Chesterfield Gorge is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

located in

Chesterfield, Massachusetts Chesterfield is a rural hill town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, east of Pittsfield and west of Boston. The population was 1,186 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical ...

, United States. The property is owned by

The Trustees of Reservations ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

, who have administered the property since 1929. Chesterfield Gorge was initially carved from the metamorphic bedrock by torrents of glacial meltwater. Today, the

gorge A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...

continues to be shaped by the East Branch of the

Westfield River The Westfield River is a major tributary of the Connecticut River located in the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley regions of western Massachusetts. With four major tributary branches that converge west of the city of Westfield, it flows (measure ...

. The walls of the gorge are quite steep, more than in some places. During periods of low water, it is possible to get down to the floor of the gorge, but it is not recommended, and no trails exist from the cliff edge to the bottom. Rock climbing is prohibited. The surrounding forest features oak, pine, and hemlock, and is home to bears, bobcats, and turkeys, among many others. A half-mile trail along the cliff top offers views of the gorge, the river, and the forest. A railing runs along the length of the cliff for safety. Along the cliff ledge are fields of boulders, some of which are quite massive. Stone abutments of a bridge that once spanned the river are all that remains of the old post road between

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

and

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

. A toll gate was established at its eastern end, but no trace of it exists today. During the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, British redcoats marched over this bridge to Boston following

General Burgoyne General (United Kingdom), General John "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British Army officer, playwright and politician who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1761 to 1792. He first saw acti ...

's defeat at

Saratoga, New York Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,808 at the 2020 census.United States Census Bureau, 2020 U.S. Census Results, Saratoga town, Saratoga County, New York https://www.census.gov/search-results.h ...

. In 1835, floodwaters swept away the bridge along with some nearby grist and sawmills. A short trail leads along the river upstream from the gorge to the remains of the old bridge. A more extensive trail network extends southward down the river, through the Hiram H. Fox Wildlife Management Area and towards Knightville Dam. Chesterfield Gorge is the entrance to an extensive natural area along the Westfield River, and is designated a

National Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-f ...

. Fly fishing for

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

is a popular pastime.

Atlantic salmon The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Hucho taimen, Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlan ...

are stocked here, and must not be confused with the local trout, as it is illegal to keep them if caught. There is, coincidentally, a similar natural area named Chesterfield Gorge located in

Chesterfield, New Hampshire Chesterfield is a New England town, town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,552 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It includes the villages of Spofford, New Hampshir ...

External links

The Trustees of Reservations: Chesterfield Gorge
1929 establishments in Massachusetts Canyons and gorges of the United States Chesterfield, Massachusetts Landforms of Hampshire County, Massachusetts Open space reserves of Massachusetts Protected areas established in 2022 Protected areas of Hampshire County, Massachusetts The Trustees of Reservations {{Massachusetts-protected-area-stub