Buffumville Lake (Group Shelter)

About Buffumville Lake (Group Shelter)

Overview In 1958 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Buffumville Dam in Charlton, Massachusetts to provide flood risk management for downstream communities. Flood waters due to large amounts of rainfall or spring snow melts are stored on 480 acres of land. The lake is also managed for recreation and environmental stewardship. Buffumville offers year-round recreation and park rangers are available to assist you during your visit. Recreation Buffumville Lake provides excellent boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking and swimming opportunities. Hikers and bikers enjoy exploring the 7.2-mile Lake Shore Trail, which begins at the beach and circles the lake. Scenic and wildlife viewing opportunities are plentiful along the trail. The Buffumville Lake Disc Golf Course has an 18 hole professional layout and a 12 hole amateur layout that wind through the scenic project lands. The hilly terrain contains a mixture of open fairways, woods and water hazards. A concrete boat launch and courtesy dock allows boat access to the lake. Both sides of the lake are accessible by a twelve foot wide culvert under Oxford Road and there are no motor horsepower restrictions on the lake. Two barrier free fishing platforms are located within the boat launch area. Dogs are allowed in project recreation areas and shall be on a leash under six feet in length. Park rangers provide special interpretive programs on the cultural and natural environment, water resources, water safety, dam tours and flood risk management. Special use permits are available upon request for various lake events. Facilities Buffumville Lake Park is open daily from 8am-7pm, from the 3rd Saturday in May through the 2nd Sunday in September. The park is a day use fee area containing over 50 picnic sites with tables and grills. The fee to enter the park is $5.00 per car, $2.00 walk-in, $20.00 commercial vehicles. Annual park passes are available upon request. The Corps maintains a swimming area with a 300 foot long sandy beach and

How to Get There

From the Massachusetts Turnpike, take the Sturbridge exit and follow Route 20 to Charlton. Turn right on Route 31 and follow the brown signs to the park. From I-290, take exit 7B to Oxford Center and follow brown signs to park

What to Pack for Your Stay

Tuned to the live forecast for this park.

Plan Your Visit to Buffumville Lake (Group Shelter)

Heading to Buffumville Lake (Group Shelter)? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)