Chesterfield Gorge is a narrow granite chasm cut by the East Branch of the Westfield River, about 70 feet deep and just a few yards wide at the top. The river has carved the gorge along a fault line in the local bedrock; the water slides through in a continuous whitewater chute and opens into deep pools above and below.
It’s a Trustees of Reservations property, protected since 1929.
What to do
- Overlook. A short, fenced clifftop viewing area is a minute from the parking lot; safe for kids held by hand.
- East Branch Trail. An unpaved road-turned-trail follows the river downstream from the gorge for about nine miles through Chesterfield, Worthington, and into the Gilbert A. Bliss State Forest, providing quiet river access and a long out-and-back walk.
- Wild and Scenic. The East Branch is federally designated a Wild and Scenic River, part of the 78-mile designation covering the main, east, and west branches of the Westfield.
What to know
- No swimming or rock climbing. Both are prohibited, and access to the river through the gorge is prohibited because of dangerous water conditions.
- Leashed dogs welcome.
- Parking is free for Trustees members and Chesterfield residents, $5 for all others; the lot is not plowed in winter.