A Walk along the Connecticut River: Pynchon Point Park

There is a scenic park not far from where I live.  Pynchon Point Park is diamond in the rough. At the entrance from the parking lot, you follow the path down to the river with a lovely view of the South End Bridge. This is a no-frills park with few amenities: it has no playground and there are no portable toilets.  If you plan to canoe or kayak here, you need a cart to transport your boat since there is no vehicle access to the water.  The photos were taking during the spring of 2016.  There was hardly any snow that winter, and no spring high water, so the park was accessible.

People come here to fish during the shad run  mid-May until early June. Occasionally families picnic here on weekends.Fishermen have told me they have caught striped bass in the river, and they can be over three feet long.

There is a stretch of sand along the waterfront.  I have never seen anyone swim there, although I have seen people launch kayaks. I think it has to do with park located a short distance downstream from the Springfield Wastewater Treatment Plant.  The output from the plant is usually clean except during periods of heavy rain, when combined sewer overflows occur. 

Many years ago, the plant, also known as Bondi's Island, used to stink up the entire neighborhood. When the wind blew the wrong way, the odor wafted into downtown Springfield.  The sewage treatment plant has since cleaned up its act (it no longer smells unless you're actually at the plant) and also does a good job cleaning the crap from the five towns in the Springfield area.  Unless there has been a heavy rain, the water is usually clean enough for boating and swimming, according to this website.

It's certainly a lot cleaner than it used to be.  Before the park was created, there was a lot of illegal dumping done here. Unfortunately, the park is often littered with the remains of alcoholic celebrations, even though there is a trash can next to the picnic table.  You name it they drink it: beer, soda and vodka, and none of it is the good stuff. It's the cheap booze from the local convenience store.

This is the sign at the entrance to the park.  It was originally a ferry landing for boats traveling from Agawam to Springfield until the first South End Bridge was built in 1879. You can read about the park's history from the sign if you enlarge the picture.

A sign in the parking lot reminds people that they can be hit with a hefty fine if they dump garbage and other refuse. So far I haven't seen trash bags and household items, although the fishermen who come here often litter the beach with Dunkin' Donuts cups, beer bottles and cans, fishing line and stryrofoam cups, despite the trash bins located in a couple of places in the park. Unfortunately, fishermen have a bad rep for being slobs.

The best vantage point is right before the bridge.  Since there is no picnic table in this part of the park I sometimes bring a folding chair and enjoy the view.  The bridge was built in 1929.

Pynchon Point Park is a great place to take pictures.  Just don't go there during springtime high water (early April when the snow melts).

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