Lower Westfield River Trails User Guide
View of Noble View Trail System
Prepared by Department of Geography & Regional Planning Westfield State College Westfield, MA 01086
Prepared for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management with funding from The Massachusetts Watershed Initiative
This guide is designed to provide information about Trails in the Lower Westfield River Watershed, and has been prepared for general planning and informational purposes only. It is not necessarily accurate to engineering or surveying standards. Every effort has been made to make the data/maps as complete and as accurate as possible; however, no warranty or fitness is implied.
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Westfield State College (WSC) entered into an agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (DEM), with funding from the Massachusetts Watershed Initiative, to inventory recreational trails for the Lower Westfield River Watershed and prepare a user guide. Communities included in the watershed are Agawam, Blandford, Granville, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Westfield, and West Springfield. This user guide includes land- based trails as well as water-based trails and access points.
This trail guide summarizes the trail resources in the communities graphically as well as in narrative form. The contents of the guide and additional maps and information about the Westfield River Watershed are also found on the Westfield River Watershed Interactive Atlas at
This guide is organized alphabetically by community and within a community by associated existing and proposed trail opportunities. Each community and associated trails are briefly described and the contact information is provided where available. Simple trail maps are provided for each of the park areas. The scale varies for each map and is shown in miles and kilometers.
We are indebted to a host of organizations for data and technical support. Existing trail data were obtained from the City of Westfield GIS Department, Town of Southwick Conservation Commission, Town of West Springfield GIS Department, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and Massachusetts’ Department of Environmental Management. The remaining trail data were collected by Westfield State College interns in 2002. Matthew Kitoski (Regional Planning 2002), Matthew DelMonte (Environmental Science 2001) and Nathan Pelletier (Environmental Science 2003) were the principal interns involved with the GPS field data collection. Mr. Pelletier is the cartographer for the maps in this document.
All digital map data in this study are registered to the NAD83 datum, Massachusetts State Plane Mainland Zone coordinate system. Units are in meters. The source of all base data is MassGIS, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.
Acronyms used in this document and on the Maps
WRWA Westfield River Watershed Association WSC Westfield State College DEM Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management EOEA Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
The contact for information about this document and the project is:
Robert S. Bristow, Ph.D. Department of Geography & Regional Planning Westfield State College Westfield, MA 01086 (413) 572-5595 [email protected]
3 The Westfield River Watershed Interactive Atlas
Figure 1. Regional Context of Westfield River Watershed as viewed in
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4 Agawam
Agawam is in the southeastern part of the study area and is characterized by farm land and newer development. The proximity to Springfield and the Greater Hartford Connecticut urban landscapes is contrasted by public open space lands. Automobile access is made possible from the nearby Interstate 91 and State Routes 5 (north/south) and 57 (east/west). Robinson State Park is the largest open space property in the town and provides a variety of trail opportunities. An Adobe File of the Town trails is found at
Connecticut RiverWalk and Bikeway A planned pedestrian and bicycling corridor connecting the communities of Agawam northward to Chicopee is proposed along the Connecticut River. In Agawam, a bikeway is along River Road between Main Street (just north of Six Flags Amusement Park) and the rotary at the South End Bridge (Routes 5 & 57). This 1.7 mile bike route has a scenic view of the Connecticut River.
Information can be obtained from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Website.
M&M Trail The M&M Trail traverses the western boundary of this community and is described on pages 12 and 15 and shown graphically on page 14.
Pinchon Point Trail North of the Connecticut RiverWalk and Bikeway in Agawam, one will find the Pinchon Point Trail; a small river access trail favored by anglers. This river access trail is 0.25 miles long (1337 feet). The dike following the Westfield River provides other “unofficial” hiking opportunities. The community may wish to improve access along this dike for additional hiking opportunities.
Robinson State Park North St., Agawam, MA 01001 (413) 786-2877
Robinson State Park has over 14 miles of trails (76,000 +/- feet) within the park boundaries. Some follow the Westfield River and others meander through the woods linking the neighborhoods with the state park. Mittineague Park is found across the river from the state park and is described on page 17. For a trail map, either visit the Westfield River Watershed Interactive Atlas or Robinson State Park Trail Map found at
Directions to Robinson State Park: From east or west: Mass Pike (Route I-90) to exit 4, Route 91 south, Route 57 west, Route 187 north, to North Street. Follow signs.
