Swimming at College Pond

Yes, you can swim at Myles Standish State Forest. DCR's swimming area for day visitors is College Pond, where a seasonal day-use area has a beach, a bathhouse, restrooms, picnicking and a paid parking lot. DCR lists the College Pond day-use area as open in summer only. In 2026 the forest's day parking fee was $8 for Massachusetts plates and $30 for others, May 23 to September 7.

College Pond Day-Use Area

College Pond is the one pond in the forest set up for day swimmers. DCR's trail map lists the day-use area as seasonal, with a paid parking lot, a bathhouse, restrooms, swimming and picnicking. DCR's booking site adds fishing and canoeing to what you can do there and describes the area as summers only.

DCR's four camping ponds (Curlew, Fearing, Charge and Barrett) are not listed as swimming areas.

Accessibility at the Beach

DCR lists beach wheelchairs and a beach mat among the forest's accessibility features. It also notes plainly that the restrooms at College Pond are not accessible. DCR lists accessible restrooms elsewhere in the forest without naming where, so call the park at (508) 866-2526 before you go if you need one.

Parking and Fees

The College Pond lot is the forest's paid day-use lot. DCR charged daily parking fees from May 23 to September 7 in 2026: $8 for cars with Massachusetts plates and $30 for others. DCR sells an annual state parks parking pass. See parking and directions.

Rules for Swimmers

• No alcohol anywhere in the forest.
• Keep off pond shores where posted. DCR calls the kettle pond shores extremely sensitive to trampling.
• Carry out your trash; there is no littering.
• Dogs must be leashed and under control everywhere in the forest. Full list on the rules page.

What the Water Is Like

Most of the forest's ponds are kettle ponds. DCR explains that kettle ponds sit in hollows left by glacial ice and are filled by groundwater, with no stream running in or out, so their levels change from year to year. More on the forest's ponds.

Getting There

College Pond is on the forest's internal road system, near Upper and Lower College Pond roads. DCR's guides note that Lower College Pond Road carries traffic all year, so cross it carefully if you walk or bike in. Directions to the forest are on the parking page.

Good For

• A summer day trip with a swim and a picnic.
• Campers who want a beach day without leaving the forest.
• Visitors who need a beach wheelchair or mat.

Maybe Skip If

• You want ocean swimming. DCR's Scusset Beach in Sagamore has 1.5 miles of beach on Cape Cod Bay, with lifeguards from Juneteenth to Labor Day; see things to do near Plymouth.
• You're visiting outside summer. DCR runs the College Pond day-use area in summer only.