Accessible Outing and Scenic Sights at Stanley Park in Westfield

Thanks to Laila Soleimani for this Guest Post on Stanley Park in Westfield, Massachusetts!

Stanley Park, home of the black squirrel, is considered a blissful treasure amongst locals and visitors alike. Having grown up here, I am continuously impressed by the site improvements Stanley Park continues to make. This family-friendly park has much to explore and something for everyone to enjoy in the lower Pioneer Valley. 

There is no parking or entrance fee. I was there twice last week, on Tuesday and Thursday. Both days were very sunny and humid with temperatures above 90. There were not many park visitors and folks I did see were not wearing face coverings. Masks/face coverings are required unless you are maintaining a minimum of a 6 foot distance from others. 

There are a few different ways to enter the park, depending on what you’re interested in doing. Descriptions of the playground, accessible walks and parks highlights follow here. Bring a lunch and plan to spend a couple hours here to take in all the beauty. All gates are locked at 7pm so please plan your trip accordingly. 

Dunn State Park Offers Accessible Trails and More

A walk in the woods can be refreshment for the soul, even close to civilization. In north central Massachusetts, Dunn State Park offers a wheelchair accessible excursion into the woods and more. It's a good day trip for locals in Gardner and the surrounding area - also easily accessible off of Route 2. Bring a picnic and your bathing suit in case you are inspired to take a dip from the beach. Dunn State Park is popular for fishing and has 2 accessible fishing docks.

I was there a few times recently this summer. Yesterday was partially overcast and sometimes sunny, with temperatures in the low seventies. The park was surprisingly quiet, with only a handful of people around. When I was there in June during a heat wave, the beach was busy with families and kids. On any weekday it seems - and park staff verified this - the accessible Woodland Trail has few hikers during the late morning and afternoon. Most people hike the mile loop around the pond, which is not wheelchair accessible - although if you park at the Betty Springs Road entrance, there are 2 accessible parking spots and an accessible fishing pier, and the trail there is navigable by wheelchair for a ways.

A Sense of Peace and History on the Tinker Trail

I visited the John Tinker Trail in Groton this week - what a gem of a wheelchair accessible trail!

Located on Nod Road in J. Harry Rich State Forest, the John Tinker Trail is a delightful and flat quarter-mile stroll through the woods and alongside a river to a picnic table. The trail is 10 feet wide and hard-packed stone dust. As it comes close to the river, pine needles cover the trail and the smell of pine provides a pleasant atmosphere, as does the scenic views of river through the tall trees. I really liked the sense of both spaciousness and protection in this location.

Into the Wheelchair Accessible Woods at Savoy Mountain State Forest

Four miles off Route 2 in the Berkshires, Savoy Mountain State Forest has a delightful accessible trail linking a beach with the woods. Though short, the trail offers a surprising bit of respite in nature. This state park offers a remote opportunity for camping, hiking and enjoying the outdoors.

I particularly like the bit of wildness you feel on the accessible trail as you traverse gently rolling terrain near North Pond. It's a great spot to listen for forest birds. While there I heard the robust and complex song of the elusive winter wren and saw ladyslipper flowers in bloom. I also saw my first autumn leaf in the trail, before the end of June!

The accessible trail starts from the main parking lot. Pass the restrooms and tee up onto a paved path traversing the main area of the park. If you turn left, you'll enter a picnic area and head down an accessible path to the beach. Turn right and soon you will see a trailhead sign for the North Pond Loop on your right. This is where the accessible woodland trail starts.