Borderland State Park

This is one of my all time favorite places to go and relax. There's so much to do here. You can play Disc Golf, which if you've never played I highly recommend trying it. You can hike all different trails, etc. Although I'm not as mobile as I once was, I'm still able to soak up the beauty of this historical place. I love to have picnics and just enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. For only $5 it's basically free theses day's. Unless you're out of state. Then it's $20. Which is still a bargain for the day. This place holds such beauty I truly recommend paying it a visit. It's the little things these day's that we need to make us feel good. 😊✨

Borderland State Park is a hidden gem full of history, art, and natural beauty. At the heart of the park lies a stunning historic mansion filled with exquisite handcrafted artwork and thoughtful design. Blanche Ames Ames, a talented and visionary painter, left behind a collection of remarkable paintings and a unique architectural legacy in a mansion built in the early 20th century. Her husband, Oakes Ames—a passionate orchid collector and researcher—named several orchid species during his lifetime, including a special one named in honor of Blanche. A proud descendant of the renowned Bostonian Ames family, Oakes also left behind a magnificent library of over 6,000 books, along with treasured heirlooms from his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Don’t miss the beautiful pool near the mansion—it’s a serene and picturesque spot that adds even more charm to your visit. The park also offers disc golf, making it a great destination for outdoor fun. You can enjoy the beauty of nature and the peaceful pond as you play with friends and family.

This park is amazing and has a ton of trails depending on length and difficulty you'd prefer. My partner and I came here and with her knee injury she was still able to do a good chunk of the pond trail and the swamp trail which was a little wild but we loved it. I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for a nice hike. Saw 3 different kinds of snakes as well.

Awesome place to walk with so many well labeled trails. A great disc golf course as well.

We come here often for the well-kept trails and dog-friendly nature. You pay to park ($5 for MA residents) and then the trails/disc golf course/picnic area is yours to enjoy! Plus, who doesn't enjoy a walk with a beautiful water feature :)

I've been visiting this park my whole life. It's a beautiful place! It has a huge field and tables for picnics and games. Lots of options for hiking trails of varying intensity and you can explore the grounds of the mansion. It has beautiful views and if you're quiet, you can often see wildlife on the trails. I've seen deer on multiple occasions. Parking costs $5. You can pay cash or card at the terminal after parking

First time there. Seems to be a variety of hiking & biking trails on over 1800 acres. There are a few ponds canoes, kayaks & fishing. $5 parking for MA residents.

Borderland State Park features trails for hiking, biking, or horseback riding, fishing and boating in the pond, and facilities for tennis and disc golf. It has beautiful fauna and many different birds, butterflies, dragonflies, chipmunks, deer and more. There is also a 1850 home built by the Smith family. The large attraction is the 1910 stone mansion built by the Ames family. They do have tours for the mansion. I would recommend this people who love the outdoors and historical homes.

The whole place is amazing, especially the "castle". The trails are very well maintained, and VERY well marked. And the lake is beautiful. The best part is how amazing it is for dogs! Highly recommend!!

Borderland is a wonderful place. I usually only stay on the main trail for walking and running. Plenty of grass areas to play catch or picnic, plus benches and picnic tables throughout. Relaxing, quiet, and so many nice spots to enjoy the ponds, waterfall, spring noises of frogs, and foliage in the fall. I ride my bike or run or walk through regularly and enjoy it. I have also taken the kids to some of the mansion tours and the presentations about nature in the park building. Enjoyed those too.

Very nice walking trails. Weather permitting enjoy the scenery while you walk. Enjoy the water, monuments and fresh air. Pay to park. Maybe free if you live in the area or get pass from the library.

Love this state park! When you first enter the main parking lot, you see a big field and beautiful mansion. There is a main trail that is about a 3ish mile loop and many other trails off of it to explore. There are other buildings along the trail and a bathroom in the main parking lot. The park is very dog friendly! Occasionally, you might even see horses nearby. Lots of people are walking, walking their dogs or running. Beautiful at all times of the year, but definitely recommend walking there in the fall when the foliage is at its peak

Great place to go on a walk. The wooded part was super chill barely saw anyone. The walk around the pond there were a lot more people around.

