Jabish Brook is located right off Rt. 202 in Belchertown. The little brown sign can be hard to see, but I know that the entrance is about 2.2 miles past of the Rt. 9/Rt. 202 intersection in Belchertown (heading north towards Rt. 2).
Pull in and take a left to find a small parking area with about 3 spaces. I've never seen another car there, so that's not a concern.
First you'll walk down a wide (sometimes muddy) path/road. Once you hit the adorable wooden bridge over Jabish Brook you start on the regular trails. The blazed trails that you see just past the bridge are a loop. We've done the loop once - it must be 2 miles or so, I can't imagine it's much longer. Dozens more times we went there and stalled at the brook where my sons threw rocks for a couple of hours.
If you continue on the blazed trails and head to the left for starters, you'll be walking along the stream and there is another good rock throwing spot. Along the path there are many smaller "bridges" that take you over seasonal stream beds which may be flowing or just beautifully green with moss.
Description of the area by the town of Belchertown:
Jabish Brook Conservation Area, the Town's main conservation area, is entirely forested, with a pristine stream, and slopes up eastward toward Quabbin Reservoir. There is a well-developed set of trails, and a footbridge crossing the brook. The area exhibits a unique variety of wildflower habitats.
Jabish Brook has potential for handicap accessibility to an overlook area near the entrance for picnicking and visual amenity. Also an area is possible for handicap parking. The steep slope leading to the stream limits access to the rest of the property. The Town has contracted with a landscape consultant to look at the possibility of safely ramping the descent and developing a proposal to make at least some portions of this area accessible to persons with disabilities.
Belchertown Conservation Areas
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