What an enjoyable time we had strolling around the park on a gorgeous autumn day…read more We found our way to the hiking trail which was predominantly flat and low impact, just beware of the occasional tree root. We walked over a wooden bridge and followed the gray trail through the woods next to the Westfield River. The park wasn't too crowded, and we marveled at just how beautiful and peaceful and quiet the woods were. We also saw a gorgeous meadow with half a dozen pedestal grills, just perfect for picnics and family gatherings. We also saw a small strip of sand that was actually a beach!! Somewhere along the hike, we got our lower legs and sneakers covered in prickly stickers, so be careful where you walk. Those suckers were hard to dislodge!!

Not a fan. I went around 2 pm and spent 3 hours here. The dirt paths are short. I did a few loops…read more The road and pathway was closed just past the pond. Also didn't help I didn't have cell service in the park. So trying to find a decent trail to walk was impossible. Maybe better if the road was open past the pond. ‍ I won't be back here. I'd rather go back to the Ashley reservoir.

What a special day at Quabbin Reservoir! I've always been fascinated by the history of the towns…read morethat were flooded to create the reservoir, so getting to see it in person was something special and our friends told us the history while we drove around and saw different spots along the way. The views were absolutely beautiful, and we may have gotten a little too excited when we spotted the turkeys. The best part was sharing the day with friends we met on a cruise 24 years ago. Beautiful scenery, fascinating history, wildlife, and longtime friends... it doesn't get much better than that.

The Quabbin Reservoir Visitor Center is well worth a visit. The history and evolution of the…read morereservoir including indigenous wildlife are explained in detail. Very friendly and helpful staff. Ample free parking, too. The Reservoir is astounding.

A beautiful place to explore. If you have time take the trail all the way to the end.read more

This is a highly recommended walking/hiking trail right off Rt.21 outside of Ludlow traveling…read moreNorth. The area has a paved and unpaved portion of trail but hikers are asked only to use the paved section, there are many foot paths off the trail leading closer to the water if you wish to fish in season. The total round-trip hike is approximately 6.5 miles; it is a truly a beautiful seclude scenic spot surrounding the Reservoir; particularly interesting are the many boulders at the waters edge and throughout the whole walk evidence of earlier glacier activity. Regardless of the season this location affords you an opportunity to get away and enjoy natures solitude in a secluded pristine wooded environment.

Excellent coaching staff for aspiring crew kids! Great combination of athlete conditioning,…read moreequipment maintenance, strategy and time on the river! Solid team environment - participation standards for all athletes to be responsible & accountable! PVRC also offers a variety of adult river activity options too!

I just returned from the Drum Boat races on Riverfront. Upon going to the race we were surprised…read moreat how few "spectators" there were, When we got the finish line we knew why. The only good spot to see the finish was on this little platform. If the overgrown trees and shrubs were taken care of a lot more folks could have seen what was happing. The City of Springfirld wants more activities on the riverfront but, it ain't going to happen in the present state of affairs

I seriously love this place. I've been coming to Ashley for the past 12 years to walk and enjoy…read morenature. Great place to go for a run or a nice stroll. Side note--Recently my brother's gotten into bird watching and was able to spot FIFTEEN new (to him) birds which he was hyped about. That being said, there are some spots throughout the year I would avoid as it's where the geese lay their eggs.

From the 1/2 Way to St. Patricks Day road race to Jacks Walk this is truly a great place for any…read moreoccasion. So many people were out and about over the weekend enjoying the first sunny day in a week. Seen a few people bring dogs in which is a no no so leave your loved ones at home if you have never been. There are clearly marked signs so don't be that person who gets fined $300 for your inability to follow instructions. Parking is hit or miss, there is plenty of it but you may need to park in the overflow lot where you enter.

This was our first time up in the area. We spent the day at the "beach " area here. The views were…read moreabsolutely spectacular. In addition, the water was super clean and clear. As other reviewers wrote, the area is very no frills. My 2 complaints were 1) the bath House was not open so we used the port-a-johns. They looked like they had not been cleaned out in months. All 4 were vile. 2) there were no signs about rules of the lake. Our children were using tubes and a plastic kayak. After 3 hours of using them by the beach, we were then reprimanded for using these items in the swimming/ ropes off area. Just wish that there was a sign that informed us as to what was and not allowed. Overall, had a wonderful day.