Been coming here since I was a kid. They've really turned it into quite an attraction which could be a negative if it's crowded, but once you hit the trails the place is large enough that you can lose the crowds and get to the peace you seek from the woods. This place is beautiful.

Great trails for hiking; perfect for walking dogs. Nice open spaces for frisbee or any activity. Highly recommended!

Fantastic state park that's beautifully maintained. They charge $5 to park and there's many different trails available, some very long. Leach Pond is stunning and the Ames Mansion is also quite beautiful. It can get crowded and there's plenty of people riding bikes, walking their pups and picnicking on the grounds. There's a decent amount of parking as well. Very pleased with my experience in this park.

Went for a Friday afternoon in late February. Buildings and bathrooms were closed for COVID. Seems to be a very popular disc golf destination with loaner discs. There was a nice wide gravel trail around the pond that was about 2 miles. It was mostly a sheet of ice as things are still thawing so it took about an hour. There were lots of picnic tables around the property and open fields. Even an open dog play area. There were benches spaced along the trail with views of the ponds. There was also a lodge that had a fireplace with a fire going. It would work for a family stroll.

Beautiful, well-maintained, spacious grounds for everything from an easy stroll to a 4-mile hoof to a quick picnic on the scenic lawn of the mansion. Clean bathrooms, lots of seating, and maintained trails. Will be back.

Borderland is bordered by Easton, Sharon and Mansfield. The park has an interesting Mansion built by a suffragist and her husband. Of primary interest to me: Mountain biking trails. Borderland has a wide gravel trail 3 mile loop around several ponds. There are multiple out and back and loop trails off of this trail. Only three trails are flat-out restricted for Mountain bikes. I have not been on all the trails but the ones I have been on vary in difficulty, none have been too technical. There are nice hiking trails and rock outcroppings to see, and good area for birding if you're into that sort of thing. There is a permanent blind for viewing birds on the loop trail. I frequently see Herons in the ponds here. Trail update: Granite Hills trail, others technical. Got me off the bike more than once...

Great park with a variety of trails. Ames mansion is beautiful and you can see where they filmed some famous movies! Well maintained and great front lawn to lounge and picnic. Dog friendly.

As the mom of three boys and a dog this is such a great place for walking, mountain biking, fishing, disc golf and exploring. A family fav for us. The property is lovingly maintained and safe. Parking is $5 and worth every penny. Bring a picnic and stay for a while. It never disappoints

Great state park. Rangers are so good and nice. Great programs for kids too. One of the best frisbee golf courses.

Love this beautiful park! Great hours on the trails with the horses, see lots of beautiful wildlife, only thing I dislike is when people think it's ok to let dogs off leash. Always enough room to park your trailer. Little clear pond for horses to drink.

It's a great place to go with the family! Friends! Pets! Or just by your self! A lot of history, and a lot of fun! You will have a blast down by the water, and their endless amount of trails!

We love this loop. It's gorgeous. Can get a bit busy and the parking situation isn't perfect or ideal. But I love the views and the hike in general.

Great day hikes and very kid and dog friendly as well as good place to ride a horse if you have one.

Great park that is clean and friendly. Well maintained trails too. I run a 10k loop with my dog and he also enjoys it. This park is pretty strict about having dogs on a leash, as well as other patrons will complain too. If one were to stay off the main trails, it probably wouldn't be a problem.. Pros: big secure parking lot that's well off the main road. Public rest rooms. Well marked and maintained trails. Ponds and lakes for dogs to swim in. Cons: $5 to park and the machine only take cards, but not every card. Sometimes you have to put the card in backwards for the machine to read it and sometimes it doesn't read it at all. Trying to find a staff member to pay for Parking is as easy as winning the lottery. You're required to clean up after your dog and the majority do. Horses on the other hand, must not be required as the giant piles of horse poop in the middle of trails. I honestly wouldn't care if it was off to the side or in the woods, but 9/10 times it's smack dab in the middle of the trail. Not a deal breaker, just keep this in mind if running.

