Location: 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376 (note that the address may show up as Montague)
The Great Falls Discovery Center is a great place to bring the family or some food to enjoy outside. Its beautiful gardens and picnic tables near the Connecticut River make it a sweet spot to relax on your journey. Take some time to explore the main building which exhibits dioramas and displays about the flora, fauna and environments of the Valley. Learn about the impacts of humans on our local landscape overtime and how we can work to keep it in good shape.
The best part of this stop, though, has to be the trail. Follow the sign to cross a walking bridge, then go down the trail until you find yourself at the river bed. Be careful during the wet season, as this area can get quite muddy. At the shore, you’ll see plenty of rocks and slabs of stone. If you look closely, you might find some trace fossils!! We waded into the river, which was refreshing on a hot day. This is a great site to explore nature and maybe find a souvenir.
Also across the bridge, you will find Barton Cove’s picnic area and camp grounds, a great spot for bird watching. The Discovery Center is free and open to the public.
To learn more about this site, visit https://dinotracksdiscovery.org/special/swapfull/then/turners-falls-dam/.
