Lake Wyola State Park, officially the Carroll A. Holmes Recreation Area, is a 42-acre day-use park on the northwest shore of Lake Wyola in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, run by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The state bought the property in 1997 and named it for Carroll Holmes, a former Shutesbury selectman and regional director at the old Department of Environmental Management. Lake Wyola itself covers about 128 acres. It was roughly half that size until an 1883 dam on the Sawmill River raised the water, and that dam, a short walk from the beach, was rebuilt in 2008 and 2009.

The entrance is at 94 Lakeview Road in the Locks Village corner of Shutesbury, about a half-hour drive north of Amherst on two-lane country roads. There is no public transit, so plan on driving. The main lot sits just above the beach; if you want a beach wheelchair, park in the main lot, where the chairs are lent out and a mat runs down the sand into the water. A second, smaller area by the bathhouse connects to a boardwalk with a lake view and a fishing spot. Weekend afternoons in July can fill the lot, so arriving early helps.

The swim beach is a short stretch of sand facing southeast across the lake toward the wooded hills and cottages of the far shore. The water is calm, motorboats are few, and the lake is known locally for clear water. DCR posts lifeguards at the beach in summer. Hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day are 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day; the rest of the year the park keeps posted hours, and swimming then is unguarded. DCR's published fee schedule lists a day-use parking fee of $8 for vehicles with Massachusetts plates and $30 for out-of-state plates, collected from about 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. until Labor Day, so it is not free in season. Fees apply only during posted fee hours, and the annual state ParksPass covers it.

Bacteria is the main thing to watch. DCR tests the swimming area weekly, and in the summer of 2024 the beach was closed for weeks after Enterococci counts ran over the state limit following heavy rain, with red flags on the sand and staff warning visitors at the gate. Rain-driven closures can return in any wet summer, so check for a posting before you go and believe the red flag if one is up. Cell service around the lake is weak, and there are no stores nearby, so bring what you need.

Beyond the beach the park has a picnic grove with charcoal grills, a volleyball court, a horseshoe pit and restrooms. Paddlers can launch canoes and kayaks here, and the separate public boat launch is at 32 Randall Road. Anglers fish the eastern end of the lake for bass and trout. The New England National Scenic Trail passes just west of the park, and in winter the trails are used for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Alcohol is not allowed anywhere in the park.