Massachusetts State Parks

Posted on June 11, 2022June 18, 2022 by Dusty Roads

Massachusetts State Parks

If you are a Facebook user you may have seen advertisements for Nature Adventure books. When they first came out with them I ordered a couple. I ordered National Parks, Massachusetts State Parks and New England Lighthouses. I figure that the Massachusetts State Parks and The New England Lighthouses would give me plenty to do and I’d have the National Parks for when I travel out of state. COVID and personal health reasons made a major dent in my travel the last 2 years but it’s time to think about getting out and about again.

Oh The Possibilities

I pulled out the Massachusetts State Park Adventure Book and there are 305 parks listed. They aren’t just state parks, there are Reservations, Historic Sites, beaches, State Forests, and Management Areas. So as a first step I decided to go through the list and see how many I’ve been to already. After all, this is the state where I’ve lived pretty much all of my adult life and I’ve always done a lot of exploring. I must have been to some of the places on the list!

Bash Bish Falls State Park

The first one on the list that I spotted was Bash Bish Falls State Park. Of course I always mess it up and call it Bish Bash Falls. That just sounds better to me! I made the trek to Bash Bish Falls in June of 2017. Bash Bish Falls is located in the western part of Massachusetts on the New York state border. Located in the Town of Mount Washington it is also part of Mount Washington State Forest.

You can choose to make the hike easy or hard. The trail head in MA is steep and rugged. Probably not too bad going down, if you’re careful, but I sure didn’t want to have to make my way back up at the end of the day so I went into New York and used the New York trail head to get to the falls. It may be a little longer but it’s a gradual incline and it’s downhill going back.

Bash Bish Falls is the highest waterfall in Massachusetts. The dramatic final pitch of Bash Bish Brook drops about 80 feet into an emerald plunge pool. It’s an enjoyable hike to experience the wonder and beauty of this deep, verdant gorge. https://youtube.com/shorts/-Vqd_OQmFsc?feature=share

If You Go

From Massachusetts Parking Lot: Difficult ability, about 0.6 miles round-trip. Shorter, more rugged, and strenuous.
From New York Parking Lot: Moderate ability, about 1.5 miles round-trip. Longer and gradual, but rocky and uneven.
Nearby, Taconic State Park in New York state offers more visitor amenities, picnicking, swimming, and camping.

The Wild Center

Posted on September 26, 2020September 26, 2020 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

The Wild Center, Tupper Lake NY

The Wild Center, formerly known as the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, creates an environment that lets you immerse yourself in nature. What do the eagles see? What would it be like to live in a spider’s web? On one of our aborted trips to Whiteface Mountain we detoured to the Wild Center. I’d heard about it from my sister and also read several articles in Adirondack Life magazine but I really couldn’t get my head around what it was. So what’s the best way to find out? Go there for myself.

A Walk On The Wild Side

The Wild Center gives new meaning to a walk on the wild side. Well maintained boardwalks wound through the forest and trees. My knees were not cooperating the day we were there. My limited mobility as I’ve gotten older continues to be a major frustration for me. On the board walks I was fine but when we left the boardwalk for the trail it got harder and soon I was parked on a bench watching families pass by to the river. Still I was able to enjoy enough to see what all the buzz was about.

The Eagles Nest

One of the stops on the board walk that I heard mentioned over and over again was the Eagle Nest. I couldn’t imagine it but once I saw it I was hooked. A short climb up a series of stairs and you step into the world of the Eagle. Standing in the nest you look out over the tree tops just like an eagle would. There are panoramic views in all directions.

The Spider’s Lair

Nearby a rope spider web was stretched over a large hole in the board walk inviting the adventurous and non mobility challenged to test it out. A family was rolling around laughing a struggling to climb back up while we were there. Oh to be young again. I would have tried it in a heartbeat but I was pretty sure that if I got in I’d never get out now. Just watching those teenagers convinced me my assessment was correct.

The Wild Walk

Wild Walk takes visitors up a trail of bridges to the treetops of the Adirondack forest. That was really tempting but once again caution limited what I was willing to try. The suspended bridges and the climb up the inside of the huge tree truck look like tons of fun. It made me think of the Swiss Family Robinson attraction at Disney. Lots of swaying walk ways suspended in the trees.

Handicap Accessible

You may think from my comments on what I skipped that this is only for the young and fit but that’s not entirely true. The board walk is so wide and well maintained that you can easily navigate those sections with a wheel chair. On a nice day there is no better way to get out in nature and enjoy the beautiful Adirondack breezes.

Ports of Call

Posted on January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 by Dusty Roads

Ports of Call on our Alaska Itinerary

If Vancouver is the first port of call, then we have 4 additional stops on our journey to the Big Land. There’s Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Anchorage. Three other locations of interest, although not ports, were Glacier Bay, Prince Williams Sound and College Fjord.

