Fort River Birding and Nature Trail

The Fort River Birding and Nature Trail begins at the Fort River Division trailhead on Moody Bridge Road in Hadley, MA. This fully accessible route forms a gentle, one-way loop through varied terrain managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as part of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Designed for universal access, the trail includes wide boardwalk and gravel surfaces with benches and interpretive signs spaced at regular intervals. From the trailhead, the route winds through upland forest, open grassland, and shaded floodplain forest, with occasional views across wetland habitat along the Fort River. Storybook trail features make it a family-friendly option, and frequent lookout spots offer distant views of the Mount Holyoke Range—one of the only east–west mountain ranges on the East Coast. The varied habitat supports a wide range of bird species, making this one of the best accessible birding hikes in western Massachusetts. Open year-round from dawn to dusk, this easy trail offers a rare combination of accessibility, habitat diversity, and wildlife viewing.