Loading...

🎆 50% off 4th of July sale on Supporter Accounts — now through July 6! Learn More.

Hill Reservoir Hike

Directions
Map
Pictures
Send to App
Distance:
2.3 Miles / 3.7 km
Type:
Out-and-Back
Difficulty:
Easy
Time to Hike:
1 hour, ~9 minutes
Features:
Surface Type:
Dirt
Town:
Pelham, Massachusetts
Directions:
42.379842, -72.449841
Added:
May 10, 2025
Updated:
June 11, 2025
Copy Trail Link Hiking this trail? Send a friend or family member a link to this trail guide for your own safety. Hike at your own risk (disclaimer)
Loading...
Loading...
251'

Total Change
287'

Ascent
288'

Descent

Download the Trail Route for Offline Use

Supporters get exclusive access to download trail routes to the MyHikes app for offline use. Stay prepared on your adventure, even without an internet connection! Become a Supporter today to unlock this feature and hike with confidence.

Send to App

Hill Reservoir Hike

The Hill Reservoir hike in Pelham, Massachusetts is an easy 2.3-mile out-and-back scenic hike that leads to Hill Reservoir, features a 15-foot tall spillway waterfall, and turns-around at Amethyst Brook.

Hiking to Hill Reservoir

This hike begins along the skinny dirt road of Meetinghouse Road in Pelham. Hikers will find parking near the edge of the Buffam Falls Conservation Area where you'll find a couple of small turnouts.

To reach the trailhead, hike north on Meetinghouse Road from the parking turnout and be on the lookout for a wide trail that leads due-east. Once you're on the trail, it leads through a white pine and hemlock forest as it makes its way toward the reservoir.

Hill Reservoir Falls - Mile 0.5

Around mile 0.5 from the parking area, hikers will reach a right-hand turn that leads downhill to reach the banks of Amethyst Brook. Head down to the water's edge to find a ~15-foot tall, 50-foot long waterfall that tumbles down from Hill Reservoir — Hill Reservoir Falls. While this human-made waterfall, specifically a spillway, isn't naturally occurring, the scenic tumbling water is a nice addition to the walk.

Hill Reservoir Views - Mile 0.6

Just uphill from the waterfall sits the tranquil Hill Reservoir where hikers will find beautiful views of the water from the trail. Lining its banks are tall white pine trees and small hills. Before hiking onward, note that Hill Reservoir is the last truly scenic spot along this route. There are some small cascades in Amethyst Brook located at the turn-around point for this hike; however, if you don't wish to continue further, turning around at Hill Reservoir is not a bad option. If you wish to follow this guide, you can hike further to Amethyst Brook where you'll find a creek crossing.

Hiking to Amethyst Brook's Crossing - Mile 0.6 to 1.1

From Hill Reservoir, the trail leads up a small but steep hill. You can get more views of the reservoir from the top of this hill where you'll find a different perspective of the water. The trail, however, doesn't have much to offer once you leave the reservoir. It leads through the forest and eventually leads downhill to reach Amethyst Brook once more. At mile 1.1, you'll find a creek crossing at the brook. During our hike here in mid-May, the water level was way too high for us to consider crossing, so we hiked upstream a bit to explore the scenic, but small, cascades of water in the brook. Then we hiked out and back to parking for a 2.3-mile out-and-back hike.

Hiking Out - Mile 1.1 to 2.3

While you can certainly skip heading upstream along Amethyst Brook, the water and surrounding hemlocks are a scenic way to enjoy this part of Western Mass. The hike back to parking is simple — just follow the same path you hiked in on. Note that there's a bit of an uphill walk from Amethyst Brook to reach Hill Reservoir, but it's short lived and not difficult. Complete the 2.3-mile hike at the parking turnout along Meetinghouse Road.

