In the swim of things

Despite the ocean's allure, some prefer the calmer waters of a pond that's closer to home

Swimmers jump from rafts at Pomp's Pond in Andover, considered a social hub for the town. (Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff)

On a recent hot afternoon, 3-year-old Ava Hagenah happily shovels white sand into a bucket on the beach at North Acton Recreation Area Park.

"She thinks she's at the real beach," said her mother, Kim, of Chelmsford, a first-time visitor to the park.

The recreation area may be small - the pond covers 9 acres and the swim area is just 70 yards long - but the water is guaranteed free of waves, treacherous currents, riptides, jellyfish, and sharks. And for Hagenah and her family, a short trip here beats a long trek to the ocean.

"You don't have to drive all the way to Gloucester and worry about the water being too cold," she said.

This region offers a wealth of inland swimming beaches, natural and man-made. Statewide, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation operates more than 50, including perhaps the most celebrated, Concord's Walden Pond. Many cities and towns have also developed attractive and affordable local spots for soaking up summer sun.

With a fenced playground area, snack bar, shaded picnic tables, and kayak, canoe, and paddle-boat rentals, Acton's park, built in 1999-2000 on the site of a former gravel pit, is geared to young families. The spring-fed pond fills the hole left when 200,000 cubic yards of gravel were removed for the Big Dig in the late 1990s, according to Acton's director of natural resources, Tom Tidman.

At Springs Brook Park in Bedford, Fionna Brennan, 10, of Bedford, weighed the pluses and minuses of ocean vs. pond swimming. Boogie boards are banned in Bedford, but, she said, there are "a lot of really cool things," including a water slide, a spray park, and a swimming dock that's fun to jump off.

"It's always low tide here," said her father, Matt, a high school English teacher who likes to park his beach chair in the shade of the pine trees that ring the shore, and read while Fionna has her swimming lesson. The man-made pond, with filtered, lightly chlorinated water, was completely refurbished as part of a $2.5 million renovation in summer 2006, according to administrative coordinator Raeann Gembis.

"I call this my country club," said Jane Rassmann of Chelmsford, who has been bringing her children, now 11 and 12, to Springs Brook for six years.

"See that shade? See this chair?" said Rassmann, indicating a pink beach chair slung over her shoulder. "I have my spot."

Rassmann said she appreciates the park's cleanliness, security, and safety. The lifeguards operate with military precision, she said, as demonstrated in the June 30 rescue by lifeguards Michelle Lee and Erik Smallenberger of a struggling 3-year-old boy who was in danger of drowning.

Man-made ponds have their advantages.

"There's nothing nibbling your toes, and the kids don't come home with earaches," Rassmann said.

But some swimmers prefer the unfiltered natural experience. Claudia Koslow of Boxborough said she enjoys the view and cooling breeze ruffling the surface of Long Lake in Littleton from the shelter of the blue-and-yellow sun umbrella she shares with her 8-year-old son, Joshua.

"I like the lake better than the swimming pool," said Koslow, a native of Brazil.

Long Lake is also generally not crowded.

"In August it really empties out," said longtime visitor Rachel Korn.

In fact, according to Korn, even though there are old notices at the lake that say "Littleton Residents Only," parking passes and beach access are available to out-of-towners. That's in contrast to some beaches closer to Boston, where outsiders may run into constables asking for proof of residency. (See related story.)

Another formerly restricted pond now open to everyone is Lexington's Old Reservoir, which has a sandy beach, a bath house, and a surprisingly rural atmosphere, given its location just off Route 2A.

"Our numbers are way up this year," said Lexington recreation director Karen Simmons, adding that the 2006 decision to remove the residency requirement was made on economic grounds.

The spring-filled, 6-acre pond was built by the Lexington Water Co. in 1894-'95 to increase the town's water supply.

Wilmington's Silver Lake has a different kind of history. "It was a hot spot in the 1920s," said Kate Leduc, whose husband grew up in the town. "There was a nightclub called the Black Cat, and everybody from Boston used to come here."

Leduc was sitting on the town beach with her friend Monique Barnum when her 7-year-old daughter, Lian, ran out of the pond to present her with a freshwater clamshell.

Barnum said that although many locals have backyard pools, Silver Lake is a sociable place where people can stop and see who's around, and visit with friends without any one person feeling they have to host a party.

Pomp's Pond in Andover is also a social hub, said Mary Durham, whose sons Max, 8, and Alexander, 7, learned to swim there.

"You see everybody in Andover," Durham said, even more than usual in this summer of soaring gas prices.

The pond was named for a former slave, Pompey Lovejoy, who lived in a cabin on its banks until around 1824.

"This year's been a banner year for us," said pond director Brian Parker.

Families with vacation homes have been coming to the pond this year rather than driving three or four hours for a weekend, according to Parker.

Visitors can explore the pond by canoe, kayak, or sailboat - all available for rent by the hour, and, if they're lucky, they might catch sight of Rex the giant snapping turtle, blue herons, or, in the evening, beavers that dwell in lodges in the adjoining pond.

Jane Whitehead can be reached at jwig@rcn.com.