Dunn State Park is a public recreation area surrounding a 20acre pond in Gardner, Massachusetts. The state park covers and is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.HistoryThe park's land was bequeathed to the city by furniture manufacturer John Ainsworth Dunn upon his death in 1915. The land was later transferred to the state.Description"Dunn Pond is located on Rt. 101 (on Pearl St.) just off 140 and Rt 2. It is frequented by Picnic goers and family swimmers. There is a picnic area with almost a dozen picnic tables and fireplace grills. There is a nearby grassy knoll which is great for playing games or sports like Frisbee. A trail that encircles the pond has exercise, "Vita Courses" along the way. There are also little trails that veer off the main path for adventuring, fishing, or just to get a better view of the parks natural scenery."There are several locations around the lake to sit on a bench, and there are even more docks to fish from. One such location is accessible by car via Betty Spring Road. Visitors can drive up and park behind the lake and sit on the benches, the fishing dock, or visit the wooden bridge. Every year, the lake is stocked with fish, and fishing derbies are held, (usually on Sundays). The state also hosts a myriad of events at the pond; from cross country races, to log rolling and chain saw contests."During the summer, you can often catch the ice cream truck, which sometimes stops here. This is great for the kids, as are the two playgrounds by the public swimming area. There are Life guards on duty during daytime hours in the summer. At times, you can rent a paddle boat or canoe and take it out on the water. In the fall, runners from the nearby Gardner High School use the recently built bike trail. This is a great place to run or walk your stroller, dog, or friend for some exercise, and is a scenic and serene trek through the forest.
