The Chester Railway Station Museum. (HOPE E. TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
CHESTER – The Western Mass. Hilltown Hikers is sponsoring a group hike of the Chester Becket Railroad on July 24 at 10 a.m., beginning at the Chester Railway Station Museum on Prospect Street in Huntington.
The hike will be narrated by David Pierce, president of the Chester Railway Museum, and will follow the Chester Walking Map, stopping at points of interest to learn about the early days when Chester was a booming railroad town.
Included on the tour will be the Granite Saw, Truss Bridge, Lucy the Locomotive, the Blue Caboose, the Chester Jail, Pease Store, Pink Granite bridge, Walker Brook and an exclusive walk through the inside of the infamous Riverside Inn.
The easy five-mile hike will also enter the woods on the Hampden Park Trail and the Chester Becket Railroad Trail, and view Round Top Hill and Gobble Mountain along the way.
Pierce, who helped to put the Chester Walking Map together, will talk about the history of the town as it relates to the railroad and early settlement. In February, the Chester Factory Village Depot was named a National Historic Landmark along with the Western Railroad Stone Arch Bridges, which will not be a part of this hike.
The Railway Museum will be open after the event. Chester Walking Maps will be handed out to all participants. Local restaurants providing food and drink can be found within walking distance of the Railway Station at Carm’s Restaurant and Classic Pizza/ Blue Note.
Western Mass. Hilltown Hikers is a non-profit organization created for people who love the outdoors to get out and discover new destinations for outdoor recreation. Its goal is to bring awareness of the landscape, history, and wildlife the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts have to offer and promote those natural assets to boost tourism and economic development to the area while keeping the open spaces natural.
Western Mass. Hilltown Hikers tees, hoodies and hats will be for sale at the hike, which will be conducted rain or shine. For more hike information, email [email protected] or call or text 302-0312, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter at #westernmasshilltownhikers. Events, maps, and photos are available at www.westernmasshilltownhikers.com.
