Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area is the largest open space in Northampton: a 936-acre preserve of forest, wetland, and pond on the city’s northern edge. The centerpiece is Fitzgerald Lake itself, a 40-acre artificial lake on Broad Brook, ringed by cattail marsh and mixed-hardwood slopes.
The trail network runs to nearly 10 miles, much of it via wooden boardwalks that cross the wetter sections of the swamp. It’s maintained jointly by the Northampton Conservation Commission and the Broad Brook Coalition, a local volunteer group that has stewarded the area since the 1980s.
What to know
- Main loop. 2.5 miles around the lake, all flat, about an hour and a half at an easy pace. Longer loops climb the slope to the north and connect into the Marian Street network.
- Boardwalks. Long sections cross open swamp; expect birdsong, occasional beaver, and wood ducks in the coves.
- Winter. The lake is sometimes used for informal skating; the trails are walkable year-round and skiable after fresh snow.
- Dogs. Dogs must be leashed and waste packed out.
- Access work. Broad Brook Coalition posts that the Cooke Avenue lot and Boggy Meadow Road access are closed from April through June 2026 for accessibility upgrades; North Farms Road, Marian Street, and Coles Meadow Road access remain open.
- Rules. Fires, camping, motorized vehicles and boats, hunting, and trapping are prohibited.