Wachusett Dam and Wachusett Reservoir — Attraction in Clinton

I walked the spillover area at the Wachusett Dam on route 70 in Clinton on this sunny fall day. There is parking above at the top of the dam with many steep stairs, more for avid hikers, or you can enter down below, where there is no parking. I parked across the street near a small Cumberland Farms store at the three way intersection. The best place to cross seemed to be the crosswalk in front of the store, the other crosswalks were near a corner and vehicles can't see you until they are right at you. They do have a place at the smoothly paved entry that you could do a drop off at if you were with a group or had somebody in a wheelchair. The driver would just have to park across the street after. I would say the fully paved path is a 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile long one way and very level, no hills. The view was something an artist would love to paint with it's glowing foliage and sunshine to the point where I caught images of a rainbow from the fountain at around 1:00 p.m. It was my first time walking here but I will definitely be back, especially to enjoy each season. There are plenty of restaurants, specialty shops, etc. in the area. You can join onto route 62 going towards Berlin to enjoy horse farms, farm stores and apple farms along beautiful winding country roads. Berlin center is a quintessential New England town with a charming country store complete with cafe area, a large white church and a post and...

The foam you noticed at the edge of Wachusett Reservoir is a common natural occurrence and is mostly due to the chemistry of organic matter in the water. Lakes and reservoirs contain dissolved organic compounds, mainly from decaying plants, algae, and microorganisms. These compounds, known as surfactants, lower the surface tension of water. When wind, waves, or turbulence at the dam wall agitates the surface, air gets trapped in the water, forming bubbles. Because surfactants stabilize these bubbles, they resist collapsing quickly and accumulate as foam along the shoreline.

Chemically, these organic surfactants often contain carboxylic acids, phenolic groups, or other polar functional groups that can orient themselves at the air–water interface. This molecular arrangement allows them to form films around air bubbles, similar to how soap works in water. Over time, bubbles coalesce, creating visible patches of foam. The foam tends to concentrate where waves push material to the edge, explaining why it gathers near rocks and the dam’s edge.

Although foam can sometimes result from pollution, in clean reservoirs like Wachusett, it is usually natural and harmless. Seasonal changes, such as autumn leaf fall or summer algal growth, can increase the amount of organic material in the water, making foaming...

Update - 5/7/2022 - returned back on the Wachusett dam day when the dam was open for public. It was windy but provided a good 360 degree view. Pleasant experience.

I stumbled upon this place as I was returning back to home after having some work in Clinton town. You can’t miss if you happen to be in town. It is a dam and you can see the view from the top but can’t walk on the walls of the dam that is quite understandable. However, it allows you to take stairs to go down and get a view from there.

There is a beautiful lake and fountain down there. This is a beautiful place with lots of interesting views. You can sit at a quiet place to escape from your busy life. The nature offers the scenic views and tranquility at the same time.

I am glad that many people have posted such a beautiful pictures of this place. Many of them are of sunset. I wish to see the sunset view as well sometime soon.

There are a few places that are so charming that you get attracted towards it without any reasons or effort. It is one of them. Spend 30 minutes here and feel the calmness and take away the refreshing mood and beautiful views of a dam. It is still considered the largest "hand dug" dam in the world today

There are no restrooms and small road side parking across MA-70. There is entrance from other end of the...