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.

My family and I are just getting into the hiking scene, now that our son is old enough to walk most…read moreof the time and a stroller is no longer absolutely necessary. This isn't a very hard hike to find, but the turn into the parking is easily missed, the driveway into the hike entrance seems to be much smaller than the driveways of the houses nearby. LOL. There is a sign, you just have to pay attention, that's all. There isn't a huge amount of parking; I think there is enough for about eight cars. The hike is really dog friendly. My Vivian loved it. It was mostly in the shade, which is another plus. It is marked really well, so it is rather hard to get lost. My four year old son was our navigator, just to give you some perspective. You just have to follow the yellow dots, and if there is a possibility of confusion, then there is an arrow in the circle as well as a sign informing you where you are. There are informational signs scattered throughout, which I really liked, of various plants and animals. This mountain is well maintained, so please keep it that way. It's about a two mile hike and not hard at all. All I have to say is bring bug spray because we literally were eaten alive; I know not use organic stuff and go with some strong stuff next time. Would I come again? Totally! Loved this hike! Kid and dog friendly is a total score for us.

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.

Great place to hike, you'll need good balance and shoe traction here, especially after a rain.read more

Not far from the center of Granville, MA heading East on 57 is Granville Gorge on the left hand…read moreside. There is limited parking no more than 10 cars but I found a spot quickly. From the parking lot to the gorge is a a short walk; the trail continues along side the river with many small falls and pools available for swimming. There many large and smaller boulders which extend out into the water providing picnicking or sunbathing opportunities. The trail in spots can be challenging; you should exercise caution as you can easily slip if you are not paying close attention. It is a beautiful area well worth a stop to take in the natural sights afforded by this scenic natural wonder.

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.

This park was a staple for my family and I growing up in the area! It's a playground and dog park…read morecombined by a large field that stretches the entire street. The street parking nearby is free, and there are bike racks for anyone that needs them. The neighbors in that area were always very kind to me, but it's also important to be aware of their families and privacy. It's not a place for large group gatherings or non-residents to host events. There are water fountains, waste disposal, and lots of seating, but there are not picnic tables or public restrooms. It's a beautiful park and I always make it a stop on my walks!

So overall Chicopee is a dump, and I didn't know they had a state park and I was pleasantly…read moresurprised. The staff was super nice and it really is a great "in-town" spot to go to just unwind and get away from everything. They have fishing and a great area to bring family (there were a ton of kids) so I would definitely give this place a 5 star.

I am staying at a hotel nearby and needed to walk the Beloved Goldendoodle before going to a…read morewedding this afternoon (translation: get him some exercise so he will sleep this afternoon, plus a bit of exercise for me so I can have extra dessert). I couldn't find anything on Yelp (horrors!) so I looked on Google and came across the park/info on https://www.mass.gov/locations/chicopee-memorial-state-park I was a little confused and thought the park entrance fee was for today as well, so I rummaged through my wallet and off we went (it seems it is only Memorial Day through Labor Day when people can SWIM in the reservoir). The boy and I had a nice walk for just under an hour, passed several runners (well, they passed us) and a bicyclist at 8:15 am, plus a few people with their dogs (keep them on the leash everyone.... and pickup after your fluffiest friends). There are picnic areas, a beach area (looks nice) and even one brave soul who was swimming in this morning's 60 degree temp (but the water could still be warm after the hot summer). There are bathrooms (did not go in, but just across from the swimming area) and 562 acres for you to roam through. Happy we found this, never realized I was passing it zooming by on the Mass Pike all these years.

"A walk in the park, there will be no bother" (Cowboy…read moreJunkies) You'll find this little patch of urban green between the Springfield Armory, TAP Sports Bar, the MGM Springfield courtyard, and the back of the Red Rose restaurant. It was renovated with MGM money when they rebuilt a chunk of downtown for their magnificent casino/hotel/shopping/movie theater complex. We visited the park yesterday on the walk back from lunch at the Red Rose. We saw a wrought iron gate that leads to a beautifully manicured spot of lighted walkways, green grass, pretty yellow and purple flowers, and a circular red stone base supporting a large abstract sculpture. The 2022 sculpture is titled "Dream Catcher" and was constructed of a painted oak tree and stainless steel rods and spheres. It's quite striking! The park is a welcome urban oasis and likely a favorite spot to sulk and self reflect after blowing a load of cash at the casino.

I found this Walk and Bikeway while staying nearby for business. I always like trails and nature…read morewalks and I saw this was not too far from the hotel I was staying at. It follows the Connecticut river both north and south. I went North both times and encountered some peaceful scenes of the river and bridges going across it. I also found a Belted Kingfisher which we find sometimes in Florida during the cooler months in the NE. It was nice to see and appreciate the vast territory the Belted Kingfisher has. It does follow a highway and a railroad. That being said it was pretty quiet for the time I was there. There is opportunities for fishing, boating, or simply relaxing along the river. I didn't like the amount of trash along the river, and along the path. I did my part to pick some of it up while I was in town.