Easthampton MA - Dog Friendly Parks, Walks & Places

Manhan Rail Trail

Dates visited: 9/26/2020 & 9/30/2020

The Manhan Rail Trail is a mult-use multi-town path along the site of the old canal that ran from New Haven, CT to Northampton, MA. The Manhan Rail Trail starts in Southampton right on the Easthampton border, and travels to Northampton. This is the same railway line that the Columbia Greenway in Westfield, Southwick Rail Trail in Southwick, and the two sections of Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in Connecticut. There are gaps that prevent the whole thing from being complete. We walked the entire Manhan Rail Trail over the course of three days.

Manhan Rail Trail

Date visited: 2/20/2022

There is a spur in Easthampton that starts in the center of downtown and runs for a little over 2 miles to US-5, near the Holyoke and Northampton borders. We didn't walk the spur initially, but came back nearly a year and a half later and walked it. We started at the US-5 end. The path runs under I-91 and proceeds up a very gradual incline, through a nature preserve and behind resedential and commercial businesses, before ending at an intersection with the main trail near the Mill district.

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Edward J. Dwyer Conservation Area

Date visited: 5/19/2023

This place is also known as the Manhan River Conservation Area. We followed the "Manhan River Trail", which follows the Manhan River through the woods. We used the "Upper Bypass Trail" to complete the loop, for a one mile hike. This was a pretty basic hike through the woods.

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Nonotuck Park

Date visited: 6/11/2023

This was a very fun hike. We started off the 2+ mile loop by a picnic pavilion, before reaching the athletic fields. After the fields, we headed into the woods. The best part of the trail is the section that runs along side the pond. And when I say "along side", I mean it. The trail was right along side the pond. The only issue is that the trail isn't marked at all. We followed the "Nonotuck Park Loop" in All-Trails, and really needed the GPS enabled map to follow the route. Also, there was a sign at the park gate that indicated a $4 cash onky entry fee on the weekends, but there was nobody there collecting a fee. It was a good thing too, because I had no cash after losing my wallet the the day before.

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Park Hill Orchard

Date visited: 10/19/2026

The orchard hosts an annual "Art in the Orchard" exhibit that runs through the fall. This year's exhibit runs from August 15th through November 29th. Unlike many of the other outdoor sculpture walks we've visited, the displays change every year, and the artists are from around New England. We found the artwork more interesting than that at many of the outdoor sculpture parks we've visited in the past. The autumn weather was absolutely perfect, with nothing but blue skies and temperatures in the upper 60s, making it a great day for admiring art in an orchard! The artwork is displayed on both sides of the road, giving us plenty to explore. One of my favorite photos from the trip is of Mandy and Lexi posing in front of the "frame," with the fall colors, blue sky, and mountains in the background. This was a fun trip!

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Cottage Street Cultural District

Date visited: 1/3/2026

This is the artsy part of Easthampton. Cottage Street is home to a bunch of small shops, art galleries, and restaurants. Many of the buildings feature painted murals, and there are a few sculptures scattered throughout the area. One highlight is the "Dragon House," a local residence decorated with a dragon mural. Some of the businesses and homes also had impressive Halloween displays. We got some nice photos around Nashawannuck Pond, located at the west end of Cottage Street. This was a nice way to get in some extra steps after our visit to Art in the Orchard earlier in the day.