Swift River Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 2
Swift River Wildlife Management Area is 757 acres of MassWildlife land in Ashfield, Cummington, Goshen and Plainfield (Hampshire County), in Wildlife Management Zone 2 and 4N. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 617 deer in Zone 2 in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 2 parking areas for the property with room for about 5 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Swift River WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landState forest and park land (DCR)Swift River WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 757 acres (MassWildlife), in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Ashfield, Cummington, Goshen and Plainfield |
| County | Hampshire, Franklin |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 2, Zone 4N |
| MassWildlife district | Western District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 2 lots, about 5 spaces |
| Deer taken in Zone 2, 2025 | 617 (492 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Plainfield (2 mi), Cummington (2 mi) and Goshen (2 mi) |
What is Swift River WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "The Swift River WMA is divided into 2 large parcels and contains a series of grassy fields bordered by hardwood and softwood forest. The forested area consists of a mixture of sugar maple, beech, black cherry, hemlock, and white pine. Regenerating forest can be found on the back edge of the northernmost forest on the eastern parcel."
On its habitat work: "A timber harvest was conducted a few years before the property was purchased. The cut occurred in the northeast corner of the WMA. New growth now covers a large part of the area."
On wildlife: "This property was purchased to provide protection and access to the Swift River. There is an old maple sugar shack located on the property. The area is a good mix of habitats and provided excellent opportunities for bird watching as well as other wildlife viewing."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Swift River WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Swift River WMA?
"The Swift River WMA encompasses an array of habitats and therefore offers excellent opportunities to pursue many different game species. The areas of fields, new growth forests, black cherry trees, and apple trees provide great habitats for white-tailed deer, black bear, and wild turkey. Additionally, cottontail rabbit can be found in the new growth forest and eastern coyote may be spotted in the fields."
On fishing: "The Swift River WMA provides shore access to the Swift River and the North Branch of the Swift River, both of which are classified as cold-water fisheries resource. The Swift River is stocked annually with trout. For more information on trout stocking, visit mass.gov/trout."
How do you get into Swift River WMA?
"There is no official parking area but there is parking on the roadside next to the fields on both sides of Willcut Road in Cummington. Additional roadside parking and access can be obtained by multiple roads bordering this WMA in the towns listed above."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parking | 2 | Grass | Good | 42.47087 | -72.85399 |
| Parking | 3 | Grass | Fair | 42.48689 | -72.88641 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 112, MA 9, MA 116 and MA 143. Distances to the nearest town centers: Plainfield 2 miles, Cummington 2 miles, Goshen 2 miles and Ashfield 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Meadow Brook (1 mile), Shaw Brook (2 miles), Cummington (2 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Swift River WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 2: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 244 deer to archers and 281 in shotgun season.
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Swift River WMA?
Under 321 CMR 3.01, camping, fires and target practice need the Director's written permission, vehicles stay on roads open to traffic, and dogs must be leashed unless hunting or training with a licensed hunter.
Source: MassWildlife WMA regulations.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Swift River WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 2, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Swift River WMA in?
Zone 2 (865 acres) and Zone 4N, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 617 deer in Zone 2 in 2025, 492 of them adult males, after 546 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for Swift River WMA?
MassWildlife maps 2 parking areas: a lot (about 2 cars, grass); a lot (about 3 cars, grass). Its fact sheet adds: "There is no official parking area but there is parking on the roadside next to the fields on both sides of Willcut Road in Cummington. Additional roadside parking and access can be obtained by multiple roads bordering this WMA in the towns listed above."
What can you hunt on Swift River WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "The Swift River WMA encompasses an array of habitats and therefore offers excellent opportunities to pursue many different game species. The areas of fields, new growth forests, black cherry trees, and apple trees provide great habitats for white-tailed deer, black bear, and wild turkey. Additionally, cottontail rabbit can be found in the new growth forest and eastern coyote may be spotted in the fields."
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Sources: MassWildlife fact sheet; MassWildlife Lands (MassGIS); MassWildlife parking for recreation; MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates); MassWildlife WMA regulations; public land MassGIS Protected and Recreational OpenSpace for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land; towns U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, towns (county subdivisions). FilledTag is not part of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife).