>>1339247Don't listen to 99% of anything anyone says in this thread; people love to act like authorities on things they have only peripheral knowledge of. The fact is that the Pioneer Valley is a place most people have never seen, and it's something of a hidden gem.
Check out some of the wildlife sanctuaries for some quiet hiking:
https://www.massaudubon.org/Metacomet-Monadnock trail is also very nice; some great views along the Connecticut River Valley, reliefs that used to be vacation destinations in the pre-railroad days (see pic related).
Some more nice hikes here:
https://www.kestreltrust.org/conserve/lands/And if hiking's not your thing, you can fish on the Quabbin Reservoir southeast of Franklin county (that massive blue blip in the middle of the state map). The reservoir has unintentionally resulted in a broad swath of conservation land around its edges. You can see bald eagles and the like. Boat rental is available if you don't have your own.
