Nature in Your City and How to Get There

If you want to spend more time in nature - whether or not you have ever done an Eagle Eye program - we want to support you!  Below are some ideas for beautiful natural places near the communities Eagle Eye works with.  

If you need help with any of these, you can email nature@eagleeyei.org and we will help get you started on your nature journey!

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Holyoke Public Transit

    • By Bike: There is an electric bike-sharing program in Holyoke that makes it easier to get around if you don’t have a car or want to enjoy bike riding.  Details are at valleybike.org and you can get reduced pricing if you have SNAP, MassHealth or SSDI.
  • By Bus: Details for bus transit are below for each natural space.  Find schedules and routes at https://pvta.com/ (the “Trip Planner” on the home page is super helpful)
Ashley Reservoir

Holyoke Natural Spaces

  • Ashley Reservoir is a beautiful body of water with about 4 miles of trails through it that make you feel like you are walking on water.  

Address: 250 Whitney Ave., Holyoke 

Parking: free at the Elks Club

Bus: Take the P11 to the Lower Westfield Rd. stop and walk west (away from the mall) on Lower Westfield - but be very careful at the crosswalks as there is a lot of traffic.  It’s about a 10 minute walk from the bus stop to the end of Lower Westfield where you can access the reservoir.

Holyoke Heritage State Park
  • Holyoke Heritage State Park is right downtown and you can walk along the canal or visit the carousel or Children’s Museum or play games on the grassy fields. No hiking trails. 

Address: 221 Appleton St., Holyoke

Parking: on the street, some spots have meters

Bus: Take the R29 to Dwight/Front

Mount Tom State Reservation
  • Mount Tom State Reservation  has miles of hiking trails and even some lookout towers.  In the fall it is a great place to see migrating hawks.  There are mountains/hills with great views.

Address: 125 Reservation Road,Holyoke

Parking: In summer there is a fee, other times free

Bus: Take the B48 bus to the corner of Route 5 and Reservation Road - if you take the bus, you’ll need to pull a cord or tell the driver where you want to get off because the bus doesn’t automatically stop there.  Walk about ¼ mile down Reservation Road and you’ll be in the park.

Mount Holyoke Range State Park
  • Mount Holyoke Range State Park: There are miles of beautiful hiking trails and a lot of them are steep if you are ready for more of a challenge. 

Address: 1500 West St., Amherst but you can get to it pretty easily from Holyoke.  

Parking: free

Bus: Take the R29 to the Notch Visitor’s Center.

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Springfield Public Transit

    • By Bike: There is an electric bike-sharing program in Springfield that makes it easier to get around if you don’t have a car or want to enjoy bike riding.  Details are at valleybike.org and you can get reduced pricing if you have SNAP, MassHealth or SSDI.
    • By Bus: Details for bus transit are below for each natural space.  Find schedules and routes at https://pvta.com/ (the “Trip Planner” on the home page is super helpful).
Forest Park

Springfield Natural Spaces

  • Forest Park is a huge, amazing, diverse park with walking/hiking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds and even a zoo.

Address: 293 Sumner Ave. in Springfield.  

Parking: If you come with a car you need to pay $3.

Bus: You can take the G1 bus - get off at Sumner/Lenox, head left on Sumner toward Taco Bell, and walk straight until you see the park entrance.

Van Horn Park
  • Van Horn Park: There are 2 miles of paved walking trails around a pond, plus picnic tables, playing fields and a water park.

Address: 494 Armory St. in Liberty Heights

Parking: Free

Bus: The G2 takes you to Carew/Armory.  From there, walk ½ mile north on Armory to the entrance.

To explore other Springfield parks, check out the list at https://www.springfield-ma.gov/park/park-facilities