Here you will find info about popular recreation opportunities within the Watershed! 

Bicycling
 

Great River Road Bicycle Tour
Held each fall (usually Columbus Day Weekend), this Ride typically offers 35, 65, and 100-mile tours. The route varies from year to year, but begins and ends in Westfield. The longer routes often explore the upper reaches of all three branches of the Westfield River. 

Columbia Greenway Rail Trails
The Columbia Greenway will be the Westfield portion of a series of cycling and walking "rail trails" that will eventually run from New Haven to the Northampton area and beyond. 

New Horizon Sports
Bike store and sponsor of the Great River Road Bicycle Tour
55 Franklin St, Westfield, MA 01085 413-562-5237

Camping

Bony Riggs Camping Club 
Becket, MA 413-623-5366

Walker Island Family Campground
Located on Rt 20 just west of Chester, on the upper reaches of the West Branch of the Westfield River.
Rt 20 Chester, MA 413-354-2295

Canoeing and Kayaking

The Westfield River system is generally considered to offer some of the best whitewater canoeing in the Northeast.
​Various levels of difficulty, from Class I to Class IV can be experienced on the branches of the Westfield. With average or better runoff and water releases from the Knightville and Littleville Dams, the river is navigable for canoes and kayaks in the spring and fall. A listing of public access locations is provided below.

Public Access for Canoeing -
​Andrew Loew has created and canoe access map for the Westfield River Watershed and some nearby areas in western Massachusetts. While these sites were open to the public at the time of his compilation (Summer, 2011), paddlers should verify that status before using them. You should, of course, also use common sense in deciding whether or not conditions are safe at the time of your trip. Make local inquiries to learn about hazards (which can change, especially after major storms) and water levels along any stretch of the river you plan to paddle. The USGS gaging stations along the river provide current information about water levels.



Westfield River Wild Water Races 
Held each spring (usually the third weekend in April), the Westfield Races have been run continuously for 50 years. An 8-mile novice race is run on Saturday, with a longer expert race on Sunday. Recently the races have been sponsored none other than the Westfield River Watershed Association.
Additional information on our Races Tab.


Westfield River Canoe Club 
The club provides information about canoeing access and events.
Jeff Defeo Chester, MA 413-354-9684

Country Fairs

Blandford Fair
 The Blandford Fair features agricultural exhibits and is usually held over Labor Day Weekend in early September.  

Cummington Fair
 The Cummington Fair takes place in late August and has been held annually for more than a century. The fair features pulling events, country music, parades, games, crafts, livestock judging and more. 

Granville Harvest Fair
 The Granville fair features a variety of crafts and is usually held over the Columbus Day weekend in October. 

Middlefield Fair 
The Middlefield Fair is held in early-mid August and features agricultural and horticultural exhibits, a tractor pull, a demolition derby, country music, and children's events. 

Westfield Fair
 The Westfield Fair takes place in mid-late August at the fairgrounds on Russellville Rd north of town. The fair features a tractor pull, BMX bicycle racing, bands, a dance competition, horse & dog shows, midway and entertainment.

The Big E
"Each September, more than 1.6 million people travel to Eastern States Exposition's grounds for New England's grandest fair - The Big E. The 17-day event provides a one of a kind tactile experience in which visitors can celebrate the season and to enjoy the sights, sounds and flavors of the region" (Big E Facebook 2022).

Forests and Parks

Chester-Blandford State Forest Chester. 
​Camping, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, picnicking, scenic areas, snowmobiling, walking trails on 2,308 acres. Be sure to visit Sanderson Brook Falls (parking area just off Rt 20 a couple miles east of Chester). 413-354-6347

Chesterfield Gorge 
The Grand Canyon of Western Massachusetts, located south of Rt 143 between Chesterfield and Worthington and owned by the Trustees of Reservations. 

C.M. Gardner State Park
 Huntington. Boating (non-motorized), fishing, hunting, picnicking, swimming, walking trails on 29 acres, along Rt 112 north of Huntington. 413-354-6347

Glendale Falls 
Middlefield. These falls, owned by the Trustees of Reservations, are really a series of large cascades, tumbling into the Westfield River. No information Hampton Ponds State Park Westfield. Boating (motorized and non-motorized), fishing, picknicking, swimming, accessible facilities on 42 acres. 413-532-3985

Knightville Wildlife Management Area 
Huntington. Fishing, birdwatching, hiking, mountain biking, camping, picnicking on 300 acres near the Knightville Dam north of Huntington on Rt 112. 413-447-9789 Littleville Lake and Dam Huntington. Boating (motorized - maximum 10 hp motor, and non-motorized), fishing (trout-stocked), picknicking around this 275 acre lake.The dam is 1,360 feet long and has public access. 413-447-9789

Mittineague Park 
West Springfield. Athletic fields, bicycling, cross-country skiing, picnicking, walking trails on 320 acres. On the south side of Rt 20. 413-263-3284

Notchview Reservation 
Windsor. Birdwatching, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, picnicking on 3,000 acres. Located along Rt 9 between Cummington and Dalton, this preserve is owned by the Trustees of Reservations. 413-684-0148 Robinson State Park Agawam. Cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, boating (non-motorized), scenic viewing area, swimming, walking trails, accessible facilities on 811 acres along the south side of the Westfield River. 413-786-2877

Stanley Park
Stanley Park Westfield. Birdwatching, cross-country skiing, flower gardens, picnicking, sports activities, walking trails, wildlife sanctuary on 300 acres on Western Ave near Westfield State College. 413-568-9312

