- Home
- Facilities
Range View Meadow Conservation Area
This is the most recent land acquisition by the Town of South Hadley. It is located on Route 116 north of the Village Commons and consists of just over 20 acres adjacent Bachelor Brook. Short term parking is available at a roadside pull off near 315 Amherst Road. The Bachelor Brook greenway area is identified as an area of NHESP Core Habitat, supporting various flora and fauna. The property consists of a large open meadow historically used by a local farm for haying. The previous owners had mowed the back portion of the property, until a bridge failed and was not replaced. This back hayfield is now a successional meadow, and beyond that property the vegetation turns to shrubland.
As one enters the property from Amherst Road and continues into the meadow, the Holyoke Range appears in the view to the east. This drew the inspiration for the name, “Range View Meadow”. There are no formal trails on this property. Visitors can walk through the meadow follow deer-made trails through the shrubland. A short trail leads from the dirt pull off down to the river and is used for fishing in Bachelor Brook.