.9704694°W / 42.5797417; -71.9704694 ^[1]

Area	132 acres (53 ha) ^[2]

Established	1915
Management	Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation

Location in Massachusetts
Website: Dunn State Park

Dunn State Park is a Massachusetts state park located in Gardner. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

History

The land for Dunn State Park was originally donated to the city of Gardner, MA by John Ainsworth Dunn upon his death in 1915. Dunn was the owner of the John A. Dunn Furniture Company, which went out of business during the Great Depression. The land was later transferred to the state.

Description

Dunn State Park is a 132-acre (53 ha)^[2] park offering multiple recreation opportunities. The 20-acre (8.1 ha) Dunn Pond is a feature of the park.^[3]

Dunn Pond is located on Rt. 101 (on Pearl St.) just off 140 and Rt 2. It is frequented by Picnic goers and family swimmers. There is a picnic area with almost a dozen picnic tables and fireplace grills. There is a nearby grassy knoll which is great for playing games or sports like Frisbee. A trail that encircles the pond has exercise, "Vita Courses" along the way. There are also little trails that veer off the main path for adventuring, fishing, or just to get a better view of the parks natural scenery.

There are several locations around the lake to sit on a bench, and there are even more docks to fish from. One such location is accessible by car via Betty Spring Road. Visitors can drive up and park behind the lake and sit on the benches, the fishing dock, or visit the wooden bridge. Every year, the lake is stocked with fish, and fishing derbies are held, (usually on Sundays). The state also hosts a myriad of events at the pond; from cross country races, to log rolling and chain saw contests.

During the summer, you can often catch the ice cream truck, which sometimes stops here. This is great for the kids, as are the two playgrounds by the public swimming area. There are Life guards on duty during daytime hours in the summer. At times, you can rent a paddle boat or canoe and take it out on the water. In the fall, runners from the nearby Gardner High School use the recently built bike trail. This is a great place to run or walk your stroller, dog, or friend for some exercise, and is a scenic and serene trek through the forest.

The winter season is less frequented by visitors. At times the city does clear the ice for skating however, which is very nice because of the lodge on the Dunn park grounds. There is a warm fireplace and couches to sit on. Vending machines and public bathrooms are also in the lodge and available year round for changing or snacking. Park rangers are around all year to answer any wildlife or activity questions.

A Totem Pole was created in 1980's by Ralph Fleurant. It is located towards the entrance.

Fees

The following Information is taken from the official Department of Conservation and Recreation website:

All activities offered by the park are accessible to people with disabilities.
Parking fees are in effect
Vehicles bearing a HP or Veterans license plate or placard as well as Massachusetts seniors who are 62 years of age or more and have a Mass. Senior Citizen Pass from the DCR are allowed in free of charge as long as space is available.

Directions

Dunn State Park is located in the northern part of central Massachusetts.

From east or west: Rte. 2 to exit 24 (Rte. 140 north), left at second light onto Rte. 101 south. Park will be on the left.

From the South (i.e. from Worcester): take 190 North to Rte. 2 West. Follow East/West Directions above.

From the North ( i.e. from New Hampshire): take Rte 12 South to Rte 140 South to the traffic light in Gardner at Pearl Street and Rte 101, turn right. The park entrance is 1-mile (1.6 km) on the left.

Recreational opportunities

Publicly guarded swimming area
Picnic area
Wheel Chair Accessible
Boating (non-motorized)
Pay-per-ride Paddle Boating
Boat Ramp
Canoeing
Fishing
Hiking
Skiing (Cross-Country)
Visitor's Center
Walking Trails
Ice Skating (sometimes)

References

1 2 "Dunn Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
1 2 "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
↑ "Dunn State Park". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved January 17, 2014.

