Heart Pond Beach
Chelmsford, Massachusetts · on Heart Pond · Heart Pond CR
Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- pond
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Official monitoring/swim season runs Memorial Day through Labor Day.
About Heart Pond Beach
Heart Pond Beach is a town-run public swimming hole on Heart Pond, a 91-acre glacial kettle pond in southwestern Chelmsford, Massachusetts, near the Westford town line. As local places to swim go it is well looked after: Chelmsford's Health Department actively monitors it as an official recreational swimming area, testing water quality weekly through the summer season.
Heart Pond is a natural kettle pond (formed by retreating glaciers) fed by Pond Brook, sitting in southwestern Chelmsford on the Westford border. It is also used as a fishing spot for largemouth bass, black bullhead, bluegill, chain pickerel, and perch.
Swimming at Heart Pond Beach
Heart Pond Beach is one of only two official public swimming beaches maintained by the Town of Chelmsford (the other being Freeman Lake Beach at Varney Park). As of the current season there are no lifeguards on duty, so swimmers are on their own for supervision; the town's Health Department nonetheless treats it as an active designated swim beach and screens it weekly for E. coli and cyanobacteria to keep it safe for recreational use.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up town beach at 5 Pond Street with an on-site parking lot directly at the swimming area, no hike or trail walk is needed to reach the water.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Official town beach with a designated swimming area and free/gradual road access, but there are no lifeguards on duty (swim at your own risk) as of the current season, so young children need close adult supervision. No source found describing the entry slope or bottom (sandy vs. weedy) in detail.
Parking
Free
On-site parking lot at the beach address, 5 Pond Street, Chelmsford, MA 01824. Admission is free for both residents and non-residents; the town page does not mention any parking fee.
Restrooms
Yes
Portable toilets are provided in the parking lot area, but only during non-winter months (per Town of Chelmsford facility page).
Hours
Dawn to dusk (Town of Chelmsford facility listing).
On the water
Restrictions: Hand-launched small watercraft only, launched directly from the beach; no public launch for large motorized boats.
Per the Town of Chelmsford's official Heart Pond facility page, which lists 'beach access for hand-launched small watercraft' and explicitly states there is no public launch for large motorized boats.
Backstory
Ice was commercially harvested from Heart Pond by the Daniel Gage Ice Company during the 1800s and early 1900s.
Heart Pond Beach: FAQ
Is Heart Pond Beach kid friendly?
Official town beach with a designated swimming area and free/gradual road access, but there are no lifeguards on duty (swim at your own risk) as of the current season, so young children need close adult supervision. No source found describing the entry slope or bottom (sandy vs. weedy) in detail.
Do I need to hike to reach Heart Pond Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Heart Pond Beach?
On-site parking lot at the beach address, 5 Pond Street, Chelmsford, MA 01824. Admission is free for both residents and non-residents; the town page does not mention any parking fee.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Heart Pond Beach?
Per the Town of Chelmsford's official Heart Pond facility page, which lists 'beach access for hand-launched small watercraft' and explicitly states there is no public launch for large motorized boats.
When is the best time to visit Heart Pond Beach?
Official monitoring/swim season runs Memorial Day through Labor Day.
What are the rules at Heart Pond Beach?
No lifeguards currently on duty; visitors swim at their own risk. The beach can be closed by the Health Department for high E. coli counts (limit 235/100ml), harmful algal blooms, animal feces contamination, or dangerous wading conditions from overgrown weeds.
What water body is Heart Pond Beach on?
Heart Pond Beach is on Heart Pond, a natural pond verified in USGS hydrography data.
More swimming holes near Chelmsford
Varney Playground
North Chelmsford, Massachusettslake
🛶🏄
Long Lake Beach
Littleton, Massachusettspond
🛶🏄🚤
Forge Beach
Westford, Massachusettspond
★ Top verifiedMicozzi Beach at Nutting Lake
Billerica, Massachusettslake
🛶🏄
Tyngsborough Town Beach
Tyngsborough, Massachusettslake
🛶🏄🚤
★ Top verifiedSandy Pond Beach
Ayer, Massachusettspond