Fort River Trail
Photo courtesy of MassTrails10 / MassDOT

Fort River Trail

The Fort River Birding and Nature Trail is a flat loop of about one mile in a national wildlife refuge in Hadley. It is built so wheelchairs and strollers can use it, with boardwalks, benches and viewing decks for watching birds in fields, woods and wetlands along the Fort River.

Length
1.2 mi
nature trail
Surface
Unpaved
stone dust
Get on at
1 place
on the map

Parking at every place to get on · See where

Not plowed in winter · Who clears it

Notice: Moody Bridge Road closed to through traffic from the South Maple Street end, moody Bridge Road east of the refuge, at South Maple Street, Hadley
Walk it as a roam Directions to the trail

Where to get on

Numbers match the list; P has parking.

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  1. Fort River trailhead, 69 Moody Bridge Road, Hadley

    The only entrance. The trail is one loop that starts and ends here. A kiosk with refuge information is by the lot. Restroom near the parking area.

    PVTA Route 39 at Hartsbrook School on Bay Road, about 1.25 miles on foot by Moody Bridge Road
    Free refuge lot at the trailhead. The lot is gated at night.
    Directions

Getting there

By transit
The nearest bus is PVTA Route 39 (Smith College to Hampshire College), which stops at Hartsbrook School on Bay Road.
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From there it is about 1.25 miles on foot to the trailhead by Moody Bridge Road. PVTA B43 buses on Route 9 stop closer as the crow flies but have no direct road to the trail.

Parking
Free refuge lot at 69 Moody Bridge Road.
More

Drive in from Bay Road. Moody Bridge Road is closed to cars from the South Maple Street end. The lot can fill at busy times.

A roam on this trail

A roam is a self-guided route with stops along the way. The free Shift app checks you in at each stop, and you unlock a badge at the end.

The whole trail

Fort River Trail (Silvio O. Conte Refuge)

Eight lookouts across wetlands, grasslands, and river forest, all fully accessible

0.9 mi 19 minIn the Shift app

Get Shift, free. Follow a roam with turn-by-turn directions to each stop, and see closures on your trails before you go.

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About the Fort River Trail

Surface
crushed stone, with raised wooden boardwalks over wet areas and viewing decks
Rules
Open year round, from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). The trail is not cleared of snow or ice in winter (Kestrel Land Trust).
In winter
Not cleared of snow or ice. Snowshoes work well when it is snowy. Source
Conditions on every path
Who looks after it
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Fort River Division)
Also called
Fort River Trail, Fort River Division, Conte Refuge Fort River, Silvio O. Conte Refuge Hadley

Notices

Work and changes along the trail, with the way around where there is one.

  • Moody Bridge Road closed to through traffic from the South Maple Street end

    Moody Bridge Road east of the refuge, at South Maple Street, Hadley

    Drive in from Bay Road on Moody Bridge Road.

    Source

More about the trail

Where these facts come fromChecked Oct 19, 2026