The campgrounds at Tolland State Forest are some of the best in the Massachusetts DCR's arsenal of…read morecampgrounds. Tolland was voted America's #1 Family Campground in 2009, and with their well-maintained and functional facility, it's easy to see why. Built on a small peninsula of land that juts into the largest recreational body of water in Massachusetts, Tolland boasts excellent swimming, fishing, hiking and boating opportunities, as well as some unique and cool campsites for campers of all ages and skill levels. We came out and reserved 4 sites for a camping-fishing-relaxing bachelor party weekend, and we were all pretty pleased with the results. The staff were friendly and helpful, and stayed out of our way. We were within easy walking distance of bathrooms and sinks for washing dishes, though the shower in our area was broken. I wasn't planning to shower anyway, though. Be warned that the area around Tolland State Forest is not very active. The town of East Otis sports just 1,200 year-round residents, and there are few nearby stores, all of which close around 9. There are, however, a couple of nice general stores, and a gas station that sells organic groceries. If you're inclined to head west on the Pike out of Boston, Tolland is a great spot for a weekend trip, whether you're looking to chill or to get out there and do stuff.

The Farmington River Watershed Association was founded in 1953 to protect the Farmington River and…read moreits coastline. It covers an impressive area of 600+ square miles in CT and MA that includes 33 towns and seven recreational areas. All those square miles can accumulate quite a bit of unwanted trash, so once a year the Association holds an Annual River Clean-Up for volunteers to clean up what our thoughtless neighbors have tossed aside. Today, we were part of a massive 250 person swarm of those volunteers from across the Farmington Valley. We signed in at the Association office and were offered breakfast; fresh bagels and cream cheese (courtesy of Brookside Bagels) and coffee (courtesy of Starbucks). We chatted with some of the other volunteers and noticed a group of 8 kids who were there for a birthday party. The birthday girl was 9 years old today. How cool is that? We received our work gloves and trash bags and set off for our destination. Some of the places that were targeted for clean-up were the Tariffville Gorge, Curtis Park, and Iron Horse Rails to Trails. We headed over to Curtis Park, and walked the soccer fields, brush and shoreline. Scraps of paper, cigarette boxes, soda and beer bottles and cans, Dunkin Donuts cups and bags all found a home in our trash bags. One thing that didn't make its way into our bag (hell, we couldn't even lift it!) was a humongous truck tire and rim that some considerate litterer dumped near the shoreline so nature lovers wouldn't back into it while parking their vehicles. Curtis Park wasn't too bad for litter, so we headed over to the Tariffville Gorge where we found a more generous bounty of trash. While the litterers at Curtis Park mostly seemed to be beer drinkers, the litterers at the Gorge seemed to prefer hard liquor because we found a bonanza of nip bottles and pint bottles. We also found an old rusted fender and a hunk of a car muffler. Some of the other things we found were drink boxes, a plastic quart of motor oil, and quite a few supplies for the do-it yourself smoker. We filled our bags and headed back to the Association office for a very nice lunch donated by Simsbury businesses, Little City pizza donated ten pizzas, Antonio's Restaurant chipped in with fifty grinders, and Fitzgerald's Supermarket provided a huge amount of cookies for dessert. What a great day we had. We chatted with dozens of civic minded community service minded folks, we met two very dedicated leaders of the Association, we observed great support by the business community, we saw some spectacular scenery, and we picked up a lot of nasty trash that will never find its way into the river to harm the fishes and pollute the watershed. That's a pretty good day in my book.

Skinner State Park really surprised me. The drive up was beautiful and the view at the top over the…read morePioneer Valley made me stop and just take it in. I also liked reading about the old Mt. Holyoke Summit House and the incline railway that used to bring people up the mountain. I'm a sucker for places with a bit of history mixed in with the views And of course I loved seeing it with our friends we met on a cruise 24 years ago!

Iconic set of rolling wooded hills over looking the Connecticut River and surrounding lowlands…read more Skinner State Park is approximately 3,000 acres once privately owned now overseen by the Mass DCR. There are an intertwining network of trails from the base, along the ridge, and through the wooded parkland. Bring a GPS and trail maps are available at the gates and in the Summit House. This was my first time hiking here. A life long buddy & hiking pal encouraged me to join him. He was excited to try out his new hip on some varying terrain. He drove in from Vermont, me from CT. Both of us aging (gracefully) we each used an adjustable pair hiking sticks, which did come in handy both ascending and descending the hills. We found the trails were all very well maintained and well traveled. There's a system of trail markers and blazes to follow. Keep in mind bikes and horse are allowed, so hikers, keep your eye open and give way to wheels & hooves. The Summit House does have access too by vehicle, but (!) parking is very limited up top and DRC Rangers control traffic flow. We parked very close to Hockanum Road (Rte 47) and hiked up. Views at the Summit House stunning 360 degrees. If the House is open (seasonally) take time to tour the former residence and Lodge. View from the House decks are even better. My foot recently repaired foot & my buddies new hip passed the test!