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Mount Holyoke Range

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Hiker Parking Lot at Elmer Brook - Access to Lithia Springs

Mount Holyoke Range (460 acres)

The Town-owned land on the Range is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). This includes Judd Park, where remnants of an old stone cabin are found. The cabin is believed to have been built by the Civilian  Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The Judd family donated the land to the town to preserve the forested land. To access Judd Park, use the Hiker Parking Lot as described below or start from the Notch Visitor Center (1500 West St, Amherst). 

Lithia Springs Reservoir is a beautiful spot that once provided water to the town. Access the area by parking at the Hiker Parking Lot on Rt 116. Walk south on Rt 116 to Pearl St, then onto Lithia Springs Rd. Pass the gate and follow to the dirt road to the hiking trails. Swimming is not permitted. Additional parking and trailheads provide access to the Range at the Notch Visitor Center and along Rt 47. DCR maintains the most up-to-date information on parking and trails. www.mass.gov/locations/mount-holyoke-range-state-park

 On the western section of the Holyoke Range in South Hadley, the Town now protects 148 acres of conservation land, including the eight (8) parcels transferred from the Conservation Society. Several parcels totaling 111 acres along Dry Brook abut Skinner State Park. Other scattered parcels add to the mosaic of protected land west of Lithia Springs Reservoir. On the eastern part of the Holyoke Range, between the Notch and Lithia Springs Reservoir, about 200 acres are now under the management of the Conservation Commission. These parcels include a 20-acre Conservation Society parcel, a 59-acre parcel given to the Town in 1972 by Elvina Ball Stewart, the Bourbonais Parcel, and several parcels belonging to the Town as protected conservation land. A number of the steeper parcels in this area harbor rare plants on the south-facing rocky slopes. Rare reptiles and amphibians have also been found here, and on nearby private parcels. Additionally, the Bare Mountain Conservation Area is included within the Mount Holyoke Range Conservation Area.