Wahconah Falls State Park

November 30, 2019 Cold

Wahconah Falls State Park is a small park in Dalton, in Western Massachusetts. The waterfall consists of several cascades ending in a 40-foot drop at the end. The next few pictures show this final cascade.

We started at the base of the falls and then followed a path of about 1 mile total along the Wahconah Brook, leading up to the Windsor Reservoir.

The path was mostly rocky but had some man-made structures as well, such as this rock wall or cellar below.

At the top we reached a pretty reservoir near sunset and the kids had fun skipping stones on the thin ice.

We also saw the recently restored dam and spillway before returning the way we came.

This is a worthwhile stop to see the falls, which are readily accessible a short walk downhill from the parking area.

I liked the way the walk leads down a short distance, around a bend, revealing the waterfall all of a sudden. Well worth a quick stop.
The waterfall was very accessible. A short walk away and it was really pretty.
Big waterfall from a frozen lake. Very cool, but then we had to walk a few miles to the lake and we almost got lost.
I really liked the big waterfalls and throwing ice on the frozen reservoir and watching in smash was so fun! Great park!
One small set of falls and a big one- and I also ate a yummy bar!

For more information: Wahconah Falls State Park official site.

Natural Bridge State Park

November 30, 2019 Cold

Natural Bridge State Park in North Adams has some unusual and special features. It’s home to the only white marble bridge in North America. It was carved out around 13,000 years ago and is one of the best demonstrations of glacial erosion in New England.

Although the park and visitor center are closed in the off-season, you can still walk up the short road along the brook in order to view the marble arch.

The brook itself is pretty scenic, and along the way is a story of an Indian maiden who fell in love with an adventurous young man in the 1700s, much to the dismay of her father.

At the top of the road is a large grassy area that’s almost like a natural amphitheatre, with walls made of marble. In fact there is some kind of sonic artwork installed, but we missed the performance in the off-season.

This park was actually a working marble quarry from 1810 to 1947, later a privately owned attraction, and then finally a state park from 1985 onwards. The arch and quarry have always attracted hikers, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, who visited in 1838.

At the side of this area you climb a set of stairs that lead to the different sections around the marble arch. The walkway has fencing all along, since in many spots there’s a 60 foot drop to the brook below.

The star attraction is the natural marble arch carved by the flow of water, which still courses through the channel below.

The view from the other (upper) side is also pretty dramatic.

In one spot, you can see plenty of deep etchings from hikers who visited this spot. Some of these stretch back to the 1800s.

After weaving around the arch and channels, you eventually cross a bridge, leading to a dam.

Crossing back on the bridge, you can also check out the small visitor center, which was closed for the season.

A really special site with a cool arch and exposed white marble.
This was a real gem. The marble bridge was very accessible.
Very epic marble bridge. It was just too cold.
The river was so low in the canyon and the bridge was really cool.
Big bridge ha ha ha.

For more information: Natural Bridge State Park official site.

Clarksburg State Park

November 30, 2019 Cold

Clarksburg State Park is a 368 acre park located in Clarksburg, MA. It consists of northern hardwood forest surrounding Mauserts Pond. The park also has a campground and picnicking as well.

Although the main visitor station and campgrounds were closed, we parked and headed down the access road to the pond, starting the loop trail along the southern rim of the pond, with views to the north.

The scenery here is really beautiful but the day we visited was around 32 degrees with a strong northwest wind.

The trail heads west and hugs the pond, leading past some marshy areas.

Fortunately there are many small footbridges or logs along the path to get past the apparently muddy areas. When we visited this wasn’t a concern as the mud was semi-frozen and icy leaves crunched under our feet.

You can see some wind turbines on the mountains just to the east, one of the few man-made items we saw along the pond.

The views to the northwest (above) and the north (below) look directly into southern Vermont, as this park basically touches the border of the two states. You can see from these how wild it looks. You get the feeling of being farther north.

The views along the pond and to the distant mountains are really striking. The campground sites looked small, however, and we could hear the distinct road noise as cars passed from time to time.

