DCR Watson Pond State Park

Nasty. Dirty. Dog feces and cigarette butts everywhere. Moms with little infants smoking and drinking. Wanted to leave the moment we walked down there. Playground is also dirty and certainly needs some renovations there. Came with my 1 year old thinking it would be ok for a little playground /​sand playing maybe feet in the water. NEVER !! Can’t imagine that we just picked the wrong day to come !

Excellent beach if you have little kids. The beach area is small and the buoys are about 20 feet from the shore. Which means the water is warm, and shallow. But the water is clean and full of fish. But this means you can’t really swim anywhere.
No fees to enter during the week.
Nice areas with bbqs and picnic tables. People feed the geese and then wonder why the geese are all over the beach. Quit feeding them and they won’t bother everyone.

I went kayaking here the other day. Two small lots to park in. There is a small fee to enter the park but i suggest (if you go to parks often) buy a pass for 35 bucks. It’s worth it and lasts a year.
You can pull down right to the water and drop off your boat and then park. The place was pretty packed when i went. Tons of people swimming in a small area. People fishing, cooking out at picnic tables, walking their dogs and there is also a playground for kids. Bathroom facilities on site were okay. There was a lot of foot traffic so i’m sure it’s tuff to keep clean. Cute little spot.
3.5 stars

Watson Pond State Park is awesome! It’s a combination of a little park, playground and beach area. There are plenty of picnic tables and even grill posts for you to cook on, so bring lunch or supplies and spend the day! While it’s not huge, there is enough grass to run and play a game of football or frisbee on, or just sit under the trees in the shade. The playground is good size and has plenty of age appropriate activities. One plus side, is this is located right next to the bathrooms :) The beach is within eyesight and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are life guards on duty at all times. I’ve been there a few times now and have yet to find it overly crowded. Sometimes classrooms come to enjoy the park, but it’s never overwhelming.
There is a 5 $ parking fee, which I’m assuming helps pay for the life guards, but if you don’t want to pay it, you can park on the street for free.