Westfield's Riverside Trail 
Westfield. A 1.5-mile trail along the Westfield River with opportunities for birdwatching, boating (non-motorized), walking, scenic vistas, fishing and picnicking. Parking on the south side of the river, just east of the Great River Bridge (Rt 10/202). 413-532-7290

Windsor State Forest 
Windsor. Camping, canoeing, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, mountain biking, picnicking, scenic viewing area, snowmobiling, swimming, walking trails, accessible facilities on 1,743 acres.
413-663-8469

Hiking

Opportunities for hiking abound in the Westfield River Watershed.
Hiking trails may be found in the region's forests and parks and at several properties owned by the Trustees of Reservations. Two major trails, the Appalachian Trail and the MM Trail either skirt the region or cross it.

 Appalachian Mountain Club 
​The Berkshire Chapter of the AMC coordinates many outdoor activities within the Watershed, including hiking trips. 413-523-0636      

Historical Sites

The Westfield River flows more than 50 miles through sixteen towns and travels through 400 years of recorded history. Historical resources range from early Native American archaeological sites to the first keystone arch railroad bridge in the country. In addition, the communities along the river boast numerous historic buildings - mill worker housing, paper mills and whip factories, stately homes, and even a recreated village that blends colonial and 19th century structures.

The Keystone Arch Bridges 
Middlefield. Magnificent secluded stone arch railway bridges of exceptional architectural craftsmanship. Built before the Civil War, three of the bridges lie along a discontinued section of the track and are accessible via a blue-blazed trail from a parking area about 2.5 miles NW of Chester on Middlefield Rd.

Becket Center Becket.
First village in Becket has a Paul Revere bell in its church and a carefully preserved town pound. First rural historic district in the United States to be designated to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Bisbee Mill Museum 
Chesterfield. Almost 200 years of New England history: mill, woodworking and blacksmith shops, wagons, sleighs, tools, buggy whips. Memorial Day through Columbus Day. 413-296-4750

Bryant (William Cullen) Homestead 
Cummington. Home of the famed poet and owner/editor of the New York Evening Post, preserved with 200 years of furnishings. Visitors can walk the Rivulet Forest Trail through the old-growth forest Bryant wrote about. Late June through Columbus Day. 413-634-2244

Chester Depot Railroad Museum 
Chester. Trains, memorabilia, and restored depot from Chester's heyday as a major rail town. 413-354-7850

Crescent Mills 
Russell. Mill village with early 20th century workers' housing and a small 19th century burial ground. 

Edwards Memorial Museum 
Chesterfield. Furnishing, photographs, glass, china, household items, and memorabilia reflecting the history of small-town New England. Summer. 

Kingman Tavern Historical Museum 
Cummington. Historical clothing, furniture, and circa 1800 decor in this 17-room Colonial house. Mid to late summer. 413-634-5527

Storrowtown Village Museum 
West Springfield. Unique collection of 18th and 19th century building relocated from throughout New England to create a traditional village of meetinghouse, blacksmith shop, and homes on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition. 413-787-0136

Summit House Becket
Early 20th century roadside stop for automobile tourists along the Jacob's Ladder Trail (Rt 20). Features a cairn of stones placed by visitors. 

Westfield Wheelmen (Vintage Baseball) 
The Wheelmen are an 1880s vintage baseball team based in Westfield. In 2006 they played on more than a dozen dates between May and October, with games at a variety of sites in Westfield as well as a number of away games. 

Maple Sugaring

New England's maples provide the region's famous fall colors from late September through mid-October and also provide the sap for making maple syrup from late-February through early April. Many local sugarhouses provide tours of their facilities and sales of their products.

Cumworth Farm Maple Products
Cummington. Maple sugaring tours during the sugaring season. 413-296-4760

High Hopes Sugar House
Worthington. Maple sugaring the sugaring season, buffet and maple products shop open during the spring sugaring season and during the fall foliage season. Located on Rt 112 south of Worthington. 800-627-5374

Krug Sugarbush 
Goshen. A state-run facility, at the DAR State Forest, that offers tours during the sugaring season. 413-268-7098

Maple Corner Farm 
Blandford. Maple sugar house with tours in March and April, museum of old sugaring items, pancakes and French toast served on the weekends during the sugaring season. Located on Beech Hill Rd south of Rt 23 and a little west of Blandford center. 413-357-6697

Pomeroy Sugar House 
​Westfield. Maple sugaring tours and a petting zoo during the sugaring season. Located on Russellville Rd, just north of its intersection with North Rd. 413-568-0049

Skiing

Several commercial cross-country skiing places are located within the Watershed, as is the Blandford Ski Area (a downhill skiing site operated by the Springfield Ski Club). There are also numerous opportunites for cross-country skiing within state forest and park lands. Check the Western Massachusetts Cross-Country Skiing page for information on conditions at all the local areas.

 Maple Corner Farm
 Blandford. Maple Corner Farm offers rentals and about 15 km of trails. Late in the season they also have maple sugaring! They can be reached from Rt 23 west of Blandford or from Rt 57 west of Granville. 413-357-8829

Notchview Windsor
​Operated by the Trustees of Reservations, Notchview has about 15 km of trails, and is located on Rt 9 east of Dalton. Notchview is high enough in elevation that they often have snow even when conditions aren't promising in the valleys. 413-684-0148