Overview of Quinsigamond State Park
Quinsigamond State Park – Lake Park is a state park located in Worcester, Massachusetts. While there are two parts to the park, the most relevant for walking and hiking is the Lake Park area of the park. It has one main path through it. It is about 1.2 miles in length, though there is an option to slightly cut this down. The resulting shortcut would be 1 mile instead. The loop is long and skinny, with the parking lot in the center. You vehicle is likely nearby if you are tired. It is an easy and short trail, with only about three small hills.
Paths
The one main path is easily noticed and is paved. There is no way to get lost here! It is generally very busy, and there are online maps. This map is likely unnecessary due to the fact the path is a short loop. Dogs are allowed on the path, but not on the beach. This is enforced. The beach is small and very busy during the summer, so it would not be a good place to take your furry friend off-leash swimming. There are two stops along the path that have dog poop bags and trash receptacles to throw it away in. There are additional trash receptacles along the path. It is very common to see other dogs here, especially during busy times of day and during the summer. People sometimes have their dogs off-leash, but this is generally uncommon and discouraged.
Other Reasons to Visit Quinsigamond State Park
In addition to the walking and running loop path through the park, there are also tennis courts at this location. There are about 4 courts, and these often have people at them.
At Quinsigamond State Park, there is also a beach, a track, a football/soccer field, restrooms, and multiple reservable pavilions. As is common in many parks, the drinking fountains and the restrooms are closed when it starts to get a bit cold, and are not turned on again until Spring. There is almost always a porta-potty available here, though, even during the winter months. There are also plenty of benches and picnic tables. All of the facilities are well-maintained and the park is usually busy. Even during the off-peak times during the day, people use the path through the park to travel. The football field is usually busy during peak times, and sometimes there are games there that are large enough to draw a crowd and partially block the path. This usually only occurs on busy good-weather weeknights, and should not discourage people from visiting. It is also much calmer during the winter.
Ice Cream
Close to Quinsigamond State Park is one of the best ice cream spots in Worcester: Madulka’s. It’s only half a mile down Lake Avenue, to the North, from Quinsigamond State Park – Lake Park. This makes it a great stop after or before your adventure to Quinsigamond, and is easily reachable by walking along the sidewalk. Additionally, if you’re visiting Quinsigamond during the summer months, there’s a decent chance you will encounter an ice cream truck near the beach. It’s another option to a help you with your ice cream craving. Madulka’s might be worth the extra walk, however, since the view along the water is great and the ice cream selections are more extensive compared to an ice cream truck!
Viewing Spots
Most of the park has beautiful views. The path and the surrounding grounds are clean and taken care of, and, since the park is relatively small, almost all of it has picture-worthy views. There is a stretch of the path near the tennis courts that is right along the road that is not the most picturesque scene, but the rest of it definitely has some worthwhile sights.
Along most of the path are trees and short, maintained grasses. About half of the park is along Lake Quinsigamond, which is likely why it is called Quinsigamond State Park – Lake Park. This provides a beautiful view, especially during sunrise, which rises over the lake. Walking this part of the path provides many views of the water. There are also plenty of benches along this spot, which makes it great for anyone not there to walk the entire 1.2 mile path.
History of Quinsigamond State Park
For this information, I reached out to the DCR for any historical information they happened to have on hand. I couldn’t find much online. They very helpfully let me know the following information:
The DCR predecessor agency the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Forests and Parks, acquired and created the Lake Quinsigamond State Park from the City of Worcester in 1955. Prior to the 1955 acquisition, DNR made two back-to-back park planning studies regarding Lake Quinsigamond, and reported their findings and recommendations to the Legislature in 2 separate reports, which are available online through the Mass. State Library.
Parking at Quinsigamond State Park
The parking fees could be considered a bit unreasonable for out-of-state residents here. They are posted on the Mass.gov website, and residency is determined by the license plate of the vehicle. The fees are:
In-state residents: $8
Out-of-state residents: $30
However, there are quite a few free parking options near the park. The fees are for parking your vehicle in that parking lot, not for physically entering the park. For this reason, I would recommend parking near the park, in any of the nearby street parking options, if you need to avoid paying the fee. Lake Ave and Colburn Ave both have street parking options, especially toward the South side of the park. The map below shows the rough location on Google Maps.
This is not to say I don’t support paying for and supporting state parks! Please, if you can afford it, I would recommend a state park sticker. In Massachusettes, however, you can only buy a state park sticker if you live in Massachusettes: not if you are an out-of-state resident. If you have the extra money, please consider just paying the daily or annual fee and parking in the centrally-located lot. I would just hate to see somebody not visit or appreciate Quinsigamond State Park – Lake Park because of the relatively high cost of entry.
Wildlife Considerations at Quinsigamond State Park
As far as local wildlife goes, this is a great place to view squirrels, rabbits, local dogs, and common birds. It’s a great place for people-watching more so than uncommon wildlife, but there is always something to see here. Even on the slower days, there is something to see. There seems to be an overabundance of rabbits, which can be nice to watch.
When it comes to plant life, most of the park is either grass or common trees: there are not any especially memorable trees here, though this isn’t a large downside. People generally come here as an oasis from the surrounding city: not for especially unique plant life. The view of the water here is the attracting factor. It is likely more interesting to watch the people here than the wildlife.
Running and Walking at Quinsigamond State Park
Quinsigamond State Park – Lake Park has only a few hills. It would not be ideal for any kind of hill training. If you would like a longer route than the 1.2 miles this park can offer, the surrounding roads have large paved sidewalks that can easily add additional miles to your run or walk. You can make it a point to continue to walk along the lake, and can ensure an almost-constant view of it, if that is what you value.
Alternatively, I would say the Quinsigamond State Park – Lake Park loop is worth more than one go-around. Every lap has something you didn’t notice the last time, even if you were paying attention, and the people within the park are always changing, especially in the summer, which offers a different view every lap. In the winter, it is a bit calmer, but is still worth the run.
Finally, there is also the standard track within the park. This is great for speedwork and if you are specific about measuring distance. No dogs are allowed on this part of the park, so you can have a bit of space if you would like to focus on your workout.
Overall
Personally, I believe the number of people there is part of the appeal of Quinsigamond State Park – Lake Park. There always seems to be something happening in the park, whether its a high school running group, a yoga class, or a football game in the field. This adds to a sense of community that you just don’t find in the lesser-known and less-traveled-to parks. It definitely slows down here during the winter and the off-times. It is still worth a visit, even if it is just for the views of the lake. During the winter, the paths are still clear, and the water remains something to look at, even if many of the usual people are not visiting.
