Northampton Neighbors
Monday Walking Group
10:00 a.m., Monday, October 28, 2024
Goodnough Dike, Quabbin Reservoir
Ware, Mass. 01082
MEETING TIME AND PLACE: 10:00 a.m., Monday, October 28, 2024. We will meet in the parking area for the Goodnough Dike at the Quabbin Reservoir in Ware; if the parking area is full, you can park off the road nearby. The parking area is about 1 1/2 mile from Route 9 and there is a Porta-Potty adjacent to the parking area.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: If you choose to drive, you can use Goodnough Dike, Ware, Mass 01082 as a GPS address and get very good directions. After crossing the Connecticut River on Rt. 9, take the right hand turn onto Rt. 47 South at the V intersection a short distance from the bridge. Proceed approximately 1.7 miles south on Route 47 and make a left hand turn onto Bay Road (signs will say Atkins Farms, Hampshire College and Eric Carle Museum). From Route 47 it is 2.9 miles to the Route 116 Roundabout by Atkins Farm. At the Route 116 Roundabout, take the second exit onto Bay Road East. An immediate landmark once on Bay Road East is the driveway to Kestrel Land Trust’s office and immediately beyond that is the parking area for the Sweet Alice Conservation Area. Stay on Bay Road for about 6 ½ miles to its end at the stop sign at a V intersection; the Roadhouse Cafe is across the street. Bear right onto Route 9 and continue east one half mile, past a traffic light. Stay on Route 9 and go through a second traffic light that is only 1/10 of a mile ahead which is the intersection of Routes 202 and 9. Continue on Route 9 for about 5.9 miles passing signs on the left for Quabbin Reservoir and Windsor Dam. The landmark for our turn is a sign on the RIGHT for Quabbin Park Cemetery. In less than 100 feet, make a LEFT turn onto an unmarked road (the map says Old Ware-Enfield Road). If you miss the left turn, you can make the next left onto Old Ware-Enfield Road which leads to the Goodnough Dike. Proceed about 1 ½ miles to the Goodnough Dike parking area on the right, our meeting place.
On your return trip, look for the Roadhouse Cafe one half mile past the traffic light at the intersection of Routes 9 and 202, and make a left turn on to Bay Road that meets Route 9 as a V.
DESCRIPTION OF WALK: From the parking lot for the Goodnough Dike, it is about a 1 ¾ mile walk on a paved road to the dike itself and return. At the far end of the dike, there is a woods road that goes up a wooded hill at a moderate grade that can extend the length of the walk. This is a link to a map of the area in the Quabbin Reservoir that we will be visiting:
https://www.mass.gov/doc/dcr-quabbin-park-access-map/download
Our pace will be moderate, taking about one to three hours for the walk, depending on how far you walk. Please wear hiking boots or walking shoes, bring a rain jacket, extra water and snacks, and hiking staffs, if you use them.
COORDINATOR: David Herships (Cell phone) 413-320-2799; email:
davidhersh22@gmail.com.
CANCELLATION POLICY: If the walk has to be canceled for rain or otherwise, we will email a cancellation notice the evening before or the morning of the walk.