Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife Fairfield Brook WMA

Swamp Road, Richmond, MA

About Fairfield Brook WMA

Fairfield Brook Wildlife Management Area is located on Swamp Road in the Western Massachusetts town of Richmond. Ideal for wildlife viewing and hunting, the WMA contains various habitats for a diverse range of animals. Its 165-acre property comprises abandoned agricultural fields, shallow marshes, swamps, a brook, and mixed woods forests.

Adjacent to Swamp Road is a field cut annually to maintain a habitat for ground-nesting birds. Oak and apple trees are scattered throughout the property, providing food sources to black bears, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and gray squirrels. Additionally, dense vegetation surrounding Fairfield Brook attracts marsh wrens and several other bird species. These animals, among many others, make the Fairfield Brook Wildlife Management Area an excellent place to find and observe various animal species. The WMA property also includes uncommon natural calcareous bedrock-influenced communities, which are interesting and rare to encounter, and foster growth of similarly unusual plant species.

Wildlife Management Areas are intentionally wild, and do not have portions manicured for human use. Practices to maintain certain landscapes exist, such as managing the habitat for ground nesting birds, though no designated trails exist on the property. Visitors are expected to navigate the property themselves, which may include bushwhacking. The Fairfield Brook WMA provides a beautiful, primitive environment for outdoor recreation opportunities unique to the Berkshires.