Ashley Reservoir

This reservoir is absolutely breath taking. I was literally speechless as we came around the corner for a Mommy Baby stroller walk and were faced by a serene expanse of water and green foliage. The gravel path is easy to pass even with a regular stroller. The trails are wide and the area is not too busy but certainly not desolate. There are apparently bears spotted in the area, but I feel that we forget when we visit nature sometimes we’ll run into nature and that is just part of the experience, whether it is in a slightly dangerous way or not. I highly recommend this walk which is about 4.2miles from the Elks lodge parking lots but trails can be selected for a shorter trip if needed. Beautiful scenery, nice layout, easy for running or walking.

My friend and her husband always talk about this place, and I finally got a chance to go. I see why they like to go as often as they do! (They go about 4 times a week!)
Ashley Reservoir is a beautiful place tucked away in Holyoke. It has a nice path in which you can walk, jog or bike. The path is about a 4 mile loop that goes around the reservoir. Along the way you will see lots of wild life. There were a few different groups of geese and their ducklings. This was also a great place for watching birds too. Such as a red wing black bird and a cow head bird. Off the beaten path you will also see snakes. My friends husband has a keen eye for these things and can easily name different animal species (why I know all the names!) and he found water snake, garter snake and a ribbon snake. You can also see turtles, snapping turtles, rabbits and much much more!
I just wish they had benches around the reservoir as it would be a perfect place to relax with a book. :)

Beautiful! Great places to take a walk with kids as well. We did a small loop (1.5 miles) but there is a much larger route that is around 4 miles long! There were baby geese everywhere. A hidden gem.

I just went to the Ashley Reservoir for the first time. What a beautiful place, hidden away. I didn’t know all that nature was tucked back there on the other side of the gate. It feels beautifully apart from the rest of the world. Tonight I saw fish, geese, ducks, a loon, and a beaver. Now that I’ve read other people’s reviews, I’m going to be looking for the animals they saw, too. The causeways that run through the reservoir are neat– you can walk out with water on both sides of you, and being so low to the water is excellent for skipping stones. It would be nice if there were some trash cans– the only one I saw was at the gate, and I picked up some litter and had to hold onto it for quite a while. Given that there aren’t trash cans, though, it’s surprisingly clean.

This is a very clean and easy walking area. The reservoir was scenic and the walking areas were paved. But the geese in the area are a problem, we were chased by several as we tried to walk by but other than that no problems.

One of my favorite places in western MA. I live in the city, so finding a place like this that isn’t too far from me, where I can go and enjoy a really beautiful area while I walk or run or bike, is a real blessing. No matter what time of year you go, Ashley Reservoir is gorgeous, and I find a new surprise every time I go. Adorable goslings, a fawn swimming across the water, a river otter that followed us as he swam, a loon, hawks, turtles… you never know what you’ll see!
And there are several different loops you can take, so whether you’re in the mood for a half-​mile stroll along the water or a five-​mile jog around the whole reservoir, you’ll be satisfied either way.

Absolutely beautiful place to take a walk. Only downside is that dogs are not allowed. It is a shame that individuals who don’t clean up after their pets ruin a location for the responsible ones. And yes it is patrol ed so if you bring a pet you will get ticketed.

This is my favorite place in all the lands of Holyoke. You can leave any stress that built up during the day behind, get in a 3 or 4 mile loop (sometimes during high rain or early spring, one of the paths through the water does get flooded, though, as it’s very close to the water) and leave feeling great about life. There are quite a few organized races here throughout the year if cotton tshirts souvenirs are your thing, people are friendly, it’s lush and beautiful, you get to see deer and beavers and turtles and all kinds of birds… how can you not love it? If you’re there around sunset, be prepared to be wowed.
The one drawback is that sometimes the Canadian geese (of which there are a lot in the summer when they’re all back in town from their winter vacays) can be total hissing jerks to you. Especially during cute-​little-​goslings-​everywhere season. Not even hissing birds can make this not be a five-​star, wonderful place for a walk, run or bike, though!

This park is fan-​freaking-​tastic. Come here to run, walk, bike, or in the winter to x-​county ski. No dogs, boating, fishing or swimming allowed. (You will see dogs anyway, but come ON people, this is our water supply, please obey the no dogs bit? Others are correct that this is not well marked if you come in from one of the side entrances.) You can hear the highway in the distance, and sometimes see the F-​15s of the local 104^th Fighter Wing practicing overhead, but once you’re out on the earthen berms between the different reservoirs, you’ll feel like you’re miles from town. It’s great for walking loops of various sizes, the biggest is about 5 miles. Enjoy!

When visiting my friend in the Holyoke, MA area, we decided to take a hike at Ashley Reservoir and it was a great decision!
After a short drive, we parked in the parking lot and walked through the gate (one of several), then walked down a gravel path lined on both sides with pretty, green trees! After a 5 minute walk, we started to see the water of the reservoir and with the sun, it was a beautiful sight! Please see my pictures.
Once we got to the water, there were several paths we could take. We chose the one to the right because it went around a smaller portion of the reservoir, but it still took over an hour to walk around that portion.
Beautiful place to take a walk or run or bike ride. (No dogs allowed).
As for wildlife, we saw many turtles, fish, and birds.
Check it out if you’re in town.
Xie Xie!

Ashley Reservoir is one of my favorite areas to walk, job or run at any time of the year. Recently, I have been taking my nephew for bike rides. I usually enter through the Whitney Ave entrance and park at the Elks Club. The trail is well marked. There are three trails that all start at the same point and end at the same point but, one is about a mile one about 2 and the longest about three miles. They all look around the reservoir pond which adds another dimension of beauty. During different seasons, I enjoy noticing the different plants and flowers. I can not decide which time of the season it is most beautiful because it is always gorgeous. It is also a great place to look for some wild life. Over the years, I seen birds, ducks, geese, rabbit, I have also seen turtles, a hawk and once a garden snake… highly recommend it.

Great place for a walk, jog, run or bike ride. We realized 2 miles into our walk that we were the only people there with dogs. that is because dogs are NOT allowed. still a cool place

Gorgeous scenery and a pleasant safe place to take a walk in. My son and I like to bring bread up to feed the huge flocks of geese and ducks. It’s one of the few places in holyoke that feels safe to enjoy.

Great place to get you five miles in! It’s lovely all year round.