Hike with a Tyke: Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary

Date: 10/1/2020

Editor’s note: This series focuses on local hiking and nature trails visited by the author with his wife, 2-year-old daughter and the family dog to showcase outdoor excursions that are family-friendly and/or comfortable options for someone who identifies as a novice hiker. However, this particular property does not allow dogs.

HAMPDEN – Whether you’re looking for an opportunity to see wildlife up close, go on a hike for exercise or just take a walk in a scenic area,  the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary is just right.

Located on Main Street in Hampden, it is easily accessible from Springfield and the surrounding communities as well as Northern Connecticut, making it a perfect spot for a nature adventure when you have just a little bit of time, much like the Mazas did earlier last month.

All told, Laughing Brook has about four miles worth of trails, but the interconnecting paths are broken up with some as short as 0.8 miles, making it a spot that truly has something for anyone.

Laughing Brook, of course, lives up to its name with the Mort and Helen Bates Trail, which meets you at the sanctuary’s entrance, and the adjoining East Brook Trail following along the East Brook, a tributary to the Scantic River.

The brook’s “laughing” and “babbling,” even during a drier season, provided a soothing background as well as pleasant scenery and opportunities for shutterbugs to snap nature photos.

Well known as a spot where Thornton W. Burgess gained inspiration for some of his most memorable storybook characters, Laughing Brook has a mix of forest areas, meadows and old rock walls as well as a pond and the brook. With what the Audubon Society says are more than 400 species of plants as well as an variety of mushrooms, the sanctuary the home to a wide variety of animals. On this particular venture, the birds were numerous and extremely active, making it an ideal location for birdwatching. Merely listening to the various calls sparks curiosity – what they might be saying to each other?

The trails themselves are primarily packed earth and well-cleared, although some areas are covered in leaves with roots and larger rocks, so taking care is advised.

One thing that isn’t likely to happen is getting lost. The Mazas have taught the 2-year-old how to find and identify trail blazes and shout out when she sees them to ensure we’re going the right way. With the frequency and prominence of the blazes on these trails, we began to wonder if teaching her this was a good idea.

All in all, Laughing Brook is a perfect location for a family-friendly excursion to explore nature right in our own backyard.

For more information, visit https://www.massaudubon.org
/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/laughing-brook/. A trail map can be downloaded at https:
//www.massaudubon.org/content/download/8062/145292/file/laughingbrook_trails.pdf. 

Laughing Brook is located at 789 Main St. in Hampden.