"Secret" or Public Picnic Spots Sunderland, Amherst, Hadley (Northampton: house, college)
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I'm a hopelessly romantic picnic freak. I long for sunset blanket picnics in a meadow or by a river within 15-20 minutes from Amherst, but I'm not familiar enough with the area to find them. Are there places where you stroll near the river or near meadows that would be the kind of spot two picnickers could set down a blanket and have a picnic?
Just today I got lost on River Road in Sunderland, just over the bridge, en route to Greenfield and was tempted to knock on a farmer's door and ask for permission to quietly set down a picnic sometime on their land if I promised to leave it as pristine as I found it. Not very likely, right? "A picnic? On my property?" Door slams. Are there spots, official and unofficial where two adults could have an sunset picnic in a meadow or by the river without trespassing? We don't need picnic tables, just a soft, picturesque spot. Any suggestions?
This is a very good question! No one seems to have any ready answers so the meadow/riverside romantics must be a distinct minority. Not having done so myself I'd still suggest exploring Northampton meadows. Also the meadow land in Hadley just north of the railtrail bridge (like Honeypot road), and along 47 in North Hadley--at least there is the Porter Phelps Huntington house where you can picnic. Looks like there's a trail along the Mill River in Northampton, above Paradise Pond. I think also along the Deerfield River in and around Old Deerfield. Good luck!
I appreciate the excellent information. I didn't think about Mt. Pollux, but I'll give it a try if spring ever springs and I can locate entrance is. Anyone out there know where to park and access Mt. Pollux? Again thanks for all the tips.
Everything seems to be privately owned. I used to go to Atkins and have a picnic there. It's pretty and when the apple blossoms are in bloom it's like heaven out there. I also used to go out on rte 66 to Westhampton and have picnics in the car at that little store with the apple trees across the street (if it's still there.) But I NEVER did find a nice open meadow type place for a decent private picnic anywhere.
Mt. Pollux entrance is easy to miss. looks like a driveway, about 0.9 mi south of south amherst common on south east street (on the right). There is a small public parking area at the end.
Yes, lots of the meadow land along the Connecticut and other rivers is privately owned and intensively farmed so you have to stick to the roads. But in the meadow lands, the roads are narrow lanes, hardly any traffic, and may be nice for walking. Seems like using online satellite imagery to identify the likely areas is good, then see if there are public sites where you can walk around, sit down, and picnic. Google maps, for ex, identifies many public lands, and one notices that in Northampton meadows, for instance, there's a conservation area at the river edge.
Couple of spectacularly beautiful places for sauntering and picnicking at opposite ends of the state--requires a trip but worth it in my view--Bartholemew's Cobble in Ashley Falls, in the town of Sheffield, with beautiful, wildflower filled trails along the Housatonic River; and in Hingham, the World's End Reservation, which is romantic, breathtaking, almost unbelievably beautiful. Both of these are Trustees of Reservations sites.
Mt Pollux is lovely, I agree. It's not along water, but what the heck?
missionhill - my girlfriend and I both love the outdoors. we have been together for a while, and i am planning to propose soon. i was thinking of going to batholemew's cobble for the day and doing it there. i read one bad review about deer flies in the summer months being over bearing there. have you heard about this or had any experience? any feedback would be awesome. i am planning this very soon so if you could respond asap i would be so thankful! thank you so much!
There's a hiking trail that crosses the Connecticut via an old railroad bridge between Montague and East Deerfield--it's called the Canalside trail. I haven't walked it, but it looks interesting.
Montague Book Mill on the waterfall, Montague (Rte 47 out of Sunderland).
Deerfield River (near Zoar) on a weekday only.
Quabbin Reservoir.
Amherst College campus on a weekend.
Hampshire College campus on a weekend.
Sunderland town park on (Reservoir?) Road.
* * * North Amherst - Puffers Pond, picnic area, and trails (near the cohousing complex)
Too many places to list...
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