RIVERSIDE GREENWAY LETTERBOX:
GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted: June 14, 2006
Length: Riverside Greenway; 1 mile off-road and a 1/2 mile on-road (sidewalk)
Greenfield Recreation Area to Letterbox; 1/4 mile
Greenfield Recreation Area to Route 2A; 1 1/2 miles
Difficulty: Easy. Paved, flat trail.
Directions:
To start from the Greenfield Recreation Area; Take exit 26 off of I-91to Route 2 west (Mohawk Trail). After traveling underneath I-91, take your first right onto Colrain Road. Take this road for 1 1/2 miles passing Greenfield Community College along the left and just after passing by Harpers Store on your left, take a right down Nashs Mill Road. Greenfield Recreation Area will be on the left.
Note; during the summer months a fee is required to enter the park, however, if you continue past the park, just after crossing the bike trail, an open field is available for parking.
The Franklin County Bikeway is a planned 23 mile trail linking several Franklin County communities; Greenfield, Deerfield, Gill, Montague, Northfield, Leverett and Sunderland. It primarily consists of a loop through Greenfield, Deerfield, Montague and Gill, with a spur south to Historic Deerfield and a spur north to the Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center. Routing through Leverett and Sunderland will allow riders to travel south to Amherst and connect to bikeways there. See; Norwottuck Rail Trail Letterbox . This Bikeway includes a combination of dedicated bike paths (off-road), bike lanes and on-road routes. The 1 mile Riverside Greenway is the first portion of this Bikeway to be completed. Another new Bikeway runs from Turners Falls, over the Connecticut River and into Deerfield. See; Canalside Trail Letterbox . For more information on the Franklin County Bikeway visit; FRANKLIN COUNTY BIKEWAY .
Starting from the Greenfield Recreation Area; The trail starts across Nashs Mill Road and crosses over the Green River via a newly built "green" iron bridge. The trail then turns right and travels between I-91, up to your left and the Green River below to your right. You then pass below the highway, next to the river, with a stone embankment on your left and a wood fence on your right. When the stone embankment ends, head left off the trail up a grassy path. Take 12 paces (2 steps = 1 pace) along this path to an intersection. Right is a dirt trail up a hill. Continue straight, parallel with the highway, another 3 paces. Spot 3 small rocks to your right along the tree line. Behind these rocks is a medium sized tree with an Ironwood tree (very smooth, gray bark that looks like muscles; also called Musclewood) growing out of the back of it. Here you'll find a pile of rocks. Please DO NOT remove the top rock. Simply remove the small middle rock next to a sapling, reach inside and remove the Riverside Greenway Letterbox. Continuing along the trail, 3/4 miles brings you through a meadow. If you look up on the hill, you can see Greenfield County Prison. The trail then ends at 1 mile. You can continue by heading right down Riverside Drive (sidewalk) and then crossing over Colrain Street to a narrow paved trail that runs alongside Riverside Drive. At 1.4 miles you cross over Solon Street via a cross-light and at 1 1/2 miles you come to Route 2A (Mohawk Trail). If you follow the sidewalk left, this will take you to downtown Greenfield.
HH
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
JULY 28, 2008
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING
