Whitehall State Park

Whitehall State Park is a DCR park at 300 Wood St., Hopkinton, MA 01748, built around Whitehall Reservoir, with free parking, a 6-mile trail around the water, a trailer boat ramp and no swimming. DCR describes it as a boating and fishing reservoir, and a popular ice-fishing spot in winter. It is open dawn to dusk. If you want a beach, go to Hopkinton or Ashland State Park instead; if you want to launch a boat with a motor, Whitehall is the one of the three that takes trailers.

The Six-Mile Perimeter Trail

DCR says hikers will find trails along the reservoir's edges, with access points for the 6-mile trail that traces its perimeter. DCR also lists cross-country skiing, horseback riding and mountain biking. It's the longest single measured loop among the three neighbouring DCR reservoir parks: Ashland's lake loop is 3.5 miles, and Hopkinton's trails, while more than 10 miles in total, are a network rather than one loop. DCR links a Whitehall trail map from its park page.

Boating

Whitehall has a boat ramp for trailered and motor boats, and DCR lists motorized boating, canoeing and kayaking, and sailing. The rules keep it calm: a 12 mph speed limit for all watercraft, no personal watercraft such as jet skis, and no water skiing, surfing or tubing. DCR also asks boaters to remove aquatic vegetation from boats, engines and trailers before entering and leaving the lake.

Fishing and Ice Fishing

DCR says visitors come to Whitehall to boat and fish, and calls the reservoir a popular ice-fishing spot. Snowmobiles are allowed only for ice-fishing use. You need a Massachusetts fishing license, sold online through MassFishHunt, and MassWildlife's trout stocking report can be filtered by the town of Hopkinton. More on fishing around Hopkinton.

No Swimming

Swimming is not allowed at Whitehall State Park, and dogs must stay leashed and out of the water. For a swim nearby, Hopkinton State Park has two lifeguarded beaches and Ashland State Park has a designated swimming area, both open in summer.

Parking and Hours

DCR lists free on-site parking at Whitehall, unlike the daily fee at Hopkinton and Ashland in summer. The park is open dawn to dusk. The phone number DCR gives, (508) 435-4303, is the same as Hopkinton State Park's office.

Whitehall Rules at a Glance

• Watercraft speed limit 12 mph.
• No swimming.
• No personal watercraft (jet skis).
• No water skiing, surfing or tubing.
• Snowmobiles for ice-fishing use only.
• Dogs on leash and out of the water.
• Clean aquatic plants off boats, engines and trailers going in and out.

Part of the Same Water System

The Friends of Whitehall, a volunteer group for the park, list Whitehall with Hopkinton, Ashland and others as reservoirs made by holding back parts of the Sudbury River. MWRA's history dates the building of the upper Sudbury reservoirs to 1875 through 1898, for Boston's water supply. See Hopkinton Reservoir.

Nearby

DCR lists Callahan State Park, Purgatory Chasm State Reservation and Upton State Forest as related parks, and links Whitehall to its Blackstone River Valley recreational hike series. For the rest of town, see things to do in Hopkinton.