Parking

70TH WESTFIELD RIVER WILDWATER RACES

PARKING FOR RACERS & SPECTATORS

Here are instructions on where to park along the Expert Race course and the Classic Race course for competitors and spectators.

Expert Race Start at Knightville Dam

1. There is plenty of parking at the Expert Race start line at Knightville Dam. Once you enter the park you will reach a fork in the road. The right fork goes to the top of the dam. Take the left fork towards the picnic area and the pavilion and pull to either side of the driveway and park on the grass.

2. There will be a greeter to show you where to park.

3. There will be porta-toilets positioned at the fork in the road near the start line.

Expert Race Finish at Rt. 20 Rest Area Across from Hilltown Health Center

1. There is no parking at the Expert Race finish line at the Rt. 20 rest area. There is not a lot of space there so it is restricted to the timing crew and race officials.

2. The Hilltown Community Health Center has given us permission to use their parking lot across Route 20 from the finish area at the MassDOT Rt. 20 rest area.

3. When you finish the Expert Race you will simply pull your boat up on shore and then safely cross Rt. 20 to get your vehicle. You can then drive over to the rest area to pick up your boat.

4. Because of the congestion of boats being picked up, please do not park there after your boat is tied down. If you want to watch additional finishers coming across the line, simply drive back to the health center parking lot and then walk back over to welcome racers coming off the river.

Classic Race Start at MassDOT Maintenance Yard by Rt. 112 Green Bridge

1. The Classic Race parking area next to the railroad tracks is quite limited and it will be congested because of the piles of railroad ties and gravel where we used to park. Therefore, we will be restricting parking to only racers.

2. There will be a police officer and race officials at the top of Freight Yard Road to redirect spectators and supporters to park in the municipal parking lot by the Huntington Town Hall and along Rt. 20 in front of the town green. There is also a municipal parking lot across Rt. 20 from the town green. It is a short walk up the sidewalk to the race start line. Thank you to all of the supporters and spectators for your cooperation and for your understanding of the limited parking in the racer parking lot.

3. There will be two parking volunteers in the railroad gravel parking area to help direct you to where there are open spots. Please park as close to each other as you can to maximize the number of vehicles that we can get into that space.

4. Race officials will be able to drive straight through past the registration tent and park beyond the staging area for the canoes and kayaks. You will need to have a parking pass visible which will be given to you in order to gain access to that area. This is just for the timing crew, starting crew, registration crew, race announcer and race photographer.

Classic Race Finish at Woronoco Village (this is a change from last year)

1. Unfortunately Woronoco Road is closed down by the Strathmore Mill due to the mill s collapse earlier this year. Therefore, the only way to enter is from the north entrance off of Rt. 20.

2. There is a chain-link fence blocking the road just past the old Rt. 23 intersection with the traffic triangle.

3. This year the road will have two way traffic versus last year when it was one way. This is going to create congestion and we ask that you drive slowly and carefully in that area and watch for people and boats crossing the road.

4. There will be no long-term parking for racers, spectators or supporters along Woronoco Road. There simply is no room. This is strictly for volunteers and support vehicles picking up racers who they are following.

5. All vehicles belonging to racers must be parked at Strathmore Park. You will be transported to the park from the finish line by school bus.

6. Competitor s canoes, kayaks and SUP boards will be transported by trailers to Strathmore Park and offloaded near the pavilion where you can go to retrieve them. Competitors must carry their paddles, PFD s and personal belongings on the buses with them.

7. The volunteer timing crew, the trailer loading crew, the medical crew, and boat carriers will park in front of the chain-link fence where the road is closed down.

8. There will be three school buses, three pickup trucks with canoe trailers and a stake-bed truck to carry kayaks and SUP boards continuously cycling through to pick up racers and boats to be transported to Strathmore Park.

9. If competitors have a support vehicle following them down the river, that vehicle will be allowed access to Woronoco Road and park along the designated section of the road to wait for their racer to come off the river. Support drivers are to remain in their vehicles. There is no spectating as there is just too much congestion and no one is allowed on the bridge due to safety and the need to maintain access for emergency vehicles as well as private vehicles crossing the bridge for residents who live on the other side of the river.

10. When racers exit the river, they will be asked if they have a support vehicle picking them up or if they are using the race shuttle trailers and buses to take them back to Strathmore Park. They will be directed where to leave their boats and where to load the bus or meet their support vehicle.

11. All traffic will drive south towards the Old Rt. 23 intersection with the triangle. Drive around the triangle to head back up Woronoco Road heading north towards Rt. 20. Please drive slowly and carefully as there will be people and boats crossing the road.

12. Please, please, please do not walk onto the bridge. It is very narrow and it is difficult for vehicles to pass by when there are spectators on it. We have direct instructions from the Russell police requesting that people not walk on the bridge. Please honor this requirement.

13. There will be porta-toilets positioned at the finish line.

14. There will be a medical station and a Russell Fire Department Rescue Truck at the finish line if medical assistance is needed.

Spectator Viewing Along the River

1. Expert Race start line at Knightville Dam with plenty of parking for spectators. There will be a porta-toilet positioned there.

2. Expert Race finish line at the MassDOT Rt. 20 rest area. Park across Rt. 20 in the Hilltown Community Health Center parking lot and walk across Rt. 20 to watch. Parking at the rest area is for the timing crew, race officials and racers picking up their boats. There will be a porta-toilet positioned there.

3. Hill & Dale is not an official viewing spot. The Country Woodcraft store is open for business and their parking lot is private property. We do not have permission to park there and we should not be taking over their parking lot to prevent them from conducting business. If you wish to view the paddlers at that location you will need to be dropped off or park at the former VFW parking lot and walk down along Rt. 20. Please be careful if you are walking along Rt. 20 and recognize that this is a long walk. Please obey the no parking signs or you will receive a parking ticket. This is monitored by both local and state police. There will be a porta-toilet positioned at Hill & Dale.

4. Russell Main Street Bridge has excellent viewing from the bridge and there is plenty of parking by Frog Hollow Road next to the bridge. There will be a porta-toilet positioned there.

5. Wipperonon rest area along Rt. 20 has plenty of parking and excellent viewing. There will be a porta-toilet positioned there.

6. Strathmore Park has plenty of parking and it has well maintained trails down to the river to cheer competitors heading for the finish line. There will be porta-toilets positioned there as well as the park toilet facility.

IMPORTANT: If you need immediate assistance or you wish to report an emergency, please look for one of the Race Officials who will have the means to communicate with the Russell Police Command Center. Emergency resources including the Hilltown Ambulance, police cruisers and fire personnel will respond. There will be a medical station at the Classic Race finish line along with the Russell Fire Department Rescue Truck.

Hill & Dale will be staffed with Russell Firefighters who will be throwing rescue bags to pull in paddlers who have capsized coming through the rapids. There will also be a team of rescue kayakers to help pull in swimmers to shore as well as their boats and paddles.

The Huntington Police Department and the Huntington Fire Department will have personnel deployed along the Expert Race course including Rocky Brook Drive at the bottom of the Gardner State Park rapids and Boulder Patch.

Please note that there will be trash receptacles positioned along the river courtesy of Pioneer Valley Trash. Please deposit your trash accordingly and preserve the beauty of the river and it s landscape. It is up to all of us to help protect this natural resource so that everyone can enjoy it. Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints. Thank you for your cooperation.

Harry Rock

Race Director