Trail Map

The official Hopkinton State Park trail map is a free two-page PDF from DCR: page 1 shows the whole park, and page 2 zooms in on the main recreation area with its beaches, parking lots, picnic areas and named trails. Download the DCR trail map. The edition DCR links today is dated 2015. It names about 20 trails and shows a scale bar, but it does not list a length for each trail. Below is a plain-English walk through what each page shows, so you know what you're looking at before you get there.

Page 1: The Whole Park

The first page shows the park as a whole and is printed sideways, so check the north arrow before you orient yourself. The long shape in the middle is Hopkinton Reservoir. The main recreation area sits beside it, between the reservoir and the Sudbury River, with a note pointing you to page 2 for detail. Route 85 (Cedar Street) crosses the bottom of the park; the main entrance and contact station are off Route 85 near Cordaville Road.

Outside the main area, page 1 names Reservoir Run, Chipmunk Trail, Ledges Trail, Fisher Trail, Pipeline Trail, Duck Pond Trail. Reservoir Run follows the reservoir's east shore. The others are in the larger forest south of Cedar Street, reaching down to Duck Pond and Saddle Hill Road. Page 1 also marks the park headquarters and a canoe launch with parking on Cedar Street east of the reservoir.

Page 2: Main Recreation Area

The second page is the one most visitors need. It shows the main entrance off Route 85, the contact station just inside, and the loop of park roads (Main Road, Split Rock Drive, Ash Street, Birch Street, Dogwood Drive and Rock Road) with parking lots, picnic areas and restrooms along them.

• Reservoir Beach, on Hopkinton Reservoir, with the Boathouse and boat rentals and a boat ramp nearby.
• Main Beach on the Swimming Pond, with the Bathhouse, at the east end.
• The Dam path between the reservoir and the Swimming Pond.
• Split Rock Group Area in the middle, with a pavilion, parking and restrooms.
• The Main Area picnic grounds on the east side near Howe Street and Cross Street.

The named trails on page 2 are: Long Trail, Aikens Trail, Wachusett Trail, Caesar Trail, Loop Trail, Beach Trail, Pepperbush Trail, Hardwood Trail, Quarry Trail, Oval Trail, Swenson Trail, Foxtrot Trail, Arborvitae Trail, Vista Trail. A heart symbol marks the Healthy Heart trails near the entrance, which DCR describes as easy-to-moderate routes for routine walking. More on each area on the hiking page.

Reading the Legend

• Dotted line: hiking trail.
• Multi-use trail: open to mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and hiking.
• Heart symbols on a dotted line: Healthy Heart trail.
• Gate symbol: DCR says gates are there to discourage motor vehicles; all other trail users may go beyond them.
• Boat ramp symbol, labelled "No gasoline engines" on this 2015 map. DCR's current park page goes further: no motorized watercraft of any kind.
• Icons for picnic areas, restrooms, parking, pavilions, the canoe launch and park headquarters.

What the Map Doesn't Tell You

The map has no trail lengths, so measure against the scale bar: page 2 shows an eighth and a quarter of a mile; page 1 shows a half mile and a mile. It also prints the park's older address, 71 Cedar Street; DCR's park page now gives 164 Cedar Street for directions (parking and directions). And it shows a fixed picture from 2015: for today's rules, fees and closures, use DCR's park page.

Tips for Using It

• Download it before you go; it's a PDF, so it opens offline on a phone.
• Note which lot you parked in. Park roads loop, and lots look alike from the trail.
• Pick a trail that returns to a road or picnic area if you have kids or a short window before closing.
• In summer, check the gate closing time (8 pm May to early September) before a long loop. Hours.