A very enjoyable day park for both hiking and dogwalking (no camping or swimming). Among some of the features already mentioned there's an old stone cottage just down the path from the main ranger's station on Leach Pond. There seems to be a fire left going all the time there, all summer & winter. As best I can tell you're free to indulge (but check with a ranger) as it is almost always lit, near the ranger station, and usually unattended, somewhat strange. I've always wondered if the Ames family made it as a condition for the land donation, they used it for winter sports. The Ames family left the lands to the state, having built a fortune making shovels & other hand tools, many of them used to dig the Panama Canal. The other feature which normally annoys me is the fact that dogs run loose in the park. They are mainly concentrated at a beach on Upper Leach Pond, there's so many dogs there on weekends it is not worth fighting, so I admit it my dog takes a dip there - on a leash though - most go without though. There's a $2.00 parking fee, bring dollar bills as it is an automatic collection system. Size = 1773 acres.

Well maintained and very well marked. Borderland is beautiful any time of year. The main trail is heavily trafficked but side trails are vast and offer a more private MTB ride. The trails do have a few technical sections with scattered rock gardens, punchy hills and tech descents.

I was really impressed with the variety and length of trails in this park. My son, dogs and I had a fabulous time exploring for hours.

I'm a fan of the disc golf course at Borderland State Park. It's well marked, with 2 different skill levels for every hole. Parking at Borderland State Park is $2 but it's worth it. There are restrooms available that are at the visitor center area (not portapotties). Also, this is a great place for dog walking. I must have seen over 30 dogs being walked in just the 2 hours I was there playing disc golf.

I came here last week with my boyfriend to check out the hiking trails. We started out on a dirt path that went around the lake in the middle of the park called Leech Pond (looks more like a lake to me). We veered off into the woods and spent about an hour and a half on three different trails and didn't even see half of the park. Over rocks and boulders, up and down hills, I was surprised to see all of this in the middle of Mansfield/Easton/Sharon area. It's definitely a nice place to go hiking for an afternoon and I will be back as soon as the leaves start coming back on the trees and spring arrives. I saw plenty of hardcore frisbee golfers heading off the trails and towards the courses. I was surprised at what a large sport this must be. Plenty of people with backpacks full of 20+ frisbees. $2 to park, and I imagine the parking must fill up in the summer when this place is more popular.

Amazing state park. It is so big and you can keep discovering more and more trails each time you come back. Such a beautiful place for a walk, too. The visitors center is nice, and there is an outdoor cabin that they light a fire in when it is chilly out. There are benches overlooking the water, which is very nice. There are different spots around the park that are more kid friendly for the little ones, but there are also some spots for more intense hikers with more obstacles, I would overall recommend this place to anyone (especially friends and families) who want to enjoy the outdoors.

I've seen hikers, bikers and even a couple of folks on horses, but I'm purely in it for the disc golf. For $2 parking, you can enjoy a lovely picnic, some solid disc golf (36 holes - Blue Course and White Course) or do anything your outdoorsy heart desires. You need a car to get here, as there's no good mass transit that I know of, but it's definitely worth a trip. Also, stopping by downtown Sharon on the way is a good idea for lunch.

Borderland State Park has been our favorite place to go for a walk for 39 years! We have walked here when we were dating, almost had our wedding here; walked,ice skated,gone sledding ,played tennis,toured the mansion,attended Teddy Bear Picnics, saw civil war reenactments, etc. with our children! So very many fond memories made at this special place! Wonderful any time of the year! Now that the children are all grown up we faithfully walk our beloved dog here!

