Plan Your Visit

To plan a Quabbin visit: come to Quabbin Park on Route 9 between Belchertown and Ware (free, three entrances), pick your entrance by what you want to see, and leave the dog at home. The visitor center at Winsor Dam is open 8:30 am–4:30 pm, Thursday through Tuesday (closed Wednesdays). Fishing and boat rentals run from the third Saturday in April to the third Saturday in October. There's no swimming, camping or grilling.

A First Visit, Step by Step

• Start at the West entrance for the visitor center and a walk on Winsor Dam (if the center is open; it's closed Wednesdays).
• Drive back to Route 9 and in at the Middle entrance for the Quabbin Tower grounds, Enfield Lookout and a picnic at Hanks Meadow.
• Finish at Goodnough Dike at the east end, then stop at Quabbin Park Cemetery on Route 9 in Ware.

Cars can't cross the dam or the dike, so that order saves backtracking. Directions and lots are on parking and directions.

Pick Your Visit

• Views: Enfield Lookout, Winsor Dam, Goodnough Dike and the tower hilltop, all in Quabbin Park.
• Fishing: boats April 18, 2026 – October 17, 2026 in 2026; shore fishing to December 31. See the fishing guide and boat rentals.
• Hiking: eight blazed trails in the park (trail map) and gate walks around the reservoir (hiking guide).
• History: Dana Common, the lost towns and Quabbin history.

What to Bring

• Water and food that needs no cooking. Grills, stoves and fires are banned.
• Sturdy shoes for gate roads and the steeper trails.
• Tick repellent; DCR warns of ticks and poison ivy on its trails.
• Blaze orange in late fall, during hunting season.
• A trash bag: carry in, carry out.
• For fishing: license, tackle, a life jacket for everyone and a credit or debit card (no cash at the launch areas).

What to Leave at Home

Dogs (even to wait in the car), swimsuits, tents, grills, alcohol, drones, kayaks and canoes. Every one of these is banned on DCR's Quabbin lands. The reasons are on rules and regulations.

When to Go

• Spring: the fishing season opens on the third Saturday in April, and DCR says shore anglers do best for trout and salmon then.
• Summer: DCR says trout and salmon move to deeper water, so you need a boat to catch them.
• Fall: the busiest month for searches about Enfield Lookout is October. Arrive early on weekends.
• Winter: walking and snowshoeing in daylight. Quabbin Park closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and, in 2026, December 2 and 3 for the deer hunt. See hours.

Staying Nearby

There's no camping or lodging on the reservoir lands. DCR's fishing guide says accommodations are available near the boat launch areas in Orange, Athol, Ware and Amherst, and near the Mass Pike access in Chicopee, and that bait shops are in Pelham, Belchertown, Ware and Orange.