The location feels more wild and remote than it really is, which is a pleasant surprise. Beautiful scenery along the pond.
The trail was long, and we didn’t have a map (and no internet connections either). It would be a neat place to camp in the summer.
A small, wild path around a large lake. No surprise no one was there. It was bitterly cold and Miles had to poop when we were coming back. 10/10 stinky odor, 1/10 for the park overall.
There was so much moss on the ground and the river was frozen 10 feet away from the shore!
I liked the super duper big amount of ice on the lake.

For more information: Clarksburg State Park official site.

Western Gateway Heritage Park

November 30, 2019 Cold

This park consists of a visitor center located in a former railroad yard in North Adams, in Western Massachusetts. The exhibits relate to the role that the town played in the construction of the Hoosac Tunnel, a nearly 5 mile tunnel that was in 1875 the longest tunnel in North America. The tunnel extends from North Adams on the west side to emerge in the town of Florida on the east side.

The visitor center has a wide variety of exhibits and artifacts. Miles enjoyed the miniature of the town.

Much of the museum is devoted to the actual excavation of the tunnel and the machines used to do the work. There are also some samples of different rocks from the excavation that the kids could touch.

The tunnel is still in use mainly for freight trains. While the west portal is in the woods, we heard that the eastern portal is more easily visible in Florida, although we didn’t make a trip to find it (although we did enjoy passing through Florida on our trip). Unlike the Florida of Sunshine State fame, this small town sits on top of a mountain and was fairly snow-covered at the time.

This state park has a good visitor center and could be a fun stop for anyone interested in railroad history and exhibits. It is also close to Natural Bridge, which we visited on the same day.

A quiet visitor center with plenty of exhibits and a few hands-on activities.
This is a small visitor center. While it’s educational, there’s not much else on premise.
The museum was pretty nice but no one was in it. This is because there wasn’t much to see other than the museum.
I learned a lot in this state park. Such as the tunnel is the longest in the east coast back then!
The tunnel was long but in the museum it’s pretty short.

For more information: Western Gateway Heritage Park official site.

Great Falls Discovery Center

November 29, 2019 Cloudy

Great Falls Discovery Center is located in Turners Falls at the intersection of I-91 and Rt. 2, along the Connecticut River. There is a visitor’s center and a trail along the canal called Canalside Rail Trail. We stopped by on a cold fall day.

The visitor’s center is situated at the entrance of the town, immediately after crossing over the Connecticut River and Turners Falls.

Inside the visitor’s center there was an excellent exhibit about the wildlife and the ecosystem of the Connecticut River Valley. There are different dioramas and animal specimens to show the various habitats. It was very well done and very educational. There was also a great view of the fall and the canal.

After the visitor’s center, we bundled up and took the Canalside Trail. We stopped to look at Turner’s Falls and the dam. The water was very swift and high.

We walked for about 2 miles one way on this trail. Near the visitor’s center, the banks of the canal was lined with abandoned industrial buildings and paper mills, and there were many old decrepit bridges across the water. The views were not very impressive.

About 1 mile from the visitor’s center, the canal widened, and mills and other buildings were no longer seen. The metal railings became wood railings, then all railings disappeared. We saw many wild geese and birds, and the scenery became much more rural.

The walk was a long on a brisk fall day. Bike riding would definitely be more pleasant. If time permits, perhaps exploring or walking across some of the bridges might be fun.

We really enjoyed the visitor center. The canal walk had views of churning water flowing past old paper mills.
The visitor center was nicely done. Along the canal walk were full of abandoned mills and abandoned bridges.
It was bitterly cold and a really long walk. I hope nobody rates this 5 stars.
There were so many abandoned bridges along the canal! It was fun.
There was a big, fast, long river! There were a lot of bridges that you couldn’t go across.

For more information: Great Falls Discovery Center official site.

Bash Bish Falls State Park

July 20, 2019 Sunny

Bash Bish Falls in the southwest part of the state is a waterfall with about 200 feet of cascades that end in an 80 foot waterfall which splits into two streams of water at a large boulder. It can be accessed by a relatively flat 1.5 mile roundtrip hike from just over the New York state border, or from a somewhat steeper 1 mile roundtrip trail from the Mass side. We decided to do the latter hike, of course, in keeping with our theme of visiting Mass state parks.

