Fresh Pond Reservation — Attraction in Cambridge

Fresh Pond is a lovely oasis of nature that seems like a different world from the suburban homes, shopping centers and office buildings that surround it. My son and I live very close by and this place means a lot to us. When I first saw it I was a little turned off by the fence around the pond, but it has to be there because it is a drinking water source and stupid humans. There are cliffs where you can look out across the large pond, and there are smaller ponds in the reservation where you can look out into the water and find many animals. My son and I have watched the wildlife and the plants and flowers and trees change with the seasons. Spring and summer are probably the most exciting for him. We've seen bright goldfish, huge bullfrogs sitting on the lilypads that bloom with lotus-like flowers, little baby frogs in the mud, tadpoles swimming, turtles sun-bathing and bobbing their heads. We even once rescued the teeniest tiniest baby turtle you have ever seen, who had wondered all by himself down to the golf course path, far from the water. We set him by the edge of the water and he quickly jumped in. There are geese and swans of course, but also owls occasionally roost in the wooded areas on the south side, green heron and even great blue heron can be seen wading in the small ponds. In June, the mulch-covered path going up the wooded hill on the south side is a stag beetle battleground at night - I'm not kidding, they fight and fight and fight (and my son loves to watch it). Once I saw from a distance what I think was a muskrat swim to the shore of the big pond. The wildflower meadow is gorgeous, and it's nice to watch the different flowers bloom in their own time over the spring and summer. The leaves in fall are stunning of course, and the tree branches and thickets covered in snow while steam rises from the pond are also a sight to behold.

Kingsley park, with its big grassy hill, is a lovely place to play or exercise. The overlooks there face west and are a fantastic spot for watching the sunset (although the hills beyond won't let you see the very end, it's about as good as you can get in this area) or Venus or any other planets that are visible on a particular night, while the grassy hill faces east and gives you a perfect view of the rising moon, especially when full. The path around the pond is great for walking, running or easy biking (except some of the hills exiting the south side will require some effort). I live just to the south of the park and do a lot of my shopping at stores to the north, and riding home through the park with my groceries, even on a busy day, makes me feel like I live in a little village. The air in the park is fresh and clean, noticeably different from what you breathe when you are right by the roads surrounding it.

Before covid, the ranger station had some really nice binders of birds and wildlife seen in the reservation that my son enjoyed looking through, and the large table map of Cambridge was fun to look at as well. During covid, this place has saved us, I really don't know what we would have done without it.

So all in all, I'm kind of in love with this place, and my son is too. It is the perfect urban/suburban nature park, almost as if it was designed that way. The parties responsible for creating this reservation and managing it have truly done a wonderful thing for the people who live nearby and those who visit. Also for the wildlife - they recognize there is something special about this place and that it is a place they can make their home in, in spite of all the humanscape around that would otherwise be...

Cambridge residents, dog owners especially, have a gemstone in the continually-improving, friendly FPR. Kingsley Bowl is a favorite sledding spot and the park's crown is often where licensed doggies get to socialize. The full circumference of the reservoir is a 2.25 mile walk, much of it paved, dog waste bags provided and trash bins, and is plowed in the winter. Sunrise and sunset near the NE side of the Cambridge Water Department parking lot can be spectacular. We spot a variety of wildlife, red tailed hawks are quite the sight. Other revitalized natural features are the marsh at Lusitania Field, Black's Nook, Lily Pond (water dog heaven), and the water-side path of Kingsley Park (as well as the Kingsley lookouts). The only con I can name is that Fresh Pond Parkway is often a huge traffic jam which is no fun. I love the Reservoir. It has so much to be...

The reservation is a lovely and needed spot of nature, and is great for bird watching or a long loop around the pond.

However, very recently I've found out that they've cracked down on the presence of bikes and such and have placed an 8mph restriction on all wheeled vehicles, as well as an outright ban on all e-biked/assisted vehicles around the inner loop. I'm told the rules for the reservation about this don't stand up in terms of state laws, and I'm all for safer maneuvering while on shared pathways, aaand I can also confirming these rules banning e-assisted mobility devices are rather ableist.

The trails around here are not a good place for reactive dogs- most dogs around here are unleashed or have...