Bear Swamp

Bear Swamp is a 285-acre nature reserve near Ashfield in northwestern Massachusetts, managed by The Trustees of Reservations and free to enter. The reserve protects a classic New England wetland landscape — boggy forest, marshy meadows, and dense second-growth woodland that shelter amphibians, waterfowl, and a rich understory flora. Narrow hiking trails wind through the preserve, which is especially atmospheric in fall when the surrounding hardwoods turn.