Borderland State Park (North Easton, MA)

Date Visited: May 21, 2016

Location: 259 Massapoag Ave, North Easton, MA

508-238-6566

Hours: Open 365 days a year, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  A sign at the front gate of the parking area states cars still parked in the lot after 7 p.m. will be fined $25.

Costs: According to the website it is $5 for MA residents and $6 for non-MA residents.  There is a parking payment station located at the front of the parking area.  I have a parking pass which allows me to park in all state run parks so I do not know exactly how the parking stations work or how they charge each patron.

Parking:  The parking lot is pretty big.  It looks like there are easily 200 spaces.  When we left, on a busy day at peak hours, there were still plenty of parking spots available, albeit far from the entrance to the trails.   There is also an alternate parking area before the main parking area for people with special passes.

Highlights: mansion, 6 ponds, quarry, 20 miles of hiking trails, large field for frisbee golf and other activities.  Fishing, canoeing and horseback riding are allowed.  Leashed dogs are permitted. Easy to moderate trails, teeming with wildlife.  Peaceful feeling, even when the park is packed.

*Please note, some of the slideshows take some time to load, unfortunately (especially on tablets and cellphones).  You may have to refresh but they may take a few minutes to load*

Created during the early 1900’s by artist and suffragist Blanche Ames and her husband Oakes Ames, Borderland State Park has been a state park since it was purchased by the state in 1971.  The Ames’ home, a three-story stone mansion built in 1910 still stands on the grounds.

The grounds of the mansion are manicured impeccably.  They even take care of those pesky witches (or whatever that is on the lawn) .

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Bordering on the towns of Sharon and Easton in Southern MA, Borderland has a variety of trails for runners, walkers, cyclists and even horseback riders.  The trails are easy to moderate and I saw many runners on the trail.

Located about 45 minutes south of Boston and half an hour north of Providence, Rhode Island, Borderland State Park is a popular destination for people from all sections of New England.  It is easy to see why so many people flock to the park when you see the views.

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Sometimes it’s the little things that make the park so much fun.  Whether it’s the frisbee golf course on the lawn in front of the mansion (I can only imagine what the Ames’s would have thought of that) or the benches that are liberally scattered throughout the park  or the always full bowls of water thoughtfully left out for the thirsty dogs, the park really does think of everything.

here was also an abandoned building along one of the trails.

There are always pleasant surprises when you go to visit the different parks in New England.  One of those surprises was a mother bird feeding her babies in the nest on the beams of the roof of the abandoned building pictured above.  I did my best to seem as unobtrusive and I used my telephoto lens from a distance while I took these photos.  I love how the mother looks so protective and is surveying the area for potential threats.

Then, as I was taking photos of the pond, I saw these little critters.  Look at how the frogs almost perfectly camouflage themselves.  It’s almost the perfect disguise.  Man, I love nature!

Ok, the snake isn’t so “little.”  But, I wasn’t about to get closer to see just how big he was.

And the animals didn’t stop there.

There were dogs a plenty also at Borderland State Park.

Beef is a 6 year old  American Bullweiler (American Bulldog and Rottweiler mix).  He was being trained by his dad.  I thought the last photo showed just how much affection he has for his guardian.

Mason, a chocolate Labrador, took advantage of the warm weather to go for a swim.

Romeo, an English Chocolate Labrador, celebrated his 10 month birthday at the park!

Balto, a 7 month German Shepherd, wants attentively for the rest of the family to show up.

Thank you for stopping by and reading and please consider connecting with me on Facebook and check out my future trips around New England:  New England Nomad