CHICOPEE STATE PARK LETTERBOX:
CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted: October 2, 2002
Length: Loop Trail; 2 ½ miles round trip.
Loop Trail (from Outside Park); 3.8 miles
Shortcut to Letterbox; 1 ¼ miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate. Paved surface. Flat, except for one hill (a bit steep for small kids on bikes).
Directions:
From I-90 (Mass Pike), take exit 6. Then take a right onto Burnett Road just after the toll booth. From I-291, head north to the end at the toll plaza entrance. Continue straight onto Burnett Road instead of turning right towards the toll lanes. Travel a ½ mile up Burnett Road to the park entrance on your left. When you pass the gate house, continue straight to the parking lots. Left brings you to the overflow lots. To park outside the Park; There is a Duncan Donuts plaza alongside Burnett Road and a sidewalk to the Park entrance. About a ½ mile to the parking lot from the plaza.
NOTE;
A parking fee is collected during the summer months (Memorial Day to Labor Day);
however, you can park outside the park and bike or hike in. See directions
above. The park is only open
There is a sign board located near the
entrance to the picnic and pavilion area which is located among a Scotch Pine
forest. From the sign board, head left towards the beach area of
Chicopee
Reservoir. Pass by the Bath House and several paved trails to your left
that lead up to the overflow parking lots until you come to a path on the right
that crosses over the dam.
Note;
For the Shortcut (hiking only); cross over the dam and go straight up the
path to the paved Loop Trail and turn right
up the hill. When you reach the top of the hill, you will see a small path along
your right that creates an island
of White Birch
trees between the path and the paved trail. You will be directly above the dam.
See Below For Letterbox Clues.
If biking or wishing a longer trip, do not
cross over the dam, but continue straight down the trail where you will cross
over a bridge. From the bridge, take the Loop
Trail to your left. You ascend a ¼ mile hill and then level out. A ½ mile
takes you under some power lines. You come to a Y in the trail. Keep
right on the paved trail. Westover Air Force Base will be on your left.
We encountered lots of planes taking off just above us. Quite a sight. After a
mile the trail turns away from the Base. You pass by a nice overlook of the
reservoir through a Red Pine forest on your left. At about the 1 ¼ mile mark
will be another overlook just before a sharp right hand curve. Looking down at
the reservoir you'll see the dam just to your right. A dirt path comes in from
the left and meets the paved trail, then forms a small island around a patch of
White Birch trees. For the Letterbox; stand to the right (as you
face the reservoir) of this island
of
HH
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
SEPTEMBER 14, 2009
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING