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!

Nice place mainly for dogs I guess saw about 4 dogs without leashes just roaming around minding…read moretheir own business. The trail is well paved but there's extensive damage from the past winter season looks like a bridge that was there has been completely destroyed too. There was no place to sit down and relax.

This is a great easy walk! So beautiful with the bridges. You can even take your dog off leash…read moreearly in the morning!

Nice trail to go on with other trails along it if you wanted something longer. It was a simple…read moretrail that's was easy to follow with the marks and enjoyable with friends.

Absolutely beautiful here. Nice and quiet. My only issue is I was charged $20 instead of $5 and I'm…read morea Mass resident.

Breathtaking views , just the signs are very confusing and you don't know where to turn or what to…read moresee where . They certainly need to work on that . It the views are amazing .

Honestly. Who rates a National wildlife refuge? Well here we are…read more Accessibility: Very easy to get to, substantial parking close to the trail, paths are mostly flat and clear, with a lot of boardwalks. Bugs: not too many, but they are concentrated in the areas that overlook the water/river. Highly recommend bug spray, but fast walking will also do the trick. Filled with winding paths, bridges, and overlooks, this wildlife refuge was just the refuge we needed from the city. It's a short circular route through a magnificent forest. There were informational stops along the way with inspirational black women in history and their stories. I had an absolutely wonderful time here and hope to be back soon!

Lots of options for different hikers, with similar but slightly-different views throughout the…read morerange. Bare Mountain and Hitchcock Mountain are personal favorites and can be made into a 3.5ish-mile loop with the Robert Frost Trail. I did have one weird experience here with a guy who was acting fishy. As a solo female hiker, I find that the further into the backcountry you go, the safer you are, as all the other people out there are committed hikers, too. Since all of these trails are fairly accessible, you can meet just about anybody out there. I'd recommend a personal alarm or hiking with a buddy (which, as a woman, is unfortunately just good practice, anyway).

My friend and I started our 6 mile hike here by climbing up Bare mountain and then making our way…read moreover the 7 sister peaks. We left a car at the other end (bottom of Mt. Holyoke) so that we didn't have to make our way back the same way. This was a great hike because instead of just one peak and view, we got a bunch (not really 7 views). The path is well marked and maintained throughout. We followed the white trail the whole way. It's nice to be able to enjoy the outdoors and not feel like you're going to get lost along the way. Definitely a great long but easy hike.