Buffumville Lake (Group Shelter)

In 1958 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Buffumville Dam in Charlton, Massachusetts to provide flood risk management for downstream communities, storing flood waters from heavy rainfall or spring snow melt on 480 acres of land. The lake is also managed for recreation and environmental stewardship, and park rangers are available to assist you during your visit. Buffumville Lake Park is open daily from 8am to 7pm, from the third Saturday in May through the second Sunday in September. It is a day use fee area containing over 50 picnic sites with tables and grills. The Corps maintains a swimming area with a 300 foot long sandy beach and castle play spot, which also includes one picnic shelter that may be reserved, a life jacket loaner station, a reservable horseshoe pit and volleyball court, and modern handicap accessible restrooms. Buffumville Lake provides excellent boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking and swimming. Hikers and bikers enjoy exploring the 7.2-mile Lake Shore Trail, which begins at the beach and circles the lake, with plentiful scenic and wildlife viewing along the way. The disc golf course has an 18 hole professional layout and a 12 hole amateur layout winding through the project lands, its hilly terrain mixing open fairways, woods and water hazards. A concrete boat launch and courtesy dock allow boat access; both sides of the lake are reachable through a twelve foot wide culvert under Oxford Road, and there are no motor horsepower restrictions. Two barrier free fishing platforms are located within the boat launch area. Dogs are allowed in project recreation areas 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. The scenic 200-acre lake is surrounded by mixed forests of white pine, hemlock, red maple, alder and birch trees, and fall colors are spectacular in the region. Wildlife enthusiasts may spot fox, fishers, woodchucks, coyotes, hawks, and a wide variety of songbirds and migratory waterfowl. Game fish species include largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, chain pickerel, brown bullhead and black crappie. Hunting is not permitted in developed areas of the park and dam site. Hodges Village Dam and West Thompson Lake Campground are nearby.