Heart Pond Beach — Attraction in Chelmsford

Our family decided to try this beach for a Sunday afternoon outing where we didn't have to spend money to enjoy. The beach is located right off the main road, with a decent sized parking area. Although it was very busy, we were able to find a parking spot, as cars were coming and going. There is a small beach with a lifeguard on duty until 6pm. The swimming area of the pond is roped off and is aprox. 2 1/2 ft ( I'm 5'1 and was not quite waist high at the deepest point). There was also a designated area to load any non motor devices ( i.e. kayaks, paddle boards, small canoes) which is nice. Besides the actual beach, there was a nice lawn area with plenty of shade, a few picnic tables and a couple of swings. There were 2 port-a-pottys located at the front of the parking area. I only gave a 4 star rating due to the fact that the water was VERY murky, ( which I guess can be expected for a busy stirred up pond ) , but also because of the broken glass/ beer bottle caps/trash( including women's feminine products) strewn about the property. If you can get past that , then it is a nice spot for a free Sunday family...

Visited this beach for the first time because we didn't feel like going all the way to the ocean and many other lakes are for town residents only. It's nice that there is no fee to park or use the beach. There seemed to be adequate parking right next to the rail trail and, at the time we were there, half the lot was in the shade so that was a plus. It is a pretty small beach, but we went on a Monday so it wasn't too crowded. There is a roped-off section of the water where you're allowed to swim and there is a lifeguard. The water is quite shallow in the designated area - maybe only 3 feet. Fun for kids, but not ideal for adults looking to swim. There were some people taking out paddle boards and kayaks, and it's a nice big pond, so if you're looking to do an activity like that this would be a good place. One fun little bonus was that the ice cream...

Small and dirty pond. The beach was closed for a couple days due to ecoli burst. It would be a good place for triathlon training if you will be allowed to swimming to open water starting from the beach,but you are not allowed while to do that while the lifesaver is on duty. We were told that if we want to swim while the beach is open we need to find a spot from were we can take off far away from the beach so the lifesaver will not be responsible for our safety . I find that rule ridiculously restrictive. Our other option was to swim after dusk without a...