Quabbin Tower

The Quabbin Tower is the observation tower on top of Quabbin Hill in Quabbin Park, off Route 9 in Ware. It has been closed since 2020 because of structural problems, and DCR says it will stay closed for the foreseeable future: you can visit the hilltop but not go inside or climb it. The view from the base is still open, free, and reachable by car or by the 2.8-mile round-trip Tower Trail.

DCR's trail guide says the tower went up at the same time as the reservoir, to serve as both a fire watchtower and a viewing spot for visitors. It is four stories high with a glass observatory on top. The Friends of Quabbin chronology dates its completion to 1941.

Is the Quabbin Tower Open?

No. DCR closed the tower in 2020 after finding significant structural issues, and its trail guide says it will remain closed for the foreseeable future. DCR's park page lists it as closed for renovations, and its April 2026 guided hike notice called it closed indefinitely for repairs. You can still walk around the base, and DCR's trail guide calls the view from there still spectacular.

Driving to the Tower

Use the Middle or East entrance of Quabbin Park on Route 9 and follow the signs to the Observation Tower. DCR's guided hikes meet at the Observation Tower parking area on Quabbin Hill. It is one of the lots DCR suggests on busy days, along with Goodnough Dike and Hanks Meadow. The vehicle exit time is posted at the tower; as of October 18, 2026 cars could be in the park 6:30 am to 6:30 pm.

Enfield Lookout is close by: DCR's trail guide notes that the old Josiah and Anna Woods property ran all the way up to and around the tower, as far as the lookout.

Hiking Up: the Tower Trail

The red-blazed Tower Trail starts at the South trailhead, at the parking area just inside the Middle entrance, and climbs north to the tower: 2.8 miles out and back, or 1.4 miles one way. DCR's hike leaders say it gains 475 feet. Along the way, DCR's guide points out:

• Stone walls and the former Webster, Ryther (Martindale) and Woods properties.
• Native lady's slipper orchids in early summer in a cool, moist stretch of birch and pine.
• Stands of red pine, planted after the reservoir was built to put forest back on old farmland.
• Invasive bittersweet and barberry in one opening, and a rocky climb under the power lines.
• Near the top, a barrens habitat called Pitch Pine–Oak Forest, with thin soil and boulders left by glaciers.

For a loop, DCR's guided version takes a connector trail down from the tower to Webster Road and back to the start, 3.1 miles in all. Another DCR loop starts at the tower lot, drops about 350 feet to Hanks Meadow and the shore, and climbs back to the start, with a stop at Enfield Lookout (3.6 miles). See the trail map and hiking guide.

The Field on Quabbin Hill

The open field on the east slope of the tower hill is part of the same barrens community, which needs periodic disturbance by fire. DCR mows it only occasionally so plants can grow, bloom and feed wildlife, and may treat it with a controlled burn. DCR's guide notes that fire-adapted habitats like this support around half of the land species on the Massachusetts endangered species list.

Rules at the Tower

Don't climb on or enter the closed tower. No dogs (not even in parked cars), drones, alcohol or fires. Stay on the marked trail; DCR asks hikers to turn back if a path gets too hard to follow. See rules.