Gaze upon an imposing gorge carved by a National Wild and Scenic River, with great fishing, hiking, and biking options just downstream.

Chesterfield Gorge is a dramatic rock canyon, forming the entrance to an extensive natural recreation area along the Westfield River, a popular spot for catch-and-release fly fishing. Seventy-foot walls—carved by centuries of rushing water from the East Branch of the Westfield River—rise from a landscape situated adjacent to the General Marquis de Lafayette Trail. Across the river, you’ll see stone abutments from a historic bridge that spanned the river around 1762, swept away by floodwaters in 1835.

Hike the half-mile trail along the cliff tops and take in wonderful views of the gorge, the river, and the surrounding forest. The forest nurtures hemlock, ash, and oak, and is home to bears, bobcats, and turkeys.

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike at Chesterfield Gorge.