Great hiking trails, moderately challenging, with exhilarating views at the summits. We did just a…read moreshort hike, going up to Bare Mountain from the Notch, and it was a fun ascent with marvelous views of the countryside, farms, and other hills. The visitor center at the Notch is terrific, with friendly and knowledgeable staff, useful interpretive displays and maps, and clean restrooms. A great place to rest up and refresh after a hike. Just terrific and we plan to return in the fall to see the autumn colors!

Talk about a "Top Notch" place to go hiking!! Complete with a visitor center and everything. The…read moreonly thing I'll say is that I wish the trails would be better marked, but other then that it's a very nice place to stop and walk for a bit in the cool weather; very enjoyable.

I love love love this particular hike. I would characterize the trails as intermediate with rocky…read moreareas that require you to pay close attention to what you are doing. The trails are clearly marked but I recommend you take a photo of the smaller trail maps posted throughout the mountain for reference. Because the area is so large with many loop- arounds, having a map photo will prove very helpful. There area several areas near the top with beautiful scenic overlooks you just won't want to miss. This is a dandy hike!

This is a beautiful mountain not far from the Connecticut border. We've been here a few times since…read morediscovering it and really enjoy it. It's a gradual incline at first but still gives you a good workout and is steeper then it looks! Down the road there is another little preserve area with a lake that is perfect for an easy run without too much hill. Very beautiful area and perfect for a late summer and/or fall hike!

Loved this trail- a perfect mix of up and down! At the end…read moreof the trail is the park- get a drink of water there, then turn around to walk back- several views worth seeing- watched the birds and enjoyed the nature!

Goat Rock is a fairly short climb but it is a steep one and you need to be extremely careful as a…read moreslip on this slope could be a big problem. As you ascend, there are a number of switch backs which aid in the steep ascent, you should be in fairly good shape before you attempt this particular climb. Once at the top, there is a beautiful view of the pioneer valley and the towns of Hampden, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow ,Springfield and parts of CT. The best time of the year to climb the mountain is in the Fall when the foliage is at its peak, it can breathe taking in its beauty.

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.

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!

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.

This is relatively flat, but it was a good little hike that's pretty easy. When I was there, there…read morewere hundreds of Canada geese, so I thought that was pretty neat. It's not really challenging as far as getting a good workout, but it was all right. It's pretty.

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.

It's a winner. It's a proper hike with a good incline up to a meadow. If you wanted you could turn…read morearound there, or head to the sunrise view which makes for more incline. There are more options to add trails and make your hike longer or shorter. The views are lovely and the trail was well marked. It was a little muddy on this April Sunday but all in all, not bad. Recommend!

Scenic, relaxing and invigorating. A great escape that I can't recommend enough. My only complaint…read moreis parking is a bit of pain with limited space.

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!