Buffam Brook Community Forest

Pelham, MA

Forest with Hiking Trails

Easy to moderate

Free

Bounded by Buffam, Boyden, and North Valley Roads, this town conservation land consists of several large parcels recently added to the Moose Track (aka Robinson Road) Conservation Area. A parking area off North Valley Road provides access to a network of hiking trails that wind through both young and mature woodland. It’s all situated within a vast, relatively unfragmented forested landscape that includes Quabbin Reservation and Amherst Watershed land. A public loop trail leaves the parking area to carve a figure-8 with gentle slopes that takes visitors above and around a historic quarry site sheltering a lovely vernal pool.

Download a Trail Map

What You Can Do There

What to Look For

Large, old trees
Historic quarry (“Pelham gneiss”) with a large vernal pool
Wetlands and two stony brooks (Buffam & Gates)
Wildlife tracks & signs

This is a Great Place For

Hikers
Birders
Families with children
Cross-country skiers

You Should Know

Open to the public from dawn to dusk
Parking available off North Valley Road (5 cars)
Respect adjacent private property by staying on public trails
Exercise caution and mind young children at the quarry site
Buffam Falls, 1.5 miles south on North Valley Rd., offers a short hike to enjoy a cooling dip in the stream