Eugene D Moran Wildlife Management Area, Windsor, MA

April 20, 2013

Distance: 4.4 miles
Time: 2 hours 14 minutes

Year to date miles: 40.3

Map: EUGENE D. MORAN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA map
Also simplified map in AMCs Best Day Hikes in the Berkshires

Parking: Large lot off of Route 8A, Windsor, MA (in the Berkshires)

Post hike dinner: Baba Louies Pizza
Restrooms: None

Directions:
At parking area, head to yellow gate. Follow a wide woods road through the meadows and into the woods. For the most part it is easy just to follow the woods road, but in some cases we were a little confused on where to go. There are no blazes on this trail. Using EveryTrail was helpful. The AMC book gives directions for this hike (trip #18).

Notes: We only saw one person there, and I don't think they were hiking. If you are into birding, this seems like it would be a very good area for it. At this time of the year, the trails were very, very, very wet. We felt like we were hiking through a stream. We haven't been here at other times of the year, so we don't know if it is drier in the summer. The fields in the beginning have good views, and are great for letting your dogs run. Everything was still pretty brown, but I did find these photos of the meadows meadow photos which make this area look amazing in the summer. This is an out and back hike with the halfway point ending at a paved road.

Parking area, heading to the gate

The trail starts out as a wide grassy road. Wet, but not too bad.

Yahoo! This is one of the meadows which we assume is full of wildflowers later in the year.

The trail enters the woods. There were a few significant blowdowns across the trail.

We had to bushwhack a bit.

And as you can see the trail gets wetter. Here the trail looks more like a stream.
The dogs didn't mind. Some of the humans were less pleased.

Little girl with a big stick.

A momentary less wet spot in the trail.

Halfway point

One happy dog exploring

What have you found?

Back through the mud.

And the trail a stream again.

More blowdowns.

A real stream, not just a wet area.