Good morning neighbor!
Franklin County is filled with beautiful hills, lakes, hiking trails and more. But did you know you can find paradise in the North Quabbin region?
The Quabbin Reservoir is one of my all-time favorite places. How many people can say that such a place exists in their own backyard?
You may not want to head that way in the next couple of days. As great an experience as it is, it isn’t much fun when temperatures are oppressive.
But, choose a nice day and you won’t regret it. There are so many options. The state Office of Watershed Management has care and control of the 24,529 acres that make up the Quabbin Reservoir, along with 54,686 acres within the watershed — there’s another 4,400 acres off the watershed, for a total of 79,215 acres on the watershed or 83,615 that includes off-watershed land.
Many of you already know the story of how the Quabbin Reservoir was created, but for those of you who don’t, four towns were lost in the process: Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott.
Over about seven years, the waters of the Quabbin Reservoir slowly rose 170 feet above the riverbed behind Winsor Dam. It’s one of the largest unfiltered water supplies in the United States. The 412 billion gallon reservoir, along with the Wachusett Reservoir and Ware River, is the source for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water supply system, and it supplies Boston with its drinking water.
The Quabbin covers 39 square miles, with 181 miles of shoreline. You can walk more than 40 gates and tons of trails, but recreational activities, including fishing, are regulated and limited to protect the water.
One of the gates I love to walk is Gate 40 in Petersham, which, after about a mile and a half hike, gets you to the lost town of Dana — or at least what’s left of it. You can sit in the town center and take in the strong sense of history.
There are cellar holes and stone walls all around the center. You can sit and have a peaceful picnic or continue another mile or so to the water, where you’ll find a nice view of Mount Zion.
The walk in is flat, so it’s an easy one. There’s plenty of nature to see along the way, with migrating birds, woodlands and open fields, and it is considered by many as one of the best historical hikes in the Quabbin Reservoir.
If you’re just looking for a nice nature walk, I happen to enjoy Gate 29 on Route 122 in New Salem. It’s another pretty flat walk, with the exception of a couple of short inclines, though they aren’t steep.
Gate 29 is another long hike to the water — probably about two and a half miles. It intersects with the shorter Gate 30 path that includes Keystone Bridge, which was built by hand in 1866 to span the middle branch of the Swift River.
When you get back to Gate 29, you’ll find several cellar holes, woodlands, ponds, open fields and sometimes, lots of wildlife, including a moose on occasion — I’ve been told; I’ve never seen one myself.
The walk is well worth it, because it also leads you to one of the many shores of the reservoir.
Probably my favorite, though, is Gate 35. During the first half-mile, you’ll walk along woodlands and find some pretty interesting creatures, including ravens. Then, the rest of the walk is along the shores of the Quabbin.
It’s a three-mile hike in and out that leads from Old North Dana Road in New Salem to a dirt road that ends at the edge of the water. Mostly flat, it has tended, at least when I’ve gone out, to be the most traveled, probably because it’s such a beautiful hike.
It is definitely one of the best trails on the north side of the Quabbin when it comes to views of the reservoir. I have seen many loons and eagles on that walk. It’s nice to just sit on the shore and listen sometimes — I’ve felt an incredible inner peace there. And, it has inspired some of my writing.
If, though, you don’t like the more secluded hikes you encounter on those gates, especially Gate 40, you can always go to the Visitors Center at 100 Windsor Dam Road in Belchertown.
In 1984, the center opened after the state realized there was a growing interest in the Quabbin Reservoir and how it was created. During the first few years, the state relied on volunteers recruited through Friends of Quabbin, a nonprofit support organization founded in 1984, to run the center. In 1987, the budget finally provided funding for staff.
In Belchertown, you can climb the tower in the park, stop at the various pull-offs that provide breathtaking views or walk along the Winsor Dam.
So, there you have it. There are so many more gates and/or trails to travel. And, with the exception of early spring, when the black flies seem to be in excess, you can travel the Quabbin Reservoir during any season, including winter. Not all of the roads are plowed, but if the snow isn’t too deep, you can make it in.
It’s absolutely gorgeous, no matter the season, so give it a try. I know you won’t be disappointed.
If you’d like to learn more about the Quabbin Reservoir and the opportunities for some nice and mostly easy hikes, visit: foquabbin.org.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-0261, ext. 269 or afritz@recorder.com.