Western Massachusetts undergoes a transformation around this time of year: green rolling hills that are dotted with farms and swept with the dust of a dry, hot summer suddenly transform, set ablaze with fiery color. It’s as if the trees have been dipped in flame, and the sunsets ignite the sky with a dazzling array of pinks and oranges.
If you’re not native to Massachusetts and are attending one of the five colleges (UMass Amherst, Amherst College, Smith College, Hampshire College, and Mt. Holyoke College) or visiting the state, taking advantage of one of the many walking trails this area has to offer is one of the best ways to witness the beauty of fall first-hand.
1. North Apartments Walking Trail
If you’re a UMass student without access to a car, there’s an incredible walking trail right on campus! Well, sort of. Directly behind North Apartments and the Lot 44 parking lot, you’ll find sprawling fields cut through with a gravel and dirt trail. While no official name for this land could be found, students in the agriculture and anthropology departments at UMass often conduct experiments or harvest crops from the land.
The trail winds through a small wooded area bordered by farmland before opening up to a grassy field that stretches onto privately owned property. This is a popular walking trail for people with dogs, and it’s also used by cyclists as a shortcut to campus. This is a superb place to watch the sunset, and if you follow the trail all the way up to the houses rimming the fields, you’ll find a rope swing hanging from the bough of a tree, completing the idyllic picture.
2. Mill River Conservation Area
Located down the street from North Apartments at 95 Montague Rd. in Amherst, the Mill River Conservation Trails extend beyond the Mill River Recreation Area past a small park, basketball court, tennis court, and baseball fields. The trail runs through heavily wooded areas and is connected to Puffer’s Pond. The entire parcel of the Mill River Conservation area includes over 90 acres of donated and purchased land. Check out more about the Mill River Recreation Area here.
3. Mt. Holyoke Range
The Seven Sisters trail is an 8-mile hike crossing over several mountain summits and lookouts that provide spectacular views, and the area as a whole features over 30 marked trials of varying difficulty. For the more savvy trail runners, there is the annual 12-mile 7 Sisters Trail Race that is hosted at this location with over a 3,500 elevation gain. This event is widely considered one of the most difficult trail races in the Northeast, therefore if you do run it, be sure you have adequate training beforehand. You can read more about the 7 Sister Trail Race here, and check out some of the activities in the area here.
The trails that do exist here are also great for walking! I’ve witnessed some of the most beautiful views here during sunset and sunrise, as there are multiple lookouts that provide an areal view of the Pioneer Valley.
4. Mt. Tom State Reservation
The Mt. Tom State Reservation is one I recently discovered, and there are multiple trail heads you can take that bring you through different areas of the reservation land. Something important to note is that many of the parking areas close at 6 p.m. Therefore, if you’re planning on visiting for a walk make sure you have enough time before the gates are locked.
The area is a 2,082 acre facility with 20 miles of hiking and walking trails to choose from. You can check out some more information about the best trails around this area here.
All images courtesy of the author.