Callahan State Park

Beautiful pine needle trails through open fields and forests and by ponds.

This place is nice if you want to take a hike. I went here a year ago with my fiancé and our dog. We actually got lost for over two hours in this park because we didn’t know how to get out of the trail! Even though we were lost for quite sometime, it was really nice to enjoy the view of our scenery and enjoy «nature». I would definitely go for another hike but I’ll make sure to bring some water!

Amazing trails to get lost in
Awesome doggy play areas
Great escape from the city life
Beautiful streams and even got to see a deer
Love love love this place for walks/​hikes

I’ve always felt that Callahan Park is a gem in metrowest and I love that it’s a multi use park and totally underutilized. I have passed many a dog walker on the trails and most have been courteous. One woman with multiple dogs even went off trail into the woods with her dogs so I could pass by. But, big dogs make me nervous and when they’re bolting towards me I’m not sure how to react. I get that these creatures are the apples of their owners eyes and that most just are greeting me. But here is the thing I don’t want your dog near me or jumping on me. I may something like «oh nice dog» because I’m terrified of being bitten and don’t mistake this for me approving of you letting your dog molest me. You’re dog should be under voice control and you should have leash on hand to control your pet. Again this has been the exception but it detracts from just taking a walk in a beautiful park.

Beautiful park. Thanks to Unilocal reviews recommending the Edmands St parking — we saw almost no people and barely any dog poop. We did see like 7 snakes, a frog, large birds, etc. Great hiking area, lots of unusual vegetation too.
Parking wasn’t busy.

Over the past few years I’ve logged a few hundred miles trail running here and make it a habit of exploring as many local, state, and federal parks within Massachusetts as possible. As a result I’m pretty familiar with the park and its «competitors».
Callahan is one of the nicest and most diverse parks in Massachusetts. The DCR has done a great job balancing the delicate relationship between dog owners and non-​dog owners as well as the walkers-​bikers relationship. Unlike other parks and conservation land (Lincoln, MA springs to mind), there is very little conflict between sports; all are welcome.
The south half (below Edmands Rd) can be pretty highly trafficked with dogs so plan to explore west or north if you’re sans-​canine or on a mountain bike.
I have no notable cons and this is one of my favorites (among Great Brook and Wachusett State Parks).

Dog poop park. Hard to walk, snow-​shoe, cross-​country ski, or bike through the trails without tracking poop. It’s most disgusting during the winter-​spring thaw when all that yellow snow and poop surfaces from the freeze. I wish the dog owners pick up after their dogs and stop treating this park as a dumping ground.

It’s not a dog park, but it’s a great place to bring your dog. There is a big field next to a pond where people bring their dogs — and off-​leash is allowed there. The dogs are typically well behaved and love to romp around with each other and go swimming on warmer days. Not to be overlooked, there are miles of beautiful, peaceful trails through the surrounding woods. On some of the trails, dogs must be leashed, but on most, it’s not necessary. If you decide to go here, please pick up after your dog so that everybody can continue to enjoy the park, dog owners and non-​dog owners alike.

Formerly a great park, utterly ruined by inconsiderate dog owners. DCR please, please revoke all off-​leash privileges. Families, walkers, joggers, bicyclists, horseback riders, skiers all deserve to use this park unmolested by loose dogs and their pit-​bull-​attitude owners.

This place is ridiculous… in such a good way!!!
When we moved to Framingham and got a puppy, I immediately sought out dog parks. When I saw a state park show up in the Unilocal search results, I was confused but figured we would check it out. And I’m glad we did!
Every time we go to Callahan, my mind is blown that this place exists. It’s a mostly leash-​free dog park that is actually a state park. There are hiking trails, a pond for the pups to swim in, plenty of open fields, farmland (so much corn!), and even more open space.
Even if this wasn’t a dog park, it’d get five stars for just being a great place to go for a hike, have a picnic, or do a trail run. In fact, I see plenty of non-​dog-​owners at this park going for runs or hiking in the woods. It’s extremely photogenic, too.
Every time we bring our pup here, he has a great time. He’s not a fan of swimming yet, but he loves seeing and playing with other dogs around the pond and in the fields. He’s made a lot of friends, and we have a good chance to chat with other area dog-​owners.
The only negative to Callahan State Park is the parking is pretty awful. The lot is far too small for the popularity of this place, so more often than not, we end up parking on the side of the road. I also wish that there was a water fountain in the park somewhere in the event I run out of water for our pup (or ourselves), but these negatives definitely are outweighed by the positives!
If you’re a dog-​owner, take your pup here!

My dog is a fan. He can legally run off-​leash, swim in the pond, and say hello to other dogs. Whenever we are there, we see people pickup their dog’s poopies and we carry a couple extra bags in case other dog owners might need one. People who don’t like dogs should appreciate Callahan because dog owners like to go here thereby leaving tons of other parks for people to go to so they can enjoy their non-​dog hiking.

I am out here often leading free family programs with the Appalachian Mountain Club, so I get to see this park frequently!
First of all, Callahan is huge, at 820 acres, there’s over 7 miles of trails through extremely diverse terrain, making it great for a short walk or an all-​day hike. Beebe Pond on the north side of Edmands Road is one of my favorite spots in the park. In addition to the streams, ponds, forests and fields at Callahan, there’s farmland too, that the DCR leases to local farmers. Sometimes you can see them planting or harvesting.
The park offers maps to borrow from the kiosks at the park entrances. Parking at the Milwood lot can be competitive. I don’t see nearly as many cars at the Edmands lot, which connects to the north and south sections of Callahan, and lets you get right on the Bay Circuit Trail.

