DCR Watershed Public Access Rules and Maps

Find rules and maps that describe public access activities in DCR's drinking water supply watersheds.

DCR Division of Water Supply Protection (DWSP) manages over 100,000 acres of land and 30,000 acres of water across the watershed system that provides the source waters to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) for treatment and distribution to more than three million people.  

Public access and recreational uses of water supply property are complex issues.  Any human activity on or near water supply source waters can introduce disease-causing agents or pollutants to the drinking water supply.  Water supply managers must exercise caution when considering policies for public access and recreation on water supply lands. 

DWSP and MWRA must meet strict state and federal laws as one of the few unfiltered drinking water supplies in the nation.  At the same time these reservoirs and lands are valuable natural resources that attract the public to explore and recreate.  DWSP's public access management plans determine the levels of access that may be reasonably allowed without risking water supply safety, security, or quality.

The following sections provide links to many maps created during the Public Access Management Plan process, and are accurate at the time of publication.  Please refer to the on-line, interactive public access map app for up-to-date information regarding roads, trails, and other recreation related activities.

Rules and Regulations

All of DWSP's Public Access Policies are based on 313 CMR 11.09, the General Rules and Regulations for the Protection of Watersheds and Watershed System.

Watershed Protection General Rules and Regulations 313 CMR 11.09

Each of the four watersheds have policies developed through a Public Access Management Plan.  The maps below reflect these policies.

• 2018 Quabbin Reservoir Watershed System Public Access Summary
• 2023 Ware River Watershed Public Access Management Summary
• 2023 Wachusett Reservoir Watershed Public Access Summary
• 2022 Sudbury and Foss Reservoirs Public Access Summary

Click here to view entire Public Access Management Plans.

Quabbin Reservoir Watershed

• Quabbin Reservoir Watershed System Public Access Summary
• Quabbin Reservoir Watershed System

The Gate 30 parking area off Route 122 in New Salem, and all access to the Quabbin Reservation from this location, is closed as of July 10, 2021.  The road just inside Gate 30 crosses the Swift River over a keystone bridge; DCR engineers have determined that damage to both the bridge and road make them no longer safe for public use until repairs can be completed.  DCR recommends using Gate 29 on Route 202 to access this section of the Quabbin Reservation.

Interactive Public Access Map

The Division of Water Supply Protection has developed an interactive map with detailed information about public access roads and trails, fishing, and hunting in the Quabbin Reservoir, Ware River, Wachusett Reservoir, and Sudbury Reservoir watersheds.  There are two ways to access this map: one is an online program that is accessible from your desktop computer or mobile device’s web browser; the other is through an App you can download directly to your mobile device and use in the field.  The mobile device App is recommended for use in the field.

Click here to directly access the on-line DCR-DWSP Public Access Maps. Please see the Instructions for using DCR Division of Water Supply Protections Public Access Maps in ArcGIS Field Maps for information about the mobile app.

Quabbin Park Access 

• DCR Quabbin Park Access Map (Automobiles, Bicycles, and Pedestrians)
• DCR Quabbin Park Visitor Center Loop Trail Map (Pedestrian only)
• Quabbin Park Bicycle Access
• Brochures
  Quabbin Park Brochure
  Quabbin Park Visitor Center Loop Trail Brochure
  Quabbin Park Middle Gate to Observation Tower Trail Brochure
  Quabbin Park Suggested Hikes
  Be a History Detective at Quabbin Reservoir! This is a DCR Trip-Tip Itinerary. Discover three unique areas in the Quabbin Reservation that spotlight what life was like before four towns were removed to build the reservoir.  

StoryMap Trail Guides

StoryMaps use maps, pictures, and words to help you on a self-guided hike in different locations around the Wachusett Reservoir.

