Tag Archives: walking

Pioneer Valley Public Transit Hikes: New England Trail MA Section 2

My spouse Sara and I are section hiking the New England Trail using public transit. There are some areas that require overnights due to the distance between public transit stops, but most can be done as day hikes.

Last month we hiked Massachusetts Section 2, which is in the towns of Agawam, Southwick and Westfield.

  • Hike difficulty: Moderate – two steep climbs, otherwise mostly flat.
  • Approach difficulty: Hard – walking along highways with heavy traffic without sidewalks for much of the way. At the north end, in times of low water, the Westfield River can be forded and there is a transit stop right on the other side of the river.
  • Distance: 3.5 to 4.1 miles (6.9 to 7.5 miles with approaches)
  • Transit: PVTA R14 (schedule) & R10 (schedule) from Springfield Union Station. Route G73E provides trips every half hour from Northampton’s Academy of Music to Springfield Union Station.

Interactive map:

 See full screen

On the PVTA’s R14 bus to the end of the line, Pheasant Hill Apartments.

Directions to the southern end: Take the R14 to Pheasant Hill Apartments (transit directions), walk 1.2 miles on S. West Street to Rt. 57 to the trailhead (walking directions).

At the northern end, walk 2.2 miles on Feeding Hills Rd to Little River Rd to Rt. 20 to the bus stop in front of Chipotle (walking directions). Or if the Westfield River is low, you can ford the river and catch the R10 bus back to Springfield Union Station at Westfield Street (Rt. 20) and Old Westfield Road (transit directions).

Staying on the trail is recommended! The signs read “Danger Open Pit Stay Away” and “Posted Private Property”
The view to the west.
The old fire tower has partially obscured views of the area.
The trail passes by the Springfield Underground Reservoir.
One of the two steep sections.
A view of the Westfield River, with Rt. 20 (and bus stops) across the river.

Mapping my city with Open Street Map

Over the last few months I’ve been mapping the hiking trails and off street paths of my city, Northampton, Massachusetts, using Open Street Map, a free world map that anyone can edit.  My Sundays have often been going out hiking with friends in the Sawmill Hills of Florence, recording my tracks with a GPS.  There are miles of paths and every time I go out I discover another new to me path heading off that I mark to map later.  I especially enjoy walking through the hills to visit friends on the other side – walking through the woods to a fun destination is the best!

My dream is be able to walk pretty much anywhere on trails and back roads.  A couple of weeks ago I walked to my friend’s place in Huntington, Mass. on trails and back roads like this one, which is Spruce Hill Rd in Westhampton.  Just the kind of “road” I like:

Spruce Hill Rd in WesthamptonAll that needs to happen for my dream to be realized is for the many trails and paths that already exist to be mapped – if you have a smart phone with a GPS in it (most do), you can explore the trails near you, and add them to Open Street Map.  (For Android, you can use My Tracks).

P.S. 7/12/14: Since writing this post, I discovered the Strava heat map of the Sawmill Hills. Strava compiles all of their customers’ running and biking journeys into one map, allowing you to see where many trails are.  You can use it to edit Open Street Map as well.