Love, love, love! Stopped here for the first time today and it was nothing short of perfect. See the thing is I love exploring new parks, but am not the best at using a trial map. The trails here are are really well marked, making it perfect for an afternoon stroll! Took the pup with us and she loved it too. Just a heads up there is a small parking fee, 5 for MA residents and 6 for out of state. But trust me the views are worth it.

It costs $2 to park here, which is a bargain compared to some other parks. Cool park. Plenty of trails to explore. I got a good workout just walking the trails. And there's the Ames Mansion, and a nice visitors center. I don't think the air here is as fresh as Myles Standish in Plymouth. On the other hand, there seems to be more people around, and it's smaller, so maybe it's safer than Myles Standish. Myles Standish is some real wilderness. I think a lot of people take their dogs here.

I really enjoyed this walk. Visiting from NYC, but if I was in the area again would make the effort to visit at any time of year. Dogs welcome with spots off leash and places to swim. Bring a picnic and hang out for the day.

I stand by everything I wrote in my first review just wanted to update that parking has now gone from 2 bucks to 5 and passes went from 35 bucks to 60. Totally worth it still!!!

Great place to picnic and hike! Nice mansion with garden area behind. Hiking trails around a lake vary from 2 to 4 miles

Loved the roaring fire in the lakeside cabin, great break on a snowy hike ! Lots of history, very cool spot

Great trails and scenery for a stroll in the park. Covid had shut down the building on site but I am excited to go inside when allowed. There are a couple good trails, just follow the maps.

This state park is AMAZING. Terrific for animal lovers, frisbee throwers, picnic-goers, nature fanatics, bird watchers, people from young to old! You name it, this place place has something for everyone to enjoy and be outdoors. The park was holding a botanical art event within the outdoor area of the mansion. I definitely plan to return to get a tour of this historic place as well as getting my exercise! It's so beautiful here and it's such a big park you don't feel like you are crowded by other park-goers. The big field in front of and behind the mansion is a perfect area to just lay out and enjoy the sun. The trails are a little difficult to follow but if you have a map handy you'll likely be alright. You have numerous amounts of trails to choose from that I can't see myself getting tired of becoming a frequent flyer! I myself am not turned off by parking fees when it comes to state parks. I appreciate all the work the rangers do as well as keeping the parks clean and lively. The experience you will have here will be well worth your $5. The park has so many events scheduled throughout the year it seems. I partook in this "selfie scavenger hunt" that proved to be so much fun! It also pushed me to try out a bunch of different trails than just taking the easiest route! Needless to say, my pup and I will be sleeping soundly after our eventful day at Borderland State Park :)

My dog loves it here! It's very dog friendly. Plenty of trails, and the ponds are beautiful and well kept. My dog loved going into the water. Poo bags supplied at the beginning of the trail, but bring your own just in case! The only thing that sucks is there is a parking fee ($5 for MA $6 for out of state) but if that's what it takes to keep the park this nice and clean I'm fine with that.

This is my sanctuary. My boyfriend has lived in Sharon his whole life and his yard is backed up to Borderland. We often go for walks with the dogs in the park. It's an enjoyable park with multiple trails, ponds, wildlife, large frisbee-golf course, small stone summer lodge, and Ames Mansion. I haven't gotten a chance to look inside the mansion but I'm sure it's incredible. The mansion was actually featured in the new Ghost Busters movie and the lodge was in the movie Shutter Island. The only downside to the park is that it closes at 430pm in the winter and 8pm in the summer. Also, dogs must be on leashes except in certain areas.

We often go here to hike with our dog. Many different paths and a dog park near a beautiful renovated historic home. THE best place to play frisbee.

