Located for the most part in Agawarn, but partially in Westfield and Springfield, Massachusetts, the Robinson State Park is an over 850 acre narrow park donated to Massachusetts by John C. Robinson. The park has many facilities that provide entertaining activities for the whole family, including roughly twenty miles of trails, swimming pond, fishing, picnic areas, canoeing, and kayaking. The park has Native American sites which were called to be preserved in 1989, as were several areas that were called to be environmentally protected zones.
After a two year study, sale of timber was canceled from this area and trees considered to be hazardous to the public, were removed. Many dead red pines are left to provide appropriate habitat for wood peckers and add to the natural beauty of the park. A demonstration area of logging is left on the site for the visitors and it further adds to the diversity of the park.
There are numerous activities for the whole family to enjoy at Robinson State Park and perhaps the most famous among them is the Six Flags New England amusement park. It is a clean and well themed park that has rides and water activities like the Tornado funnel ride and the Typhoon water coaster. It also sports various raft rides and Monsoon Lagoon wave pools to name a few. There are also numerous eating places to satisfy even the most finicky taste buds. It is even possible to skip lines at the most sought after rides by getting a flash-pass. While the passes cost a little more, they get the visitor premium privileges. The recommended time to be able to visit the park properly is a full day.
For those visitors who prefer something quieter, there are four museums displaying everything from American and European pieces, to rugs from the Middle East, art pieces from Asia, a Solutia Eco-Center with live animals, African Hall, Tyrannosaurus Rex in full size, astronomy exhibit, planetarium, and the list goes on. Every member of the family will find something of interest to them and will be kept entertained for several hours in these museums.
The Robinson State Park also has approximately twenty miles of trails for those visitors who prefer to get in touch with nature. The trail tracing along the southern bank of the river runs right next to the river bank, and is lined with maple, beech hemlock, and birch woodland. Many timber stands of white pine, rhododendrons, and fiddlehead fern can also be seen along the path. The park is home to Neo-tropical songbirds. There are over 186 bird species that have been observed in the park over the last half a century. The trail is used for mountain biking, hiking, walking, jogging, or just strolling and enjoying the scenic sights. The area also has a nice smooth single track for mountain biking.
The Big E (Eastern States Exposition) is an annual event held at the beginning of fall at the permanent fair grounds for seventeen days. The event is packed every year with many buildings, containing something for every taste. There is The Big E Super Circus, competitive exhibits, a daily parade along with a Mardi Gras parade, and foods from every continent of the planet. The central buildings have horse shows and demolish ion derby. There are concerts held on weekends and loads of games and animal exhibits. For the shopping enthusiast, there are plenty of stalls with crafts and bargain gifts to take back for friends and family. The admission price is nominal and tickets can be bought online in advance. Spending time there is totally worth it for the whole family.
The Robinson State Park offers great recreation. Provin Mountain Reservoir Dam and Strathmore Paper Company Dam are some points of interest near a water front with lots of picnic areas and open spaces. Silver Lake is another option that is located not too far. There are numerous camp sites and places specifically designated for RVs scattered around the park. Reservations can be made as early as six months prior to date of arrival and as late as one day before arrival.