Hawley Bog Preserve

© Avi Hesterman

Why You Should Visit
This preserve is an example of an unspoiled New England level bog within a deep glacial depression. A mat of consolidated peat 30 feet thick floats on the open water and supports an unusual community of plants.

Location
Hawley, Massachusetts

Hours
Daily, from dawn until dusk

Size
65 acres

Conditions
The short trail is flat but somewhat difficult due to its extreme wetness. It is very important to stay on the boardwalk (it is a floating mat and can break easily), which allows truly close-up views of an unusual community of vegetation.

How to Prepare for Your Visit
High waterproof boots are strongly recommended. Organized group visits should contact our Boston office at (617) 227-7017 for permission and all cars should pull well off the road when they park.  If you have any questions while planning your outing, please contact our Boston office.

Directions
From Boston:

  • Take Route 2W to Route 8AS (Hawley). 
  • Take the left at the forced stop past the railroad tracks. 
  • Take the first right onto East Hawely Rd. 
  • Continue approximately four miles to a small rock monument in a clearing.
  • Park and take the path on the left.

What to See: Plants
Growing on the open water are bladderworts. At the periphery of the bog is a wooded swamp with wild iris surrounded by striking stands of hemlock and mountain laurel.

What to See: Animals
There are a number of fascinating ant species present on or around the bog.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Hawley Bog is a one of the few remaining examples of a New England bog in its natural state.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Nature Conservancy owns 25 acres of this unique preserve and the remaining acreage is owned by Five Colleges, Inc. (a consortium made up of Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire and Amherst Colleges and the University of Massachusetts). The entire preserve is managed cooperatively by The Nature Conservancy and is used as an outdoor classroom by the Five Colleges.

In 1997, volunteers and staff pulled together to complete a 700-foot boardwalk. Partially made from non-toxic recycled plastic, the new boardwalk forms a trail over the floating bog mat. It replaces boards which had been placed directly on the bog mat, which threatened the bog's sensitive community of plants.  In 2004, crews worked to control the invasives in the area and trimmed vegetation along the boardwalk.