Try Something New at the Outdoor Center in Hopkinton!
We offer 122-acres of year-round fun for the whole family! Try seasonal family events, classes in archery, indoor rock-climbing, and outdoor skills, plus access to soccer fields, a cricket pitch, basketball courts, tennis courts, and miles of hiking trails!
One-Time Classes or Workshops:
Cooking with Littles (ages 3-6):
Join us in this bran new class where parents/guardians and children learn cooking skills together. We will prepare a delicious kid-friendly recipe and make a related craft.
Members: $15/child/class | Non-Members: $20/child/class
Friday, January 13, 10:30am-12:00 pm
Friday, January 27, 10:30am-12:00 pm
Friday, February 10, 10:30am-12:00 pm
Cooking Classes for the Family (ages 3+, under age 3 are free)
Join us for Cooking Around the World in India, Puerto Rico and China. India: Boston Marathon runner, Ushal Usha will share traditional recipes from her cluture including commonly used spices and foods found in India cuisine. Puerto Rico: Boston Marathon runner Javil Javi will share traditional recipes from her grandmother's cookbook. China: Learn to cook traditional Chinese recipes and ohonr togetherness, wealth and longevity. Price for anyone 3 and over; under 3 is free!
Members: $15 per person | Non-Members: $20 per person
India: Friday, January 20, 5:30pm-7:00 pm
Puerto Rico: Friday, February 3, 5:30pm-7:00 pm
China: Friday, February 17, 5:30pm-7:00 pm
Guided Winter Stroll
Start the New Year off with a guided hike through the woods as you contemplate the beginning of another rotation around the sun! The hike will cover about 1-1.5 miles of trails located on the Y property. The group will meet in front of Hayes Lodge and depart along the Red Trail at 11:15am.
Members: FREE | Non-Members: $5/person
Saturday, January 7, 11am-1pm
Saturday Afternoon Rock Climbing
Not able to attend our Friday night climbs? Come check out our indoor rock walls at a new time slot!
Members: FREE | Non-Members: $10/climber
Saturday, January 21, 12pm-3pm
Snowshoeing 101
Come check out our winter wonderland with snowshoes provided and snowshoe lessons on equipment, movement, falling and recovery. Check out our hiking trails on your own or join a group trek as we scout around and learn about animal tracking. Warm up afterwards with some hot chocolate!
Members: FREE | Non-Members: $5/person, $15/household
Saturday, February 4, 11, & 25, 10am-1pm
Geocaching 101
Heard the term “geocache” but unsure what it means? Ever wanted to go on a treasure hunt? Come learn all about the worldwide publicly accessible treasure hunts that never end! Begin with an overview of geocaching and use of a GPS or the geocache app and then proceed out on your own or with a YMCA staff to try and locate some of the 8 geocaches hidden on 122 acres of outdoor property.
Members: FREE! | Non-members: $5 / person or $15 / family of four.
Saturday, December 17, 12:00pm-3:00pm
Adult Belay Class
Calling all parents, guardians and siblings over age 18!! Register for a learn-to-belay class so that YOU can learn how to manage the ropes and take charge of your family's life line! Once a participant passes the course, you will have the ability to belay your family and approved guests during Open Climb. Ages 18+ On the day of the event, arrive via the North entrance and park in the middle parking lot, check-in at the Recreation Lodge.
Members: $25 | Non-Members: $35
Friday, December 16, 5pm-7pm
Friday, January 13, 5pm-7pm
Friday, February 10, 5pm-7pm
Classes & Programs:
(seasonal sessions that usually last 7-8 weeks)
Fall Session II: October 31 - December 23
Winter Session: January 3 - February 21 - Member Registration Opens on December 14
Beginner/Intermediate Archery
Our Beginner/Intermediate Archery program works on the foundation of archery skills. Identify the parts of the bow and arrow, how to hold equipment, stance,
and other information. All equipment is provided! Ages 6+
Members $90 | Youth Members $95 | Non-Members $180
Saturdays, January 7 - February 18, 9am - 10am
Advanced Archery
The Advanced Archery class provides an environment in which students will hone in on their form, learn range/competition commands, and learn care of essential gear such as stringing,
waxing, & re-fletching. To participate, you MUST have instructor approval and call the Outdoor Center to register. Ages 8+
Members $90 | Youth Members $95 | Non-Members $180
Saturdays, January 7 - February 18, 10:15am - 11:15am
February Vacation Camp in Hopkinton
Join us for some outdoor fun at the Outdoor Center with games, crafts, sports, archery and more! We plan to spend the day hiking the trails, building snow castles and snowshoeing. Indoors, we will run games, do arts and crafts, and practice archery. Ages 7-12.