Port of Call, Ketchikan

It was raining in Ketchikan as we embarked on our shore excursion to Saxman Native Village. Here we witnessed a Native American Ceremonial Dance and watched experienced totem pole builders carve their next creation. We learned that being on the bottom of the totem pole is not necessarily a bad thing! It’s the most honored position. We spotted out first bald eagle too.

Then there was Juneau

Juneau is the capital of Alaska but conducting business can be a challenge. There are no roads. Juneau can only be accessed by boat or plane! I have fond memories of Juneau. Although it was cold and still raining off and on, we did get a glimpse of blue sky. We took a very chilly boat ride looking for whales but the Stellar Sea Lions were the stars of the day. We saw a lot more Bald Eagles too!

While in Juneau we also hiked up to Mendenhall Glacier. It was an easy walk and the the glacier is beautiful. It’s well worth the hike.

Skagway, Alaska

Skagway, Gateway to the Yukon! Our excursion in Skagway was the White Pass and Yukon Railway. Seated in vintage train cars we followed in the steps of the Klondike Gold Miners. We were allowed to stand on the platforms between cars so we could look down into deep mountain gullies as we crossed trestle bridges and clung to the side of mountains. It was still raining and cold and it got colder the higher the train climbed.

At the end of the line a bus was waiting to take us across the Canadian border in the Yukon territory.

One More Waterfall

Posted on December 22, 2017December 22, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Lower Falls Yellowstone River

I’ve got one more Waterfall on my list of stops for this day. Lower Falls on the Yellowstone River is known as the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. I need to warn you, I didn’t fall in or get chased down to the bottom by a bear , or go over them in a barrel. I’ve noticed that I get far more “likes” when something scary happens to me. Unfortunately this will be disappointing for my thrill seeking readers. Its just an absolutely beautiful waterfall.

Norris to Canyon Junction

I’m saving Norris Basin for my next Yellowstone trip so as my friends in the white Navigator turned left I continued on toward Canyon Village. There were a few more critter jams. The bison were taking their time crossing the road. At one critter jam the wait was over 20 minutes. I couldn’t see what was going on but once we started moving it was apparent. It was a huge herd of bison. At Canyon Junction I made a right and soon spotted the parking area for the Lower Falls. A boardwalk leads out to a platform known as Lookout Point.

Red Rock Point

I really need to get over my back injury because on my next trip the trail to Red Rock Point is on my bucket list. The trail is only about a mile round trip but it’s steep! And I mean very steep! The bottom of this trail is consider the best place to experience the Lower falls and to get the best photos. Sadly, I definitely wasn’t up to that hike this trip.

Inspiration Point and The Upper Falls

Another reason to return is that I didn’t see the upper falls at all. The road to Inspiration Point was closed and I wasn’t even aware that there was a side road called North Rim Drive. From what I’ve heard since my trip this allows for close views of the upper falls. Lower falls is the more spectacular if you base this assumption on size alone. The Upper falls drops 109 ft. Pretty impressive by eastern standards but Lower falls drops 308 ft! Yes, I definitely want to explore this area more next trip.

Midway Geyser Basin

Posted on November 28, 2017November 29, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

The Moonscape that is Midway Geyser Basin

Midway Geyser Basin is my next stop on the lower loop road. You can see the stream rising in huge clouds as you approach. There’s a large parking area and even now, in the off season, it’s pretty full. Its hard to imagine what it would be like at the height of the tourist season. A solid wooden bridge crosses the Firehole River. Steaming, boiling water flows down the bank into the river.

Huge billowing clouds of steam blow across the bridge and walkways.

Excelsior Geyser

The Boardwalk crosses the Firehole River before zig-zaging first to the right then back to the left always climbing upward. The first hot spring we pass is the Excelsior Geyser Crater. Its the water from this crater that is flowing into the Firehole River. Dumping 4000-4500 gallons of boiling water per minute into the river its not surprising that there are always clouds of steam. Excelsior Geyser used to erupt in a powerful plume from 100-300 ft high but after some particularity powerful eruptions it subsided to the simmering hot spring that it is today. Scientists speculate that those powerful eruptions damaged the internal plumbing ending the more spectacular thermal displays.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Orange algae and bacteria float on the Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world. The vivid colors in the spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water.

The mats produce colors ranging from green to red. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat. The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of the water. The effect is strongest in the center of the spring, because of its sterility and depth. Usually the photos you see in magazines are taken from above.

The View From Above

Unattributed photo from the internet.

Most photos of the Grand Prismatic Spring are taken looking down. Many are aerial views taken from airplanes or maybe a helicopter. There is also a trail that leads from the Grand Prismatic Spring to Fairy Falls. Along the way there are 2 other geysers and a lookout above the hot spring. The trail is only .5 miles but it climbs 105 ft. I’ve added this hike to my bucket list. For now it was time to leave the clouds and steam of Midway behind and turn for home.

Unattributed photo from the internet. I wish I could have taken this one.

Category Archives: Hikes

Massachusetts State Parks