Rules & Regulations

Dogs are allowed at Hopkinton State Park on a leash at all times, everywhere in the park, but not on the beaches from May 1 to September 15. Those are DCR's rules, along with these: no motorized watercraft of any kind, no flotation devices except Coast Guard-approved life jackets, no swimming outside the designated beaches, no grills or fires outside the picnic areas, no off-road vehicles, and no drones without a permit. Alcohol is prohibited on all DCR property, and the park is day-use only.

Dogs and Pets

• Dogs must be on a leash at all times, everywhere in the park.
• No dogs on the beaches from May 1 to September 15.
• DCR's reservation site adds that pets, including service animals, must be leashed and under the control of a capable adult, and that owners clean up and bin all pet waste.

In practice, that makes summer a trail day for dogs, not a beach day. The trails are open to leashed dogs year-round.

On the Water

• No motorized watercraft of any kind.
• No boats at Lower Beach (also called Main Beach), a seasonal swimming area.
• No swimming outside the designated swimming areas.
• No flotation devices; U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets are always allowed.

Kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and sailboats are fine elsewhere on the reservoir; see boat rentals and swimming.

Fires and Grilling

No grilling or fires outside the designated picnic areas, which have fixed charcoal grills. At the pavilions, DCR's reservation rules also ban burning firewood or brush in the grills and any flame or heat on the grass or on wooden tables; a personal propane or butane grill or camp stove is allowed there.

Vehicles, Bikes and Drones

• No off-road vehicles on park property, including ATVs and dirt bikes.
• Snowmobiles are the exception: allowed in winter with at least 4 inches of snow cover.
• Drones are not allowed on park property without a permit.
• Park only in marked spaces, and never drive off the pavement onto fields or roadsides.
• Mountain bikes and horses are welcome on the trails; DCR's map asks hikers to let them pass and cyclists to avoid startling horses and hikers.

Alcohol, Balloons and Parties

DCR's reservation site states that alcohol is prohibited on DCR property, with no exceptions and no permits. Balloons and confetti of any kind are also prohibited on DCR property. Pavilions take up to 125 people; without one, a gathering of more than 25 needs a State Parks Special Use Permit, as do catering, amplified music, generators and bounce houses. DCR's park rules are in 302 CMR 12.

Hours, Capacity and Camping

• The park is open sunrise to sunset; summer gates close at 8 pm (hours).
• No camping, no early entry and no late exit. Cars left inside after closing are locked in.
• When parking is full, the park closes temporarily, including to people on foot, until spaces free up.

On the Trails

DCR's trail map asks everyone to stay on designated trails and roads and obey posted rules. Gates on some trails are there to keep motor vehicles out; everyone else may pass them.

Questions

Rules change. For anything not covered here, ask the DCR park office at (508) 435-4303 or check the park's DCR page.