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6 Blandford
Blandford is on the eastern slopes of the Berkshires and has a rural character. Considering a population of only slightly more than a 1,000 (Census 2000), public lands make up a surprisingly large percentage of land use. Access to this community is via US Route 20 and State Route 23 (both east/west). Blandford’s Trail map in Adobe Acrobat format is found at
Chester-Blandford State Forest Rte. 20, Chester, MA 01011 (413) 354-6347
Chester-Blandford State Forest has over 0.6 miles (3500 feet) of foot trails but if gravel roads are included, and the hiker will have 3.4 miles (17,800 +/- feet) of trail opportunities. Sanderson Brook Falls is a short walk up the gravel road from US Route 20. From this road, more adventurous hikers can tackle the H. Newman Marsh Memorial Trail on Observation Hill (0.4 mile or 2100 +/- feet). A map and trail guide is available from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Chester-Blandford State Park Trail Map
Directions to Chester-Blandford State Forest: From east or west: Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) to exit 3, Route 10/202 south, turn right on Route 20 west, follow signs.
Granville
Granville has a slightly larger population than Blandford and is located in the southwestern portion of the inventory area. Wooded mountains intermingle with a variety of orchards to make this bedroom community a pleasant New England town. One can visit Granville by traveling west on State Route 57 from Southwick. For the community trail map in Adobe Acrobat Format, see
Granville State Forest 323 West Hartland Rd., Granville, MA 01034 (413) 357-6611
Nearly 18 miles of foot trails are found in this state forest (95,000 +/- feet). If the hiker wishes to loop back to a parked car, gravel roads bring the total to 45 miles (238,000 +/- feet)! This state forest is worth the extra drive.
Granville State Park Trail Map
Directions to Granville State Forest: From the east: Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) to exit 3 (Westfield). Turn right onto Route 10/202 south to Route 57 west to Granville, MA. Turn left onto West Hartland Rd. From the west: Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) to exit 2 (Lee). Follow Route 20 east to Route 8 south. Follow Route 8 to Route 57 east. After entering the Town of Granville, go 1/2 mile, and turn right onto West Hartland Road. A Campground is on the left 1/2 mile after the park headquarters.
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9 Montgomery
The community with the smallest population, Montgomery offers outstanding views toward the Connecticut River Valley and Springfield from a 1000 feet mountain top. There are private trail opportunities in the southern portion of the town just north of Interstate 90 and the Westfield River. Unfortunately, there are no public trails at this time.
Russell
Russell has a history of a Milltown in a Hilltown. Of the inventoried communities, Russell has the best trail related opportunities including Camp Moses (Pioneer Valley Council, BSA) and Noble View (Berkshire Chapter, AMC).
Camp Moses Camp Moses has an extensive trail system open to scouts. Other groups should contact the headquarters for entrance requirements.
Pioneer Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America 249 Exchange St., Chicopee MA 01013, (413) 594-9196, http://pvcbsa.org/
Noble View, Appalachian Mountain Club Noble View offers miles of trails for hiking and cross country skiing. The Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club maintains this year-round facility. For more information, see either the Berkshire Chapter’s website:
Directions to Noble View. From Mass Pike Exit 3 (Westfield), head South on Route 10 & 202 into Westfield. Turn right (west) onto US Route 20 and continue to blinking light (Lloyds Hill Road). Turn left, then right at top onto Western Avenue. After WSC, continue straight ahead at the fork ignoring what appears to be the main road bearing right. Turn left onto South Quarter Road and follow 1.2 miles to see a Noble View sign on the left. A list of trails is found in the following table. Difficulty designations are based on the grade and footing of each trail.
TRAIL NAME DIFFICULTY LENGTH FEET LENGTH MILES Ann Trail Easy 1603.76 0.30 Giant Trail Easy 468.37 0.09 Mac Ross Trail Easy 2692.83 0.51 Nature Trail 1 Easy 1863.44 0.35 Nature Trail 2 Easy 1084.10 0.21 Out Post Trail Easy 1042.72 0.20 Spring Trail Easy 1891.83 0.36 Charcoal Kiln Trail Medium 5508.87 1.04 Dam Brook Trail Medium 4579.87 0.87 Laurel Lane Trail Medium 5540.33 1.05 Link Trail 1 Medium 3072.34 0.58 Lookout Trail Medium 515.18 0.10 Pitcher Brook Medium 6297.60 1.19 Ski Trail Medium 7281.66 1.38 Woodland Trail Medium 1958.51 0.37 Border Trail Difficult 15752.93 2.98 Country Road Difficult 5487.36 1.04 Link Trail 2 Difficult 458.52 0.09
10 11 Southwick
Southwick serves as a bedroom community for Springfield, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut. A mixture of farmland and residential land use, the community has the greatest need for open space expansion since it is threatened the most. The Congamond Lakes offer water based recreation for the region.