External links

Dunn State Park Department of Conservation and Recreation
Dunn State Park Trail Map Department of Conservation and Recreation

Protected areas of Massachusetts

Federal

National Historical Parks	Adams Blackstone River Valley Boston Lowell Minute Man New Bedford Whaling

National Historic Sites	Boston African American Frederick Law Olmsted John Fitzgerald Kennedy Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters Salem Maritime Saugus Iron Works Springfield Armory

Other National Park Service Units	Appalachian National Scenic Trail Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area Cape Cod National Seashore

National Wildlife Refuges	Assabet River Great Meadows Mashpee Massasoit Monomoy Nantucket Nomans Land Oxbow Parker River Silvio O. Conte Thacher Island

Other	Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve West Hill Dam (USACE)

State Parks

Parks	Alewife Brook Ames Nowell Ashland Bash Bish Falls Blackstone River and Canal Heritage Borderland Boston Harbor Islands Bradley Palmer C. M. Gardner Callahan Castle Island State Park Chicopee Memorial City Square Clarksburg Cochituate Connecticut River Greenway Demarest Lloyd Dighton Rock Dunn Ellisville Harbor Fall River Heritage Gardner Heritage Great Brook Farm Halibut Point Hampton Ponds Holyoke Heritage Hopkinton Lake Lorraine Lake Wyola Lawrence Heritage Lowell Heritage Lynn Heritage Massasoit Maudslay Moore Mount Holyoke Range Natural Bridge Nickerson Pearl Hill Pilgrim Quinsigamond Robinson Roxbury Heritage Rutland Skinner South Cape Beach Wahconah Falls Webb Memorial Wells Western Gateway Heritage Whitehall Wompatuck

Reservations	Beaver Brook Belle Isle Marsh Blue Hills Breakheart Charles River Chestnut Hill Cutler Dorchester Shores Elm Bank Fort Phoenix Hammond Pond Hemlock Gorge Horseneck Beach Jug End Lynn Shore Middlesex Fells Mount Everett Mount Greylock Mount Sugarloaf Mount Tom Myles Standish Mystic River Nahant Beach Nantasket Beach Nasketucket Bay Neponset River Pope John Paul II Purgatory Chasm Quincy Quarries Quincy Shore Revere Beach Rumney Marsh Salisbury Beach Sandy Point Scusset Beach Stony Brook Upper Charles River Wachusett Mountain Walden Pond West Island Weymouth Wilson Mountain

Other	Appalachian Trail Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Cape Cod Rail Trail Fort Revere Lake Dennison Recreation Area Lower Neponset River Trail Nashua River Rail Trail Norwottuck Rail Trail Quabbin Reservoir Southwest Corridor Park Squantum Point Park Streeter Point Recreation Area Sudbury Reservoir Wachusett Reservoir Ware River Watershed Area