Members: $80 | Youth Members: $90 | Non-Members: $160 (Price per day)
Tuesday, February 21 - Friday, February 24, 8am - 5pm
Kids in the Kitchen Vacation Camp in Hopkinton
Looking for a hands on program for your cild to engage in while school is out? Kinds in the kitchen will teach children basic cooking skills while also learning how to cook healthy, delicious recipes! Kids make their own lunch. Ages 5-12.
Members: $50 | Youth Members: $75 | Non-Members: $100 (Price perday)
Tuesday, February 21, 9am - 1pm - Vegetarian Favorites
Wednesday, February 22, 9am - 1pm - Sweet & Savory
Thursday, February 23, 9am - 1pm - Sushi & Dumplings
Friday, February 24, 9am - 1pm - The Science of Baking
Drop-In Programs
Free for members!
Small fee for non-members. Available during hours of operation, persons under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Open Indoor Rock Climbing
Every Friday, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
The indoor climbing gym is open to climbers of all ages, shapes, and sizes. Instruction is given and belayed by YMCA staff members. If you can be appropriately harnessed, you may climb. Anyone wishing to belay must have attended the Adult Belay Class. Our awesome black light glow climb is from 8:00-9:00 pm!
NOTE: New auto-belays will be installed soon on our indoor climbing wall to provide an enhanced and more efficient climbing experience allowing more people to climb at one time!
Members FREE | Non-Members $10/person or
$25 per family of 3+
In the Recreation Lodge, use the North Entrance and park in the middle lot.
Open Archery (Ages 6+)
Every Monday, 5:30-8:30 pm
Try out archery before signing up for classes or practice on your own. All required equipment and instruction provided by YMCA staff. You may bring your own recurve or compound bow provided draw weight is 30lbs or less, and only arrows with field/target points are allowed.
Members FREE | Non-Members $10/person or $25 per family of 3+
Takes place inside the Recreation Lodge, use the North Entrance and park in the middle lot.
Geocaching
Have you ever wanted to go on a treasure hunt? There are five geocaches (hidden boxes) currently located on the beautiful nature trails of our 122-acre property. Download the Geocaching app or visit the website to see the general locations and come down to see if you can find them all! Bring a small toy or item to trade prizes (take an item; leave an item style of play).
Free, ongoing. All ages welcome!
Please note that the Family Outdoor Center is open to members from 6am to dusk.
Orienteering
Come challenge your inner adventurer! Orienteering is a navigational activity that challenges you to read a highly detailed map (with or without a compass), and plan the best route to find control markers (wooden posts). This can be done competitively (fastest time wins), or just for fun as a “treasure hunt” to find the control markers.
There are currently six levels of courses broken across three distance levels:
Short maps (less than a mile):
- Easy (15-25 min.)
- Intermediate (25-45 min.)
- Hard (40-60 min.)
Long maps (up to 1.24 miles):
- Intermediate (45-60 min.)
- Hard (60-80 min.)
Extra-long map (1.86 miles):
- Hard (70-90 min.)
Plan Your Visit
The Outdoor Center is located at 45 East Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748. There are two entrances and three parking lots. Please click "Find out more" to download a map!
Hopkinton Memberships Offer Great Value!
Members can enjoy: Members enjoy access to our facilities, special events, member pricing on programs like archery, rock climbing, adventure education, the youth member rate at summer camps, and so much more! (Please note this facility does not have a gym, workout classes, indoor pool, etc... as found in a traditional Y location. We are an outdoor/adventure/summer camp facility.)
