Of Wakefield’s 5,112 acres, an impres-sive 40.3 percent is devoted to open space, forestry and wetlands. Seven percent of Wakefield’s area is devoted to Lake Quannapowitt and Crystal Lake. A new park is currently being developed on land on Arundel Avenue in Greenwood. The following is a list of Wakefield’s parks and playgrounds.
Scenic Views and Parklands
The Floral Way
Gertrude Spaulding Park
Hall Park
Wakefield Lower Common
Wakefield Upper Common
Playgrounds and Fields
Permits are required for playing fields. Forms can be obtained from the Wakefield Recreation Department, Town Hall. Permits are required for the tennis courts only if the courts are to be reserved. Family membership cards for tennis courts can be obtained from the Recreation Department for a small fee. For more information, contact the Recreation Department at 781-246-6389 or e-mail recreation@wakefield.ma.us.
Beasley Track
Behind the High School Fieldhouse
football, soccer, track
Blatz Field
Farm Street
softball
Colonel Connelly Playground
Doyle Field
Little League baseball
Fernald Field
Little League
JJ Round Park
Main Street
baseball/softball, basketball
Mapleway Playground
Off Oak Street
softball, soccer, basketball
Montrose School
Little League softball
Moulton Playground
Harrington Court
baseball, tennis, basketball
Nasella Playground
Water Street
baseball, soccer
Spaulding Street Playground
Sullivan Playground
Salem Street
baseball, BMX bike track
Veteran’s Field
North Avenue
softball field, tennis courts
Walsh Field
Farm & Hemlock roads
baseball
Walton Field
Galvin Middle School
baseball, soccer
Yeuell Field
Greenwood Street
softball, baseball
Basketball Court Locations
High School - Mapleway Field
Moulton Playground - Lighted
JJ Round Park - Lighted
Tennis Court Locations
WHS Dobbins Tennis Courts - 6 Lighted
Moulton Park - 2 Lighted
Veteran's Field - 2 Lighted
The Wakefield Recreation Department
The Wakefield Recreation Department, located in the basement of the Town Hall, strives to provide affordable, quality programs that meet the needs of the community. The goal is to combine education, activity and fun for the youth of Wakefield in a safe and accessible format.
The Recreation Department encourages participation by all Wakefield citizens. Regular department hours are 9 a.m. to noon during the summer months (end of June until mid-August), but Recreation Director Sean Timmons can be reached year-round.
The department offers summer programs for children from age 3 through 13; sign-ups are held early in June and are advertised in the Daily Item newspaper. The department also offers adult men’s and women’s softball, which begins in May.
Organized Sports
Wakefield is home to a large number of well-organized sports teams, managed by volunteers. For the Recreation Department’s list of team sports and contacts, please see www.wakefieldma.org/sports.html.
Walking the Lake
The transit around Lake Quannapowitt, at about three miles, is a perfect fitness walk. All day, every day, people can be seen walking, running, bicycling and skating around the lake.
Breakheart Reservation
Breakheart Reservation is a 640-acre hardwood forest with jagged, rocky outcroppings; two fresh-water lakes; and a rambling section of the Saugus River. Seven rocky hills, over 200 feet high, provide vistas of Boston, southern New Hampshire and central Massachusetts. An extensive trail system through the woodlands guides visitors to various areas of the reservation. Fishing in Silver and Pearce lakes, hiking the trails, and birdwatching by the Saugus River are popular year-round activities. The supervised swimming area at Pearce Lake, one of the few freshwater swimming spots north of Boston, draws crowds in the summer.
In addition to its natural resources, the reservation has a rich cultural history. Rangers conduct year-round programs that interpret the plant and animal life of the woods and ponds and address reservation management issues and cultural themes of the reservation’s past. Special school programs are offered in the spring.
Breakheart Reservation, located at Hemlock Road in Wakefield, is open year-round, dawn to dusk. For information, call 781-233-0834, or visit www.mass.gov/mdc/Breakheart_Map.htm.
YMCA
The Burbank/Wakefield YMCA has been serving the local community for almost 100 years. The Y offers a wide variety of programs for children as young as six weeks to older adults through Active Older Adults programming. The YMCA welcomes people of all ages, religious beliefs, physical abilities and financial situations who are searching for health of spirit, mind and body.
Facilities include a gymnasium, strength training, cardiovascular equipment, fitness classes, school-age child care, teen services and day camp. For information on the YMCA, call 781-245-YMCA, or visit www.ymcaboston.org.
Quannapowitt Yacht Club
The Quannapowitt Yacht Club (QYC; Linda Road, Wakefield) is a private sailing club on Lake Quannapowitt. The Yacht Club offers reasonably priced family memberships and sponsors an excellent youth sailing program for children ages 7 to 17.
