Keystone Arch Bridges Trail
For anyone who enjoys walking outside in nature, the Keystone Arch Bridge Trail is one of the most beautiful trails we’ve been on in Western MA. Aside from the magnificent stone architecture of the bridges along the path, there are waterfalls, beautiful views of the river, frozen ice sculptures, and a variety of other gems that change each time we go out for a walk.
The main trail is relatively wide and easy to travel. It’s a little under over 2.5 miles to the end and it’s and “out and back” trail so you can travel as much or as little as you’d like. We know that walking is one of the best forms of exercise for us so if you’re willing to travel to the Chester / Becket / Middlefield area and love the woods, check it out.
The following pictures were from our last trip there on New Year’s Day 2022. It was pretty foggy out and still amazing!
It truly was a day of fitness and fun.
A view of the river while walking on the main trail.
One of several frozen ice “sculptures” against a rock wall section of trail.
A view from the bottom of one of the bridges.
A partial view of the waterfall you’ll see at the beginning of the trail.
Some large mushroom growth on a tree.
A pool of water within a dead log reflecting the trees on the other side of the river.
The trail map located at the trail head parking lot.
We first discovered this trail through a book called Trail Running Western MA. It’s one of the best books we’ve ever found to provide very specific information on walks, hikes and runs through the woods. I would highly recommend it.
There are links within the book to download trail maps and the book is small enough to travel with if desired. We’ve gotten into the habit of taking pictures of the page descriptions we want or just tearing out specific pages and taking them with us, then putting them back into the book for later.
This book has helped me to explore many trails that I otherwise would have worried about getting lost in and am now am completely comfortable navigating on my own.
Just to be clear, we are not in an affiliate for this book and receive no compensation if you decide to purchase it. It’s just a wonderful and helpful book for anyone who likes to explore new walks, hikes, or jogs in a variety of locations!