Massachusetts Office of Tourism and Travel
The Massachusetts Getaway Guide, Spring 2002
Wet and Wild in Massachusetts
Whether you crave the salt of the ocean, a ride on a rip-roaring
river through the Berkshire Mountains, or a coveted lake to throw
down your line, Massachusetts has more than its fair share of water.
Bordered by the Atlantic, you can choose from hundreds of sublime
white sand beaches on Cape Cod, the South Shore, Cape Ann, and the
islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Venture inland and you
can whet your whitewater appetite on the rapids of the Deerfield
River, paddle canoes down the long Housatonic River through October
Mountain State Forest, or join other anglers on any of the countless
lakes and ponds including the trout-stocked Quabbin Reservoir. Here
are ten of our favorite ways to celebrate water in the state. So
what are you waiting for? Go jump in a lake.
Rafting the Deerfield River, Charlemont
Drive along Route 2, on the mountainous Mohawk Trail, and you can't
help but notice the many cars with kayaks tied to their roofs. They're
headed to the surging Deerfield River in Charlemont. Dam releases
by the New England Power Company cause rapids to tumble down two
stretches of the river-the exhilarating Class IV rapids in the Dryway
and the Class II-III rapids farther south in the deep pools of Zoar
Gap. To kayak or raft, that is the question? Zoar Outdoor (800/532-7483;
www.zoaroutdoor.com) offers
daily rafting trips on the Deerfield. Cost is $95 on the Dryway
(minimum age 14), $75 on the Zoar Gap weekdays, $60 children under
16 (minimum age 7). Owner Bruce Lessels, a former World Whitewater
Champion and author of the Whitewater Handbook, also offers kayak
instruction.
Biking Provincelands, Provincetown
Most bike trails, like the popular Cape Cod Rail Trail are former
railroad lines with very little grade. If you have a hankering for
hills (not to mention ocean views), head to the 8-mile-long Provincelands
Bike Trail at the tip of the Cape. The undulating route dips in
and out of sand dunes, weaving through scrub-pine forests and along
beaches in one of the most unique bike paths you'll ever ride. The
loop starts at Herring Cove Beach and heads inland through Beech
Forest, where the trees are often home to colorful warblers. Before
sweeping downhill to the Province Lands Visitors Center, stop and
look at the mounds of sand as they roll to the ocean. Continue on
to Race Point Beach, where the spit of land curves back towards
Massachusetts, making it the only spot in New England to watch the
sun set over the Atlantic. For more information, call 508/487-1256.
Sailing the Boston Harbor Islands
Sailing in Boston Harbor does have its distractions. Tugboats guide
large oil tankers into the wharves and the jets flying into Boston's
Logan Airport are so close that you can often see the rivets on
the airplane's underside. Yet, that doesn't deter the hundreds of
sailors who relish the opportunity on a clear day to find their
own cruising ground in the water. The rewards are great. The wind
is almost always at a good 10 to 20 knot clip. Boston's shimmering
skyline is best seen from the water. And once you venture outside
the port, traffic diminishes and you could very well find yourself
picnicking on one of the deserted Boston Harbor Islands. This group
of 31 islands are now a National Historic Park. They contain the
oldest continuously manned lighthouse in the country, a vintage
Civil War fort, and many anchorages where you can have an island
by your lonesome. For more information, call 617/223-8686.
Fishing Quabbin Reservoir, Belchertown
It's hard to believe that central Mass's greatest natural asset
is a man-made lake, but the Quabbin Reservoir and Reservation is
no small drop in the bucket. [A short 90-drive from Boston and only
25 miles from Worcester, the state's second largest scity], this
impressive body of water, 18 miles long, was created in the 1930s
as a water supply for Boston. While a large part of the reservoir
is off-limits to humans and swimming is strictly prohibited, anglers
still have more than enough area to fish for lake trout and landlocked
salmon. The trout are known to run as large as 20 pounds, with 4
and 5 pounders more common. A boat is a necessity. Call reservation
headquarters at 413-323-7221 for information about boat launches.
Birdwatching Plum Island
The finest birdwatching along the Massachusetts coast occurs at
the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island. The northern
third of this eight-mile long barrier island (30 miles north of
Boston) is developed, with the remainder containing this 4,662-acre
refuge. Wander through the barrier beach, thickets, and salt marshes
to view up to 350 species of feathered friends. Beaches on the refuge
are closed during the prime sunning months of June, July, and August,
so that the short, stocky endangered piping plovers can nest undisturbed.
