Massachusetts · Hiking

River Road

River RoadPhoto: Arria Belli, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
1.6 mi
round trip
377 ft
climb
848 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Apr–Oct
best months

River Road is an easy out-and-back hike of about 3.3 miles on the land around Birch Hill Reservoir in western Massachusetts, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The route rises only about 25 feet from its low point of 821 feet to a high of 848 feet, with the steepest stretch at the start, where the grade reaches about 7 percent. Late spring through early fall is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Birch Hill Dam weather station show September highs around 73°F with lows near 48°F, while July highs reach about 82°F. Winters are cold, with January highs near 32°F and several snowy days each month from December through February. Lake Dennison, a fishing spot, lies about half a mile away. The McLaughlin Trail and the Wilder Mckenzie Nature Trail are both within about 1.6 miles, and the Ware River Rail Trail is about 1.7 miles off.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit River Road

    Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      32° / 12°

      11 wet · 5 snow

    2. Feb

      35° / 13°

      10 wet · 5 snow

    3. Mar

      43° / 21°

      11 wet · 3 snow

    4. Apr

      56° / 33°

      11 wet · 1 snow

    5. May

      68° / 44°

      11 wet

    6. Jun

      76° / 53°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      82° / 59°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      80° / 56°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      73° / 48°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      59° / 36°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      48° / 28°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    12. Dec

      37° / 20°

      11 wet · 4 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Birch Hill Dam, MA, 1.5 mi away at 855 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors