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. 

If you’re interested in visiting the accessible play areas, enter the park from the main gate on Western Ave. (across from Westfield State University Woodward Center). I would recommend driving past the tennis courts on your right, drive over the speed bump, bear left, go past the first pavilion, and park in one of the accessible spaces in front of the second pavilion on your left (the Westfield Bank Pavilion). Go straight through the pavilion where you will see an accessible path with a ramp that leads to the children’s playscape. 

The playscape has play areas (steering wheels, number blocks, etc), wide enough for a wheelchair user to turn around. A few feet in front of this scape, you will see 2 accessible swings and an inclusive ten spin, all recently installed in the playground. Both swings have over the shoulder restraints that come down and fasten in between the legs to secure the child in the swing. The ten spin, a motion spinner, is designed for children to have a sensory experience. It gives children of all abilities the opportunity to play together as 5 children can be seated and 5 standing (two of the five seated sections have straps to buckle children in). Please note that there is no accessible or paved path to these new playground features and that to get to the ten spin/swings, a wheelchair user would need to go over grass and wood mulch to get right up them. It’s important to note that these play areas are “enter at your own risk”, meaning they do not get cleaned daily as to minimize exposure to chemical agents by children. 

It’s also best to avoid the play areas during extreme temperatures and peak sun hours as the equipment is exposed to direct sunlight and can get hot. There is a bathroom building located across from Westfield Bank Pavilion. There is one accessible and one van accessible parking spot in front, and at the moment there is only one single person accessible bathroom available for use so there may be a wait if the park is very busy when you visit.

For anyone interested in going on a hike, Stanley Park has a wonderful accessible trail. To access the trail, you can enter from Gate 2 (also located on Western Ave) or Gate 5 (the Granville Rd. Entrance). Both of these entrances have accessible and van accessible parking spaces. I would recommend starting from the Gate 5 entrance, where you will see a beautiful sitting area with 3 benches across from the parking area. A few feet ahead lies the grassy green frog pond, swimming with a sea of lily pads. Pass the stone bridge, follow the colorful stone sidewalk all the way to the right where you will see an accessible entrance  along with a set of gradual stairs to the right. 

Along this path, you will pass a beautiful duck pond, and as you  stroll along, you will arrive at an intersection where you will see another walking bridge to your left, a water wheel, and a gazebo up further behind in the distance. Feel free to check out the other areas around the duck pond by way of the walking bridge, or stay to the right where the stone sidewalk will bring you to a hard packed stonedust trail. As you continue, you will come upon the Braille Trail, an Eagle Scout project designed for individuals with visual impairments, to enhance Stanley Park’s “Wheel Walk”. The Wheel Walk is an annual event to increase awareness about accessibility and raise money to make site improvements and increase accessibility at the park. 

The Braille Trail, offers a lovely shaded reprieve from the sun under pine trees and is about 100 ft. long with 3 stations. The Braille Trail runs parallel to the rose garden and there’s a wooden bench at the end. Along this path you will pass bamboo plants and a beautiful stream with the relaxing sound of its water splashing ever so gently over rocks. You will come to an intersection-if you choose, you can visit the accessible bridge which brings you to incredible Asian Tea House, providing a great little spot to sit and enjoy your lunch in the shade. Or, bear to the right and emerge under an Asian Archway then onto the pavement. Here, stay to the right to get to the Gate 2 parking lot where there is a Veterans Memorial. 

The distance of the accessible path from the two gates is approximately .5 mile long so to go the distance then back to your car would be one mile. The bathroom building is located at the Gate 3 entrance. I recommend driving to the bathroom building at Gate 3 either before or after your hike if needed.

For folks who may be interested in a more leisurely stroll with lovely views, enter the park from Gate 3 (Kensington Ave). This parking lot’s first row of parking spaces is dedicated entirely to accessible parking. All the way to the left, you will see the bathroom building. There is currently only one single person accessible bathroom open for visitors. Start on the paved path to the very left of the parking lot-you will come across the rose and flower garden and eventually another pavilion where the park would typically host live concerts in the summer. 

There is a sign which says “Handicap Walkway”, leading down to Granville Road/Gate 5 entrance. However, this is not an accessible pathway and a pretty steep incline downwards so when you see this sign, bear to the right where on the stone sidewalk and you will eventually loop back to the parking lot. You also have the option to cut through the garden. 

Other highlights at this area of the park include the Dinosaur Tracks to the left before you get to fountain and the Carillon Tower with the giant map of the United States in front of it. This is a very popular place for weddings during spring, summer, and fall seasons! I just so happened to come across a wedding when I was visiting!

Click here to download a park map (https://www.stanleypark.org/park-maps.html). If you have any questions before, during, or after your visit, park staff is very helpful and knowledgeable! Feel free to give them a call at (413) 568-9312. 

Please be sure to follow these Stanley Park guidelines to visit the park safely:

-Respect social distancing

-Keep dogs on a leash and away from others at all times.

-Practice responsible personal care and hygiene

-Carry in. Carry out. Take all trash with you.

-Follow CDC guidelines on personal hygiene prior to visiting parks or trails

-Do not use parks or trails if you are exhibiting symptoms

-Be prepared for limited access to public restrooms or water fountains

-Share the trail and warn other trail users of your presence and as you pass

-Observe CDC’s minimum recommended social distancing of 6’ from other persons at all times.​