Although the beach is off limits, the marsh is still an excellent
area to spot migrating shore birds like black-bellied plovers, short-billed
dowitchers, and sandpipers. The boardwalk on the Hellcat Swamp Trail
circles around the murky grasses to an observation tower and blind.
Park at Parking Lot #4 to start the trail. At the salt pans, spend
time scanning for hawks, egrets, and herons.
For more information, call 508/546-2997.
Swimming Horseneck Beach, Westport
South of Route 195, the Interstate that runs from Providence, RI
to Cape Cod, and the gritty mill towns of Fall River and New Bedford
lies countryside so fertile you'll feel like you're in Vermont.
Dairy farms, corn fields, even vineyards, border the Westport River
as it leads to the dunes of Horseneck Beach. Easily accessed from
Route 195 by Route 88 south, Horseneck's vast expanse of beach stretches
1.7 miles along prime waterfront. Body surfers ride the waves while
landlubbers hit the boardwalk. Locals swear that the water here
is the warmest of all the Mass ocean beaches, a downright balmy
65 to 70 degree Fahrenheit on some summer days. If you have young
children who don't like the surf, go to nearby Demarest Lloyd State
Park. The 220-acre park juts out into Slocum River, protected from
the winds of Buzzards Bay. At low tide, kids can walk across the
shallow water to the other side of the river.
For more information, call 508/636-8816.
The Whaling Port, Nantucket
The island of Nantucket, 20 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, will
always be remembered as the foremost whaling port in America. Starting
in the late 1600s, locals would go out in small boats along the
shore to capture right whales. When they realized that the head
of a sperm whale contained far more oil, whalers began to take longer
voyages, and by the mid-1700s, the island of Nantucket was gaining
prominence. Indeed, during the Revolutionary War, Nantucket whale
oil not only illuminated nearby Boston, it also lit the streets
of London. Come to Nantucket to see the wealth of whaling memorabilia
at the Whaling Museum or visit a former whaling merchant's house,
the Hadwyn House, on upper Main Street. For something a bit more
life confirming, go on a whalewatching cruise from Provincetown,
Plymouth, Boston, or Gloucester to see this magnificent creature
of the deep.
For more information, call the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce
at 508/228-1700.
Canoeing October Mountain State Forest, Becket
With 16,500 acres of land, October Mountain State Forest is the
largest green space in Massachusetts. Within the verdant tract of
land, however, is a water lover's delight. Paddlers who venture
to the Berkshires can escape the crowds with a canoe trip on the
Buckley Dunton Reservoir, a small body of water stocked with bass
and pickerel and hidden amidst the hardwoods. For a longer paddle,
follow the blue herons down the Housatonic River, which snakes its
way along October's rim all the way south into Connecticut. Don't
worry about reaching the state line. The 4-mile quietwater run in
October Mountain (one way) is a hard day's work.
For more information, call 413/243-1778.
Surfcasting for Stipers, Martha's Vineyard
There's a reason why the popularity of saltwater fly fishing has
outpaced all other categories of sport fishing the last several
years. It's called striped bass. Found all along the Mass coast,
these fish have voracious appetites, grow to more than fifty pounds,
and fight like champions. Striped bass, commonly referred to as
stripers, can be found in remarkable numbers along the rips that
lead from the ocean into the ponds of Martha's Vineyard. The beach
south of the Edgartown Great Pond and Tisbury Great Pond are popular
with local fishermen. For expertise or gear, head to Coop's Bait
and Tackle (508/627-3909), 147 West Tisbury Road, near Edgartown.
Cooper Gilkes is a third-generation islander who knows where the
fish are biting.
Sea Kayaking the Essex River Basin, Essex
The Essex River Basin is a sinuous 200-acre tidal creek accessible
via the Essex and Castle Neck Rivers. In the middle of the basin
sits Hog Island, a canoe trip away and a perfect place to picnic
or simply take a stroll. Put-in across the road from Woodman's (the
place that invented the fried clam) and paddle north, hopefully
with the tide going out. This area, as you can imagine, is rich
with birdlife. The river widens as you make your way around Hog
Island. The best place to stop is at the northern tip of Hog, where
it connects to Long Island. From here, a trail maintained by the
Trustees of Reservations leads through spruce forest. Essex River
Basin Adventures (978/768-ERBA; www.erba.com) offers three to five-hour
tours from the estuaries of the Essex River to Hog Island.
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