Planned Rail Trail
Following the old abandoned rail way, this planned trail has the potential to link communities in Connecticut (via the Farmington Valley Greenway) and Westfield’s proposed Columbia Bike Trail to the north. Access to the rail trail is off of Routes 57 and 168 and Point Grove Road. For more information, visit the Southwick Massachusetts Rail to Trail Project website:
Sodom – Drake Mountain Greenway
A proposed hiking trail along the western ridgeline of this community is in the planning stages. For more information about this exciting opportunity, contact the Southwick Conservation Commission at (413) 569-6907 or the website: < http://www.southwickma.org/Public_Documents/SouthwickMA_BComm/conscom>.
M&M Trail
The Metacomet and Monadnock Trail, more commonly known as the M&M Trail, is a foot trail that stretches between Mt. Monadnock in southwest New Hampshire to the Massachusetts Connecticut Line where it joins the Metacomet Trail. The southern terminus is in the Hanging Hills area near Meridian, Connecticut. Details of the trail are found in the 9th edition of the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail Guide available from New England Cartographics, P.O. Box 9369, North Amherst, MA 01059. Contact Publisher Chris Ryan at [email protected] or phone 1- (413) 549-4124 for details.
The M&M homepage is found:
Additional information can be found at:
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13 14 Westfield
Westfield is called the Whip City, a nickname established after the world-wide production of whips during the horse and buggy days. The city offers a mix of recreational opportunities on trails and on water. Hampton Ponds State Park is essentially a water park so it has no hiking opportunities. For more information about this state park, visit
Westfield's Riverside Trail
The Westfield Riverside Trail is a 1.5-mile trail along the Westfield River with opportunities for bird watching, boating (non-motorized), walking, scenic vistas, fishing, and picnicking. Parking is available on the south side of the river, just east of the Great River Bridge (Rt. 10/202) and again on the eastern terminus off of Meadow Street. The trail is managed by WRWA and Westfield’s Conservation Commission. For more information call (413) 532-7290.
M&M Trail
The Metacomet and Monadnock Trail is more commonly known as the M&M Trail. This foot trail stretches between Mt. Monadnock in Southwest New Hampshire to the Massachusetts Connecticut Line where it joins the Metacomet Trail. The southern terminus is in the Hanging Hills near Meridian, Connecticut. For details of this long distance trail in Massachusetts see:
Stanley Park
Stanley Park is the crown jewel of Westfield. Easily accessible off of Western Avenue across from Westfield State College, this privately maintained park is open to the public, free of charge, and a popular location for picnics and weddings. More information about the park can be obtained at (413) 568-9312 or their website:
A simple park map is found at this site:
Proposed Columbia Greenway (Rail-Trail)
A 9.1 mile hiking and biking trail is proposed to link the Westfield Riverwalk and the Southwick Rails to Trail project. Following the old abandoned rail way, this trail potentially could link communities in Connecticut (via the Farmington Valley Greenway) and the Massachusetts’ communities further north via the Norwottuck Rail Trail.
Westfield River Canoe Access
Westfield has several canoe access points at public parks. These access points are along US Route 20. See a complete listing under the West Springfield section of this guide on page 17.
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West Springfield
West Springfield is across the Connecticut River from Springfield. A commercial center, the community offers several hiking opportunities principally along the river banks of the Westfield and Connecticut Rivers.
Mittineague Park
This town park offers visitors with hiking and picnic opportunities. Access to the Westfield River is also possible in the park. Besides the Westfield River Watershed Interactive Atlas, interested hikers should visit:
West Springfield Riverwalk
Part of the Connecticut RiverWalk and Bikeway, this 2 mile segment follows the flood control dike east of Riverdale Street. The trail borders what was once a drive-in movie theater, but is covered with parking lots and retail establishments. Information can be obtained from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Website.
Westfield River Canoe Access
Westfield River canoe access points beginning at the upstream point at the base of Littleville Lake are listed below. These access points are blue triangles on the regional map.
1.3 miles down Littleville Rd. (base of Littleville Dam) 0.2 miles down Littleville Rd. 1.5 miles up Worthington Rd. (Just Past Bridge) Gardner State Park 0.5 miles down Knightville Rd. 43 Worthington Rd. (Across from Market) End of Mill Street 0.7 miles East of Intersection of Rt. 20 and Rt.112 1 mile east of Intersection of Rt. 20 and Rt. 112 1.8 miles east Intersection of Rt. 20 and Rt. 112 0.6 mile north on Main Street at intersection of Main and Frog Hollow 2.7 miles west of Westfield City line (across from Golf course) Under Turnpike Bridge (I90) at Russell/Westfield line 1.8 mile east of Westfield City line End of Shepard St. over dike (Whitney Park) Just east of Elm St. on Meadow St. 0.4 miles east of Walmart on Rt. 20 0.3 miles south of Memorial Bridge Rotary (Rt. 5)
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