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.

Hemlock Gorge Reservation

July 25, 2019 Sunny

Hemlock Gorge is an interesting park in Newton. The main features are the gorge and Echo Bridge, built by Boston Water Works in 1877, which was the second largest masonry arch in the U. S.

We started from the parking lot off of Central Ave, which leads into a forested trail that heads north toward the boundary with Route 9.

At the lowest point it leads to a bridge that crosses to a small island and which has great views of Echo Bridge.

If you follow along the island you reach a small waterfall and chute.

We continued up Ellis Street on the other side Hemlock Gorge, stopping for a moment to appreciate the large stone arches and to make our own “echo”, which worked really well.

Take the old wooden stairs across the street and you can continue across the top of the bridge, enjoying views to the north and south.

We then returned toward the parking lot, but first took a short side spur that led to the upper part of the gorge and a view of some upper falls on the back of The Mall At Echo Bridge.

Hemlock Gorge packs a lot of variety into a small space and is well worth a visit. It was a pleasure to find trails, waterfalls, a gorge, bridges (large and small), and so many vistas in an urban setting like Newton.

A small park in Newton but with rugged terrain and beautiful views. Be sure to cross the bridge.
It’s a neat place in the middle of Newton, but small.
The site was cool. There was a bridge and a waterfall. Basically what you’d expect.
I liked the bridge and he waterfall. There was a lot of echo(ing.)
I like the lookout. I like the big waterfall.

For more information: Hemlock Gorge Reservation 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.