Back to Baker's Dam Traditional Cache
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(regular)
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Bringing back an old favorite! (GCVGFQ: 2006-2015) Easy but longish hike along a wild and scenic river trail through Chesterfield Gorge to Baker's Dam, suitable for walking, mountain biking, snowshoeing or X-country skiing.
Chesterfield Gorge is a historic section of the Westfield River, officially designated a "wild and scenic" river, that starts with dramatic stone cliffs and winds through gentler forested terrain frequented by kingfishers, mergansers, hawks, bears and other wildlife.
Park at the entrance to Chesterfield Gorge, check out the markers about the 18th century history of the site, and then walk more than two miles along the river, slightly downhill, to the cache site. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there is a parking fee of $2 on weekends. Weekdays and the rest of the year, parking is free.
Be sure to get a satellite fix in the parking lot, because once you get into the gorge, you may have a hard time getting a GPS reading. We forgot to do this before setting out and had to walk out onto the rocks at the edge of the river a few different places before getting a reading.
The trail is suitable for walking, mountain biking, snowshoeing or X-country skiing. Avoid this and most other Massachusetts parks during deer hunting season in December, except for Sundays, when there is no hunting.
The cache is located near the ruins of Baker's Dam, a stone construction that probably spanned the river more than 100 years ago, although we've been unable to determine its exact date of origin.
Watch out for poison ivy near the cache site. It's easy to avoid as long as you're looking for it.
Additional Hints
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