South Hadley Select Board Chairman John Hine, at podium, talks about the town’s plans to build a new recreation trail along the Connecticut River with the roughly $49,000 grant from the state’s Recreational Trails Program. Also attending the grant announcement at the Summit House in Hadley were, from left, Dick O’Brien of Massachusetts Recreational Trail Advisory Board, and Leo Roy, commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
South Hadley Select Board Chairman John Hine, at podium, talks about the town’s plans to build a new recreation trail along the Connecticut River with the roughly $49,000 grant from the state’s Recreational Trails Program. Also attending the grant announcement at the Summit House in Hadley were, from left, Dick O’Brien of Massachusetts Recreational Trail Advisory Board, and Leo Roy, commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Credit: Submitted photo

SOUTH HADLEY — The town intends to use a new state grant announced Thursday to help build a recreation trail with scenic views of the Connecticut River near the Bachelor Brook Conservation Area.

The mile-long, 6-foot-wide looped trail will allow users to walk along the river, access that is currently scarce in town, said Town Administrator Michael Sullivan. He cautions, however, the trail will not provide boat, swimming or canoe access.

The project will include construction of a year-round parking lot for between 10 and 15 vehicles on Ferry Street, where the trail will begin. The trail will be handicapped accessible and include viewing benches.

“Giving people with limited ability access to public trails is something South Hadley is striving to do,” Sullivan said.

The $79,000 project is being funded through a $49,854 grant from the state’s Recreational Trails Program and matching funds approved at Town Meeting and by the Select Board, Sullivan said.

The state money is part of about $1 million awarded to 30 communities statewide on Thursday at the Summit House in Hadley.

“Increasing access to the great outdoors for the public remains a high priority of the Baker-Polito administration, and (Recreational Trails Program) grants serve as an excellent example of a program helping to reach that objective,” said Matthew Beaton, energy and environmental affairs secretary.

Beaton attended the event along with several other officials from nearby communities. 

Sullivan said South Hadley intends to apply for another state grant next year to pay for a second phase of the project that will involve constructing a bridge over the mouth of Bachelor Brook. The bridge will overlook the Connecticut River and provide a “quite stunning” view of the vista, Sullivan said.

Other Recreational Trails Program grants went to Ashfield and Conway in Franklin County.

In Ashfield, the Franklin Land Trust secured about $7,500 to complete the improvement of a trail connection in the Ashfield trails network, connecting the Sanderson Academy Elementary School ultimately to the Trustees of Reservations Bear Swamp Reservation.

And the Conway Snowmobile Club landed a $67,688 grant to provide equipment for snowmobile trail grooming, matched with repairs and maintenance throughout a 120-mile trail system that the club maintains and grooms in the winter. Trails in the system connect to four bordering towns and encompass the Conway State Forest, South River State Forest, town and private lands.

Chad Cain has been Gazette's managing editor since the summer of 2022. He joined the Gazette in 2007 as a staff writer and has also served as special sections editor, night managing editor and in other...