Whiting Street Reservoir - An Easy Hike in Holyoke

Along Whiting Street Reservoir

April weather is drawing more people into the outdoors and last week I had the pleasure of being welcomed to a new place for me, Whiting Street Reservoir in Holyoke. Sarah Wedaman, local mother of a child with a disability, invited me to check out this favorite place to jog with her son in his stroller. We met on a sunny, warm afternoon and circled the reservoir in an hour and a half on a pleasant stroll.

Roadside parking is at the end of Mountain Park road in Holyoke, off Route 5. There are no designated accessible parking spots and no bathrooms or buildings at this popular location. Best times to go are during the weekdays when you can park close to the gate on relatively level pavement. Recently paving around the gate has created an accessible entry. To go around the reservoir - which is not visible from your car - choose to walk the uphill road. (The downhill choice enters the Mt. Tom Ski Area.) The paved road has a long gradual grade uphill and a steeper descent alongside noisy I-91 before you arrive on flat ground next to a  portapotty (not wheelchair accessible), which I found very clean inside.

Parking area near gate.

This up and downhill entry is perhaps a quarter of a mile and is the most challenging aspect to this hike, along with the 3 mile or so distance to circumnavigate the reservoir and return. The trail around the reservoir seems mostly flat, but has a couple of spots with moderate grades that occur gradually. I'm calling this an easy hike because of the initial hill, overall length and lack of surface obstacles. The trail is a well-maintained service road-width all the way, and this makes for easy social distancing. 

This is an easy hike for ambulatory people in reasonable physical condition and might work for some wheelchair users as well, depending on narrow passage around the gate and managing the hill. It is perfect for small group use. New pavement through a spruce forest brings you to the base of the dam, where the approximately 2 mile loop around the reservoir starts.

View of the dam area.

There is a mix of full sun and a lot of shade along the loop, but be aware there are no benches or picnic tables. We saw quite a few solo joggers, a few bicyclists, and several walkers. This is a popular spot for families and as we returned to the roadside parking area at around 5pm, there were more people arriving and cars were parked a good distance down the road which goes downhill back towards Route 5. I was pleased to see families using strollers as well good visitation by the Latinex community. Sarah informed me that it is place people come with young kids to ride bikes. She also mentioned that she feels safest in this location during the weekdays. Graffiti on the portapotty was a visual reminder of after hours activity here.

Whiting Street Reservoir is a reserve public drinking water supply maintained by the City of Holyoke Water Works. We saw a sign that said No Dogs. Fishing, hunting and picnicking are also not allowed.

Shaded travel along reservoir.

DCR (Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation) advocates for people to stay close to home during the pandemic and visit parks within walking distance or a short drive. If you plan to venture further afield, as well as on any outing, please protect yourself and others. In addition to following safe practices outlined by the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health, please be sure to follow these additional guidelines for safe visiting:

• Minimize outdoor recreational time to limit potential exposure to COVID-19;
• Stay within solitary or small groups, and avoid gatherings of ten or more people;
• Practice social distancing of at least six feet between individuals;
• Administer healthy personal hygiene, such as handwashing for at least 20 seconds;
• Participate in only non-contact recreational activities;
• Leave a park or area should large gatherings begin to build; and,
• Stay home if ill, over 70, and/or part of a vulnerable population