Amethyst Brook Conservation Area — Attraction in Amherst

Sadly, these beautiful trails are unusable for me and probably many others due to the frequent harassment by off leash / poorly controlled dogs during leash hours (off leash is allowed before 10 am). My dog came from a shelter and is shy and fearful. He was chased by 3 different large dogs today during a 45 minute walk. One was off leash and two were dragging a leash behind as they barreled towards us while the owners yelled from a distance, “it’s ok, he’s friendly!” without bothering to ask if my dog was. When I asked them to control their dogs, they had trouble doing so because their dogs did not respond to verbal commands. If you are one of these people, please stop being so oblivious and start showing some consideration for other people and dogs who have every right to...

Amethyst Brook in Amherst, Massachusetts

I came to wander and be in presence with this beautifully flowing water 💦 close to the university I serve at. With trails full of some of my favorite conifers…White Pine 🌲 and Eastern Hemlock…this is a peaceful space to be among.

Placing my hand on a tree by the water, I watched two butterflies 🦋 dance with each other for a while. And this brook neighbors community gardens with such beautiful green land that I wandered through on the way in and on.

Oh, I have to tell all my students about this space too now. Because…we need this…we need to be out here in reverent connection with all of Earth’s...

What a wonderful place to take the dog or family for that matter.. Walking, hiking, trail running, MTBing and even some stream wading if youd like.. Just a fun, all around place to enjoy the outdoors..

Some trails marked, some not.. Also need to be aware of trails and would recommend a compass or navigation program like Oruxmaps, strava, runtastic, Backcountry navigator.. The place is big enough that you could end up somewhere you don't want to be and since the park ajoins farm country with fire roads and logging roads it could be easy to end up 10 miles or more from where you...