Callahan is a Great place to take a dog! All these negative remarks about dogs are just nonsense.
There are trails everywhere in this area for walkers, this is the one local spot where dogs can legally run off-​leash.
So if you are afraid of dogs, just go ANYWHERE else in the world to take a walk…
For those NOT afraid of dogs, this is a great place. They have doggie bags at the entrance, which has been filled about 99% of the time I have been there. But responsible dog owners have doggie bags in their car anyway.
On a weekend day, we will see anywhere from 10 – 30 dogs during our visit.
The Big dogs love to run around playing together. Some smaller dogs get nervous with all the big guys running around, so if you have an easily frightened pug or chihuahua, weekends may not be the best time to come. Or just stick to the trails.
There’s a small pond they love to jump into, a picnic table and tons of trails.
We take our 5 year old daughter and 8 month old pit mix weekly. They both have a great time with no issues.
True, it may be a public state park, but as the only local location for going leash free–
It really is a great place for dogs and dog people :-)

My favorite place to walk in the MetroWest area. I love that there are so many different parts to explore. My favorite place to start is the Millwood St. entrance– turn right when you walk in to avoid the giant packs of dogs. The Edmands St. entrance has a giant hill that can make it a little difficult when the weather isn’t great.

I wish people would be better at picking up after their pets. We love to come here with our dog to let him get some off leash time with other dogs at the field. But you know what pisses me off? People who bring their kids to a dog park. I don’t take my dog to your kids playground, don’t take your kid to a dog park. Trails whatever, it’s a family park, But keep your rug rats out of the clearing. There are so few places to let dogs be dogs and although my little angel is wonderful with people and other animals, he is not great with kids. I have seen toddlers walking around unsupervised and getting knocked over by animals. Seriously call dss. A dog park requires a good deal of vigilance from a dog owner, but I seriously would never bring my child there. End rant.

Very good place, especially if you have a friendly dog who wants to play with others near Eagle pond. Off-​leash dogs are allowed in most of the land, plenty of space for them to roam.
I was chafing at the high taxes in the towns in metrowest, but ever since I discovered this park it makes me feel a little better. Not so keen to move out anymore. ;)

i have no idea why people are on here complaining about the unleashed dogs.
its allowed. its posted. check the signs before you open your mouth.
i have never been «hassled» by any dogs there.
all the dogs are well trained and get along very well.
i bring my PITBULL (Diane L) all the time and he loves it.
and he also loves to walk the trails (more like run the trails)
I take personal offense to the comment that the owners turn into pitbulls when suggesting a leash. excuse me but what the hell is that supposed to mean?
k thanks for being ignorant, have a lovely day.
i pick up after my dog and so does everyone else.
i’ve never stepped in anything or seen anything. tripped over a dog toy once,
big deal.

Great for hiking, snowshoeing, x-​country skiing. There are 3 decent-​sized parking spots. The most popular, near the golf course, fills first and seems to be most popular with dog owners. The dog thing isn’t a big deal — if you’re not keep on them, avoid the little lake. If you’re dogless and yearning, this is a great place to get your fill. Back on the trails, you see as many dogs as you would in any park that allows them.
If you want fewer dogs and people, try the section north of Edmands Rd, much quieter and about the same size as the southern section. Both are pleasantly hilly, so you can get a good walk in.

This is a great place for walking/​hiking. Make sure you have a map, it is easy to get lost.
I’d recommend the millwood entrance if you have dogs, and the edmands rd. entrance if you are dogless.

Callahan is a well maintained 800-​plus acre park whose bounty is shared by hikers, bikers, lovers, children, trail joggers and equestrians, but far and away the biggest user group is dogs and their humans. While there will always be some people who never learn how to share, most interactions are cooperative and quite pleasant.
PLEASE NOTE: Off leash areas include most interior trails and the Eagle Pond area near the Millwood entrance. ON-​LEASH areas include all parking lots, parking lot access trails, the trail along the Earthen Dam (on the Millwood side) and all trails that abut private property.
All off leash dogs are to be in sight and under strict voice control at all times.
ATTENTION: Pay close attention on weekends and holidays, when especially the Eagle Pond area is visited by large numbers of dogs who sadly are not as well socialized as those who visit more regularly (5 –7 days each week), are owned by humans not as well versed in canine bahavior and whose humans are more often than not engaged in conversation rather than paying attention to their dogs. Best to stick to the trails on weekends and holidays.
Learn more about dogs at Callahan at
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I was a bit surprised there was a state park so close to where I live and work. It’s more like a series of mini state parks between Marlborough and Framingham. I finally had some weather to check it out and enjoyed the trails here. Although you’re never too far away from civilization, it does have plenty of trails to get you out into the wilderness. I have been to the dog area and likely will not but if you want to go for a short hike or want to mountain bike, this is a good option is you’re nearby. There doesn’t seem to be any restroom facilities but also no park entrance fees. Also trails are well marked and trail maps available at the parking lot.