The trail is well-marked and maintained, and begins to descend steeply from the parking lot.

It has a few interesting features like this bridge as it twists and turns downward.

The boys enjoyed racing ahead of us. Eventually you reach a flat area with railings and a great view of the falls.

From here, you can go down some stairs to the falls and the pool below.

The day we visited was really hot and, although it was 6 o’clock, there was still a good crowd of swimmers in the pool under the falls (despite the “No Swimming” signs).

But I don’t blame them. The water was really cool and refreshing, and continues down a series of time-worn channels where other groups relaxed. The very first pool was lovely and calm. A family rested on a sandy bank as their young girl played in the water.

Just below this was a small drop with a swirling pool of water.

After enjoying the sights and sounds for a while, we started our climb back, stopping for one last view of the falls.

Bash Bish Falls is a real gem and we highly recommend visiting if you’re in the area.

Beautiful and unexpected, a real gem for a just a little effort.
A short hike down. The waterfall and swimming hole were both stunning.
Awesome waterfall and parking lot.
The waterfall was cool.

For more information: Bash Bish Falls State Park official site

Hampton Ponds State Park

July 20, 2019 Sunny & Blazing Hot

This state park is consists mainly of a small beach on a pond.

The day we visited was sweltering and sunny, and the parking lot was nearly full. Several groups held large parties in the pavilions at the edges of the beach, and the smell of BBQ and mixture of music was strong in the air.

We changed and raced into the water, only to hear a whistle blow for a “safety check” just 30 seconds later. Our timing was unfortunate and we had to bake on the beach for about 20 minutes before we were allowed to return to the water. Our advice – try to time your visit to avoid the checks. If you’re not sure of the schedule…ask the ice cream trucks! They seem to known exactly and show up seconds later.

Although the beach had a golden color and was fine for sunbathing, the sand was somewhat coarse and a few other factors detracted from the experience. The swimming area was small and shallow, the water fairly warm and a bit murky, and there was a good deal of pond grass (as seen below).

The constant roar of jet skiers, waverunners, and motor boats zooming by also soured us on the experience.

Although the children enjoyed cooling off, we all agreed there are better state beaches to visit.

Water was too warm, lots of pond grass, and noisy motorboats really detract from the experience here.
Too much seaweed/pond grass (?). Noise from jet skis nearby was too annoying.
There was pondgrass and stuff in the water.
There was a lot of seaweed. The water was warm.

For more information: Hampton Ponds State Park official site

Holyoke Heritage State Park

July 20, 2019 Sunny

Holyoke Heritage State Park is in the center of town along a canal. The grounds consist of a Visitor’s Center, a Merry-Go-Round, a Children’s Museum, a Volleyball Hall of Fame, as well as a canal walk.

The Visitor’s Center has exhibits about the history of Holyoke, including a replica of the immigration stations on Ellis Island, and details on industrial mills in Holyoke. Holyoke was a center of paper making in the 1800s. The Visitor’s Center is pretty small.

Right in front of the Visitor’s Center, inside this building below, was the Merry-go-Round.

Outside the Visitor’s Center there was a splash pad, and just beyond that was the canal.

On both banks of the canal stood historic mill buildings. Unfortunately, most of the mill buildings on the side of the Visitor’s Center were burned down, so the City put in a playground and an old flywheel that was used to power the steam engines in the mills.

On the other bank the buildings were decrepit. Many were empty and run down.

The Children’s Museum and the Volleyball Hall of Fame are nearby, but we didn’t have time to visit them.

The carousel was the highlight. The canal walk was disappointing, with some old mills gone and now just grassy lots.
Not much to see at the visitor’s center, and outside along the canal the buildings were run down.
The carousel was fun. but overall it was a bit boring.
I like the carousel. The wheel looks cool.

For more information: Holyoke Heritage State Park official site