• Webster Road Trail Tip-Trip
• Quabbin Park Cemetery Tour

Bicycle Access 

• Quabbin Reservoir Bicycle Brochure
• Quabbin Park Bicycle Access
• East Quabbin Reservation Bicycle Access
• North Quabbin Reservation Bicycle Access
• Quabbin Off-Reservation Bicycle Access

Fishing Access

• Quabbin Reservoir Boat and Shore Fishing Access
• Quabbin Reservoir Fishing Map
• Quabbin Reservoir Watershed Night Access

Other Access

• Quabbin Reservoir Watershed Off-Reservation Cross Country Skiing Access
• Quabbin Reservoir Watershed Off-Reservation Snowmobile Access
• Quabbin Reservoir Watershed Kiosks

Ware River Watershed

• Ware River Watershed System
• 2023 Ware River Watershed Public Access Management Summary
• Ware River Watershed Vehicle Access Policy and Map
• Ware River Watershed Bicycling Policy and Map
• Ware River Watershed Horseback Riding Policy and Map
• Ware River Watershed Hunting Policy and Map
• Ware River Watershed Snowmobiling Policy and Map
• DCR DWSP Boater Self Certification Form - Asnocomet (Comet) Pond
• DCR DWSP Boater Self Certification Form - Long Pond

Interactive Public Access Map

The Division of Water Supply Protection has developed an interactive map with detailed information about public access roads and trails, fishing, and hunting in the Quabbin Reservoir, Ware River, Wachusett Reservoir, and Sudbury Reservoir watersheds.  There are two ways to access this map: one is an online program that is accessible from your desktop computer or mobile device’s web browser; the other is through an App you can download directly to your mobile device and use in the field.  The mobile device App is recommended for use in the field.

Click here to directly access the on-line DCR-DWSP Public Access Maps. 

Please see the Instructions for using DCR Division of Water Supply Protections Public Access Maps in ArcGIS Field Maps for information about the mobile app.

Wachusett Reservoir Watershed

• 2023 Wachusett Reservoir Watershed Public Access Summary
• Wachusett Reservoir Fishing Map and Rules
• Wachusett Reservoir Forest Roads and Gates

Please use the on-line DCR-DWSP Public Access Maps for bike and trail information.  See instructions below.

StoryMap Trail Guides

StoryMaps use maps, pictures, and words to help you on a self-guided hike in different locations around the Wachusett Reservoir.

• Gate 22 to Horseshoe Cove
• Gate 25 - Gates Cove
• North Dike and Pollinator Meadows Loop
• North Dike to Wachusett Dam

Interactive Public Access Map

The Division of Water Supply Protection has developed an interactive map with detailed information about public access roads and trails, fishing, and hunting in the Quabbin Reservoir, Ware River, Wachusett Reservoir, and Sudbury Reservoir watersheds.  There are two ways to access this map: one is an online program that is accessible from your desktop computer or mobile device’s web browser; the other is through an App you can download directly to your mobile device and use in the field.  The mobile device App is recommended for use in the field.

Click here to directly access the on-line DCR-DWSP Public Access Maps. 

Please see the Instructions for using DCR Division of Water Supply Protections Public Access Maps in ArcGIS Field Maps for information about the mobile app.

Sudbury Reservoir Watershed

• Sudbury and Foss Reservoirs 2022 Public Access Management Plan Summary
• Sudbury Reservoir Fishing Map and Rules
• Foss Reservoir Fishing Map and Rules

Interactive Public Access Map

The Division of Water Supply Protection has developed an interactive map with detailed information about public access roads and trails, fishing, and hunting in the Quabbin Reservoir, Ware River, Wachusett Reservoir, and Sudbury Reservoir watersheds.  There are two ways to access this map: one is an online program that is accessible from your desktop computer or mobile device’s web browser; the other is through an App you can download directly to your mobile device and use in the field.  The mobile device App is recommended for use in the field.

Click here to directly access the on-line DCR-DWSP Public Access Maps. 

Please see the Instructions for using DCR Division of Water Supply Protections Public Access Maps in ArcGIS Field Maps for information about the mobile app.