As an avid disc golfer I can't believe there are only 7 reviews on this place. I'm assuming this is because there are very few hippie disc golfers who actually use yelp because they are too busy smoking pot and eating cheetos(get on those reviews Yelp!). Borderland probably has the most amazing disc golf course I'll ever get to play and it is about 5-10 minutes from the house I grew up in. How it took me 23 years to play I'll never know but boy am I glad I finally got to play it. The park has a unique mix of areas for hikers, mountain bikers, disc golfers, and families having picnics or just enjoying a beautiful spring/summer New England day. It is certainly interesting that I went there so many times as a kid and never knew it had a championship level disc golf course. On to the disc golf course itself, which is beyond amazing considering it is extremely challenging yet fun at the same time. There are two tee boxes at each hole and also two basket placements. Basically you can play the course 4 different ways(white to white, white to blue, blue to blue, and blue to white) so that playing here never gets old. Most of the holes have extremely challenging placements which have even the most expert players scratching their heads at how they can bend a disc through extremely tight spaces. What are you waiting for? Get out there and play!

Ever played Frisbee golf before? Want to try it? Borderland is a good option. A nice little state park situated about 30 to 40 minutes from Brookline. Regrettably it's not very accessible by public transportation, so cozy up to someone with a car or Zipcar it if you're vehicle-less. A friend took me here this weekend to introduce me to the game of disc golf, although maybe his ulterior motive was to get me out of my comfort zone (i.e., take me to the great outdoors) and watch me make a fool out of myself in a whole different setting. At any rate, Borderland is a lovely state park featuring the aforementioned lovely stone mansion, which happens to be situated in the fairway for one of the "holes". There are trails for hikers and mountain bikers, and a woodsy disc golf course. One can do up to 36 "holes" in one day, but we opted for the 18 and had a lovely, albeit sweaty and dirty time, launching Frisbees and cursing our missed respective trajectories. The prices are quite reasonable, too; $2 for a day pass, and if one is an MA resident, one can get a year-round pass for $35. Non-MA resident year-round passes are $45. Overall, it's a nice choice for getting out of the city and spending one of Massachusetts' regrettably seldom nice days outdoors.

THE BEST FRISBEE GOLF IN THE AREA!! awesome place for, family bbqs, trail walks, frisbee golf . Dont bring any alcohol though. Dont make the mistake I did and get kicked out haha whoops!

Great place to walk with your dog! Very green with the lake around and we even saw tiny frogs everywhere!!!

Borderland SP is just an all-around delight with something for everyone. It is open year-round although I tend to limit my visits to April-October since I like to go for runs here. There are always other people around doing their activity of choice, but it never feels overly crowded. I usually see a lot of solo runners and walking duos on the Pond Walk trail. I have also seen a fair number of mountain bikers, frisbee golf revelers, and picnicking families or couples. Apparently horses are allowed here too, but I have yet to see anyone riding along a trail. Trail maps are available both online and at the Visitor's Center, and the trails themselves are clearly marked so you know where you are. Parking costs $2, but do yourself a favor and get a state parks pass that is good all year and allows you free parking to any Mass state park.

A really awesome big park with a lot of different trail options. Great for cross country skiing or snow shoeing in the winter as well. It's best season is definitely fall though. There is a very cool mansion and old log cabin in this park as well as a gorgeous pond.

No better feeling then to be chased by snakes along the paths leading to the Coronavirus curing lake of heaven. I just wanna lay in the middle of the path with all of the dog poop and let the snakes bite the crap out of me and enjoy every second of Borderland.

We come here for disc golf so that's what this review is about. 18 holes with two options at each hole for level of difficulty (white course and blue course). The course spreads throughout the lovely, scenic, and peaceful woods. The whole course, for a group of 4, takes about 2.5 hours. I love it and we come often. Try disc golf if you haven't, it's super fun and great exercise!

Borderland has great nature trails, nothing too treacherous to climb through and lots of green space for picnicking (with picnic tables too). There's a pretty gnarly frisbee golf course and a beautiful pond as wellllllll. I it there, always have. My only complaint would be that they don't open until 8AM, wish I could go earlier

Great park!!! Lots of trails to hike and a beautiful castle like house right next to some beautiful trails. Love this park and it is prretty secluded which I love :)

Borderland is a very nice place to disc. Paths and baskets are well marked and the trails are well kept. $5 to park is money well spent.