Favorite place to view fall colors in Massachusetts

[explorema]

One of the best things I love in the fall is the change of colors in the trees and the fresh air to breathe. Unfortunately, so do a lot of other people. If you ask someone from out of the area where the best place to view the fall colors is, they may tell you it's along the Mohawk Trail in the Berkshires or somewhere near Mount Greylock. That may be true but since this information is widely known, the peepers from out of state tend to flock there.

My favorite place to go is to one of Massachusetts' ghost towns....(Massachusetts has a ghost town..what!?) When the Quabbin Reservoir was built back in the 1930's to provide drinking water to Boston, 4 towns were told that they would cease to exist and everyone needed to move out. The buildings and roads were razed and after the dams were built, the valley towns soon began to fill with water. Today this area is known as the Quabbin Reservoir and I am surprised that some of my friends in Boston haven't even heard of it. One of the former towns, Dana, was not flooded and is still accessible today. It can be reached by parking at "Gate 40" and then either walking or biking to the former town common along a paved road. At the town common, there are cellar holes where buildings used to be (store, church, hotel, school, residences, town hall) and a memorial plaque to remind visitors of what used to be there. From there, I usually mountain bike or walk down one of the old roads (named Skinner Hill Road) into the woods, passing by cellar holes, around "Dead Man's Curve" until reaching the waters edge at Grave's Landing. Along this entire road, there wasn't one person around (except for my fiancee); even at the peak tree color period. It was eerily quiet. The road from Gate 40 to Dana common (2 miles), I maybe passed by one or two groups of people.

So to reach Gate 40, there isn't exactly an address and the gate comes up pretty quickly so here's a map I created laying out all the POI's I just explained.

Click for Dana Area Map

Here's a couple pictures of the layout of the former town's buildings so you can match up the cellar holes and the buildings that used to be here and current pictures of today:

http://www.skinut.net/common.jpg
http://img.geocaching.com/cache/log/1649984_800.jpg
http://img.geocaching.com/cache/log/1649984_1000.jpg
(note: on above picture the retaining stone wall on the lower right of the picture is still visible today.)
http://img.geocaching.com/cache/log/1649984_900.jpg

today:
http://newenglandoddities.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/dana-cellar-holes-2008-05-03-20.jpg

and a few pictures I took at the time:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pgotta/sets/72157623495290976/
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[buzz]

Your pictures are gorgeous. Never knew myself that there were ghost towns in New England. Always figured it was a wild west thing due to rapid moving and following cattle, gold, and ... rain.

Looks to be a peaceful spot you found there - gonna start up a new secret town? Looks like a scene from a blockbuster thriller flick.

[explorema]

Hi Buzz,

Thanks for the compliment. Yeah I was very surprised the first time I heard about it too. Not too many people (even the locals) know that 4 towns were disincorporated to create a reservoir. The Quabbin area is so expansive and natural looking, it's almost impossible to tell it's manmade.

Oh and there actually was a movie that took place at Quabbin Reservoir at, I think the Windsor Dam.... Dreamcatcher that came out back in 2003. Edge of Darkness was also filmed not too far away in Northampton and at Sugarloaf Mountain in Deerfield.
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[pattierosie]

I love the fall bec it changes colors of the leaves into red, amazing view. but where I live doesnt have 4 season. : ( can only aprreciate thru pictures
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[shermanshawn]

Nice pics...Its really amazing to view fall colors in Massachusetts. I love to visit :

Province town - there is so much to see and to do. from beaches to stores to museums. It was a nice town setting.

cape cod - the beaches and scenery are beautiful. the water is so clear. But a little chilly.

I really love to watch Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch, this was the best thing I have ever done. it was amazing to see these whales come out of the water.

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[cobliecallicat]

Amazing~~

You know what, you make me want to take a road trip to Massachusetts in the coming fall~

Then maybe i could record my experiences for you guys here!
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