Borderland State Park —
Your Complete Guide
A stone mansion, six ponds, 20+ miles of trails and an 18-hole disc golf course on the Easton–Sharon line.
What is Borderland State Park?
Borderland State Park is a 1,843-acre state park at 259 Massapoag Avenue in North Easton, Massachusetts, run by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).It was the country estate of Oakes Ames, a Harvard botanist, and Blanche Ames, an artist, whose three-story stone mansion still stands at the center of the park. DCR lists more than 20 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, 6 ponds for fishing and paddling, and a free 18-hole disc golf course. It is open 8 am to 6 pm every day, with shorter winter hours.
The land is older than the mansion. DCR's management plan describes stone walls and cart paths from 18th- and 19th-century farms running right up to the formal paths and gardens of the estate. Leach Pond, the big pond in the middle of the park, was dammed in 1825 to power an ironworks in Easton. The Ames family added Upper Leach Pond and Puds Pond, built carriage roads around them, and put a stone lodge on the western shore of Leach Pond.
Parking costs $5 for Massachusetts plates and $20 for other plates, year-round. Pay with the Yodel app or at the machine; DCR does not take cash. Dogs are welcome on a leash. Alcohol is not allowed, grills must be propane, and three trails near the ponds are closed to bikes and horses.
Borderland State Park at a Glance
What to Do at Borderland
Ames Mansion Tours
The 1910 stone house of Oakes and Blanche Ames. DCR's 30-minute first-floor tours are free; the Friends of Borderland run full three-floor tours on set Sundays.
Tour Details →Disc Golf
An 18-hole course from the visitor center fields to the edge of Leach Pond. It costs nothing to play; you pay only to park.
Course Guide →Trails & Hiking
The easy 3-mile Pond Walk on old carriage roads, a 1.5-mile loop to Lily Bay, and rocky ridge trails to glacial boulders in the north woods.
Hiking Guide →Ponds & Fishing
6 ponds, with bass, perch, pickerel and sunfish. Bring your own canoe or kayak; only boats you can carry on a car are allowed.
Fishing Guide →Winter at Borderland
Shorter winter hours (8 am to 4 pm), cross-country skiing on the bridle roads, and sledding when there's snow.
Winter Guide →Busy Days and Full Lots
Borderland fills up. DCR's 2017 management plan says the lots reach capacity by late morning on most spring-through-fall weekend afternoons, and it counted an estimated 318,485 visitors in 2015. When the park is full, DCR closes it to new cars until spaces open. Come early, or come on a weekday. The parking page lists every lot and what to do when the main one is full.
A First Visit
Park at the main lot and stop in the Lawrence Newcomb Visitor Center, which has the park's only public restrooms. From there, DCR's easy Pond Walk loops about 3 miles around Lower Leach Pond on wide carriage roads, passing the stone lodge, the old dam and bridge, open fields and the Ames Mansion. Families with young kids can take the 1.5-mile Shady Way to Lily Bay instead, a shallow inlet DCR describes as full of water lilies and painted turtles.
On Film
If the stone lodge on Leach Pond looks familiar, it may be from Shutter Island: the Friends of Borderland say many of its scenes were filmed there, and that the mansion's library appeared in Knives Out. DCR's management plan adds Ghostbusters, whose producers paid the park to film in the library. More on the house in Borderland's history.
Programs
DCR staff run free programs most weeks: guided hikes, kids' story-and-craft mornings, wildlife talks and full-moon walks, most meeting at the visitor center. The Friends of Borderland add events such as a fall car show and a ticketed haunted hayride. See events and programs, or call the park office at (508) 238-6566, since rain cancels most outdoor programs.
Borderland State Park FAQ
Is Borderland State Park free?
Walking in is free, but parking is not. DCR charges $5 a day for cars with Massachusetts plates and $20 for other plates, all year. The mansion tours and the disc golf course are free once you've parked.
Where is Borderland State Park?
The entrance is at 259 Massapoag Avenue in North Easton, Massachusetts. The park itself straddles the Easton–Sharon town line, about 9 miles southwest of the Blue Hills Reservation by DCR's count.
What are the hours at Borderland State Park?
DCR lists 8 am to 6 pm, seven days a week. In winter DCR posts shorter hours, 8 am to 4 pm. The lots are locked overnight.
Can you go inside the Ames Mansion?
Only on a guided tour. DCR runs free 30-minute tours of the first floor (register online; walk-ins as space allows), and the Friends of Borderland run $10 tours of all three floors on listed Sundays.
Are dogs allowed at Borderland State Park?
Yes. DCR lists Borderland as dog-friendly. Keep your dog on a leash no longer than 10 feet and carry the waste out of the park.
How long is the Pond Walk at Borderland State Park?
DCR's suggested-hikes sheet calls it a 3-mile easy loop from the main entrance around Lower Leach Pond. It follows old carriage roads past the stone lodge, the dam and the mansion.
Who owns Borderland State Park?
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was the estate of Oakes and Blanche Ames; the state bought it in 1971, opened it in 1973, and DCR runs it today.