State Forests

Wildlife Management Areas

Wildlife Management Areas	Agawam Lake Agawam Mill Pond Ashby Ashfield Hawley Attitash Ayer Game Farm Baddacook Pond Bakers Pond Bay Circuit Trail Bearse Pond Becket Bennett Birch Hill Black Brook Blackstone / West River Bolton Flats Boxboro Station Brayton Point Salt Marsh Breakneck Brook Brewer Brook Bullock Ledge Burrage Pond Canoe River Catamount Chalet Chase Garden Creek Salt Marsh Childs River Chockalog Swamp Church Homestead Clapps Pond Clinton Bluff Concord River Connecticut River Cook Pond Copicut Coy Hill Crane Pond Cummington Cusky Pond Dartmoor Farm Darwin Scott Memorial Day Mountain Deerfield River Dogfish Bar Beach Coastal Dolomite Ledges Dunstable Brook E. Kent Swift Eagle Island East Mountain Eastham Salt Marsh Elbow Meadow English Salt Marsh Eugene D. Moran Facing Rock Fairfield Brook Farmington River Fish Brook Fisherville Pond Fisk Forestdale Lot Fisk Meadows Five Mile River Flagg Swamp Flint Pond Four Chimneys Fox Den Fox Island Salt Marsh Frances A. Crane Freetown Swamp George L. Darey Housatonic Valley Glen Echo Lake Gosnold Grassy Pond (Dennis) Grassy Pond (Plymouth) Green River (Franklin County) Green River (Berkshire County) Greenfield River Halfway Pond Hamilton Hancock Harlow / Cooks Pond Haskell Swamp Hauk Swamp Hawksnest State Park Hawley Head Of The Plains Herman Covey High Ridge Hinsdale Flats Hiram H. Fox Hockomock Swamp Hog Pond Lot Honey Pot Hoosatonic River Hoosic River Hop Brook Housatonic River Hubbard Brook Hunting Hills Hyannis Ponds Ipswich River John J. Kelly Joint Base Cape Cod Jug End Fen Jug End Kampoosa Fen Katama Plains Knops Pond Konkapot River Lackey Pond Lake Lorraine Lake Rohunta Lake Snipatuit Lake Warner Lanesboro Lawrence Brook Lawrence Pond Lot Leadmine Leyden Lilly Pond Little Alum Pond Long Sought For Pond Maple Hill Maple Springs Martha Deering Martin H. Burns Mascuppic Lake Mashpee Pine Barrens Mashpee Pond Lot Mashpee River Mckinstry Brook Meetinghouse Swamp Merrill Pond Miacomet Heath Mill River Millers River Mine Brook Montague Plains Montague Moose Brook Moose Brook Moose Hill Mossy Pond Mount Watatic Reservation Mt. Esther Mt. Toby Highlands Mt. Toby Mt. Tom Muddy Brook Muddy Pond Mulpus Brook Nashua River Natty Brook Nemasket River Nissitissit River Noquochoke Nordeen Marsh North Brookfield North Shore Salt Marsh Northboro Oakham Olivers Pond Orange Otis Packard Pond Palmer Pantry Brook Pauchaug Brook Peru Peterson Swamp Phillipston Podunk Marsh Poland Brook Popple Camp Popponesset Beach Poutwater Pond Powell Brook Prince River Provincetown Route 6 Corridor Purchade Brook Quaboag Quacumquasit Quag Pond Bog Quashnet River Quashnet Woods State Reservation Quinapoxet River Quinsigamond Marsh Quisset Raccoon Hill Rainbow Beach Red Brook Richardson Robbins Pond Rochester Rocky Gutter Rowe Salisbury Salt Marsh Salisbury Salt Marsh Sandwich Game Farm Sandy Pond Satan's Kingdom Savage Hill Savoy Sawmill River Scorton Creek Coastal SE Mass Bioreserve Sevenmile River Shattuck Brook Sheperds Island Shubael Pond Sibley Brook Sly Pond South Barrier Beach South Meadow Pond South Shore Salt Marsh South Triangle Pond Southampton Southwick Spectacle Pond Springhill Lot Sputtermill Pond Squannacook River Stafford Hill Sudbury River Sunderland Islands Taconic Mountain Taunton River Taunton River Tekoa Mountain Thad Ellis Thayer Pond Three Mile Pond Townsend Townsend Hill Trapfall Brook Triangle Pond Tully Brook Tully Mountain Tully River Wakeby Pond Wales Walnut Hill Ware River Warwick Wendell West Meadows Westboro Westfield River Westfield Weymouth Back River Whately Great Swamp Whately Ponds Whately Wilbraham Game Farm William Forward Williams River Williamsburg Winimusset Wolf Swamp

Wildlife Sanctuaries	Billingsgate Island Carr Island E. Howe Forbush Egg Rock Grace A. Robson J.C. Phillips Knight Penikese Island Ram Island (Salisbury) Ram Island (Mattapoisett) Susan B. Minns Tarpaulin Cove Watatic Mountain

The Nature Conservancy

Black Pond Bog Boat Meadow Francis Newhall Woods Grassy Pond Greene Swamp Halfway Pond Island Hawley Bog Hockomock Swamp Hoft Farm Homer-Watcha Preserve Katama Plains McElwain-Olsen Miacomet Moors Reed Brook Drury Sandy Neck David H. Smith Preserve and Fire Trail Stacy Mountain Tatkon

Trustees of Reservations

Audubon Society Wildlife Sanctuaries

Arcadia Broad Meadow Brook Broadmoor Daniel Webster Drumlin Farm High Ledges Ipswich River Moose Hill North River Pleasant Valley Stony Brook Wachussett Meadow Wellfleet Bay

Other

Concord Land Conservation Trust Harvard Forest Lincoln Land Conservation Trust Lloyd Center for the Environment Lynn Woods Reservation Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary

Category
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Commons

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