Parking

Hikers will find small parking turnouts along Meetinghouse Road in Pelham. The turnouts are large enough to fit a couple of vehicles each. Note that Meetinghouse Road is a skinny dirt road where, in some places, opposing vehicles have to wait for one another. This road might not be maintained during the winter.

Pets

Dogs are not allowed in the reservoir or any of its tributaries. If you simply plan to keep your dog on-trail at all times, then dogs are allowed. It's illegal to allow your dog in the reservoir or upstream in Amethyst Brook according to the signage as of May 2025.

Prohibited

State law prohibits recreational use of the reservoir. No swimming, fishing, boating, skating, etc. Domestic animals are not allowed in the reservoir or its tributaries.
Explore 208 trails near Pelham, MA
  1. Parking

    42.379842, -72.449841
  2. Main Trailhead

    42.379842, -72.449841
  3. Hill Reservoir Falls (15-feet tall, 50-feet long)

    42.381206, -72.442911
    Hill Reservoir Falls (15-feet tall, 50-feet long)
  4. View of Hill Reservoir

    42.381922, -72.442114
    View of Hill Reservoir
  5. Creek crossing at Amethyst Brook

    42.385269, -72.436531
    Creek crossing at Amethyst Brook
  6. View of the reservoir from a nearby trail

    42.382225, -72.442003
    View of the reservoir from a nearby trail
No community routes found. To add your own hike as a Community Route for this Trail guide, leave a Trip Report with an attached GPX file.

Hazards

Ticks - Lyme Disease More Info (CDC)
Poison Ivy/Oak

Seasons

All

Weather Forecast

In Pelham, MA

Explore Hiking Trails

You May Also Like

Colorado's Million Dollar Highway - Plan a day's drive adventure along the iconic Million Dollar Highway in Colorado. Explore the best short trails, roadside stops, waterfalls, vistas, ghost towns, and hot springs within a ~6 hour road trip.
Explore

Colorado's Million Dollar Highway

Plan a day's drive adventure along the iconic Million Dollar Highway in Colorado. Explore the best short trails, roadside stops, waterfalls, vistas, ghost towns, and hot springs within a ~6 hour road trip.

Read
Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun Road - Discover the breathtaking beauty of Glacier National Park along the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road. From stunning roadside stops to picturesque waterfalls and vistas, this engineering marvel offers endless opportunities for exploration.
Explore

Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun Road

Discover the breathtaking beauty of Glacier National Park along the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road. From stunning roadside stops to picturesque waterfalls and vistas, this engineering marvel offers endless opportunities for exploration.

Read
New York's Best Waterfalls - Whether you're planning a day hike, roadside stop, or a leisurely short walk, this guide provides hikers, travelers, and locals alike with 63 different locations to over 100 scenic waterfalls to help plan your next adventure!
Explore

New York's Best Waterfalls

Whether you're planning a day hike, roadside stop, or a leisurely short walk, this guide provides hikers, travelers, and locals alike with 63 different locations to over 100 scenic waterfalls to help plan your next adventure!

Read

Before you boogie...

Find our trail guides useful? Consider becoming a Supporter to unlock perks!

MyHikes is an indie platform that makes exploring public trails easier for everyone. The platform has no investors, no ads, and is owned and operated by one person, Dave Miller. Dave has personally mapped and written over 1,800 trail guides on MyHikes for the public to explore. MyHikes has helped millions outdoor enthusiasts plan their next adventure.

But it takes a lot of time 🕦, money 💰, work, and espresso shots ☕ to run MyHikes, including hiking , mapping , writing , and publishing new trails with high-quality (accurate) information... along with software engineering (coding) the platform like building new features, website and mobile app development (iOS and Android), site maintainance . and much much more.

Supporters unlock website and mobile app perks with an annual one-time payment of $25 (you renew) 😎👍. Or you can simply make a Donation of your choice. Otherwise, you can support us by telling your friends about MyHikes - both quick and free 🎉

Admin user profile picture

Dave Miller
MyHikes Founder