Chicopee Memorial State Park

Chicopee Memorial State Park
Massachusetts State Park
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Hampden
City Chicopee
Elevation 194 ft (59 m) [1]
Coordinates 42°10′45″N 72°32′13″W / 42.17917°N 72.53694°W / 42.17917; -72.53694Coordinates: 42°10′45″N 72°32′13″W / 42.17917°N 72.53694°W / 42.17917; -72.53694 [1]
Area 562 acres (227 ha) [2]
City ownership 1893
 - State park 1960s
Management Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Location in Massachusetts
Website: Chicopee Memorial State Park

Chicopee Memorial State Park is a public recreation area covering 562 acres (227 ha) in the Burnett Road neighborhood of the city of Chicopee, Massachusetts. The state park is located directly southeast of Westover Air Reserve Base, which is visible from some parts of the park. It is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.[3]

History

Once known as the Cooley Brook Reservoir and Watershed, the park was originally the site of reservoirs built in 1896, 1912 and 1926 to provide water for the city of Chicopee. The Civilian Conservation Corps worked in the watershed from 1935 to 1937, adding riprap to the reservoir, planting trees, and creating roads, trails, and pedestrian bridges among other improvements. The state took charge of the site in the 1960s, adding recreational and administrative features.[4]

Activities and amenities

The park has trails for walking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing. The former 25-acre (10 ha) reservoir pond is used for swimming and restricted fishing. Other facilities include picnic areas, restrooms, and a bathhouse.[3]

The city's high schools use park trails for cross-country meets.[5] The park is District Headquarters for the Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control, District 11.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Chicopee Memorial State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. ↑ "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Chicopee Memorial State Park". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  4. ↑ "The Civilian Conservation Corps: A Statewide Survey of Civilian Conservation Corps Resources". Prepared by Shary Page Berg (Beth McKinney, ed.) for the Massachusetts Office of Historic Resources. January 1999. pp. 60–61. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  5. ↑ Sypek, Fran (October 20, 2009). "Belchertown's Madison Granger set a cross country course record at Chicopee State Park". The Republican. MassLive LLC. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Fire Warden List". Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control. February 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
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