The mountain is a very cool place with the BEST marked trails and map I've seen so far. As someone…read morewho frequently goes the wrong way when hiking it was a huge relief to know exactly where I was on the mountain. The visitor center staff was helpful and parking plentiful. There are many trail options from wide and easy to narrow and more challenging. None of it was tough. I'd say this is a great choice for those who don't hike often, or like a fun over a hard climb. We did a 6 Mile loop to the reservoir on top of the mountain and back down along the Rose Ledge trail.

Northfield Mountain is a great place to go for recreation, education, or just to relax. It is not…read moreonly a recreational/conservation area but also a pumped storage hydroelectric facility (meaning that it has a man-made pond of sorts at the top of the mountain that is used for hydroelectric power when the towns and cities in the area need it...they have free tours to check it out!). There are also a lot of outdoor activities including hiking trails, education programs, canoing, and the list goes on (check out their website). The scenery is incredible, its a very quiet place to go and take in some nature. I was there recently for an environment education program which was a lot of fun and very well organized. I've actually been going to place since I was a kid.

Gorgeous place for a hike! While visiting this area, my buddy and I were looking for a place to…read morehike and I came across this place on the internet. It was close by and looked fun, so we went for a hike there the 4th of July. The sanctuary is well maintained and the trails for easy to find for the most part. Most of the trails are not too challenging, but the North Trail was very steep as it seems you climb down the mountain and then back up it! Not sure what the vertical was on that but going down there was a lot a bit of sitting on rocks and sliding down and climbing back up you needed to use your hands and knees a couple of times. Plus there are a lot of stream crossings, but none too challenging. It was raining when we were there so sometimes the stones were slippery but nobody fell in! If you go to the ledges (see map) first, you get a great view of the valley. If you want to continue on the trail, you need to go down to the stone ledges past the chimney and look north (to your right) and you should see the trail sign down in the woods. We didn't see it when we went there so we went back the other way and circled back around. It took us about two hours to hike around the entire sanctuary. We used the Dutch and Mary Barnard Trail, the Wolves Den Loop Trail and then the North Trail back to the Ledges and then back to the parking area. The main parking area is small...probably only 6-8 cars would fit there. I enjoyed visiting here a lot.

My hiking group hikes here often. It's a lovely 2 mile loop. Low side of moderate and a perfect…read morebeginner hike. There is a very well blazed yellow trail. There are vernal pools, an erratic boulder and lush greenery. It's very close to great eateries and a great jaunt in the woods post breakfast or dinner.

Wrong time of year for this hike as it was icy. Needed some yak tracks on ours shoes. We both fell…read morebut got right back up and kept going. It took almost an hour and 50 min to walk due to icy conditions. Would love to do again after The thaw!!

At the suggestion of a docent at the Notch visitor center, we drove up to the Mt. Holyoke Summit…read moreHouse (as we were too pooped and time-pressed to make the 4.5 mile hike on the Metacom trail and ascent). Although the drive up can be a little tight and curvy with hairpin curves and steep drop offs, once at the summit, it was gorgeous. Spectacular views of the Connecticut River and wonderful nooks and crannies and glades among the boulders and trees for tranquil picnics and just plain gazing. The Summit House itself was still closed for the season, but its veranda was open for viewing the scenery and had some useful maps pointing out geographical highlights (also convenient: its restrooms were open, so nice to be able to refresh oneself). There's also a somber memorial dedicated to a WW2 flight crew that lost their lives on the mountain top. Simply beautiful! I would suggest going midweek to avoid the crowds if possible as the roadway is quite narrow and parking could be limited.

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!

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!

Wonderful little lake just North of Athol MA on Rt.32. There is plenty of parking, a boat launch,…read morerestrooms and several wooded picnic spots bordering the lake. This is a perfect spot for an outing for the entire family. Tully Lake is beautiful any time of year but make it a point to visit during the Winter months when its frozen over and covered with snow. You won't be alone as a small number of folks like to walk across the lake with their family and/or pets. Oddly enough, I think I prefer a Winter visit as Tully displays its cold breathtaking wintery pristine splendor in the sparkling Winter's sun.

I went kayking in the Tully lake and connecting river. It was really nice. There are a lot of…read moreanimals. I saw a heron, a bluebird, a red-winged blackbird.....and the highlight was a beaver!!!! I saw it on the land and it swimming. So cute! Relaxing day.

Wwe visited Poets Seat Tower while we were in the area for a weekend of music at the Franklin…read moreCounty Fairgrounds. There is parking right at the base of the tower, and the stairs leading to the tower's topmost level are sturdy and easy to climb. The view from the top is expansive, and we could see thunderstorms approaching from several miles away. The tower is pretty cool, but there is quite a bit of graffiti and trash in the area. I felt safe here with our group during the daytime, but it does seem kind of isolated, so not sure if I would come here alone or after dark. Glad we visited, though, and the view from the top was pretty awesome!

Nicely constructed tower in honor of a greenfield resident poet, nice view that I will include a…read morephoto of. Hike or drive to the top. Perfect for sunsets! While I have been here, 4 cars have driven up, sat in their car with a modest view through their dirty windshields and then left after a few spare minutes. Strange way to take it in. I recommend ascending the tower or at least getting out of your car ; )