outdoor fun
on, and off, the beaten path
From left: Hiking Mount Greylock, Bash Bish Falls, BNRC’s Jackson Pond Boardwalk in Stockbridge.
Nature beckons from all points of the Berkshires. Hiking, cycling, kayaking, paddle boarding, even outdoor yoga—those activities and more await from spring through summer. The following ideas are organized by town so you can plan an all-day outing (including shopping and grabbing lunch). If hiking is your idea of heaven, you’ve come to the right place. Start by downloading the Berkshires Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Trails App to explore more than 70 properties spanning the county, some of which are highlighted below. And if you happen to over-exert yourself, Great Barrington’s awardwinning Fairview Hospital is there to help. What are you waiting for? Go jump in a lake—and soak up the incredible scenery!
ADAMS At 3,491 feet, the peak of Mount Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts and the centerpiece of the oldest park in the state. On a clear day you’ll be treated to 90-mile views of four states and five mountain ranges. The reservation offers 70 miles of hiking trails that vary in difficulty (and don’t require hoofing it to the top). The 12.7-mile, recently resurfaced, Ashuwillticook Rail Trail originates in Adams and passes through some surprisingly wild country on the way to its southern terminus at the Berkshire Mall. Strollers, runners, cyclists, and roller-bladers amicably share the ten-foot-wide former railbed. Greylock Glen Resort’s well-maintained trails have become a destination for walkers, hikers, and mountain bikers. If you decide to go for the summit (two and a half miles up the mountain), expect moderate to strenuous stretches.
NORTH ADAMS The Hoosic River brought Native Americans, early settlers, and current residents to North Adams; learn about its history on the self-guided Hoosic River Revival Walking Tour, part of an initiative to reconnect the river to the city and make it an attribute for recreation, economic development, and community building. For dramatic views, the three-mile ridgeline Hoosac Range Trail takes you along the Berkshires’ northeastern border over dramatic cliffs up to Spruce Hill; a shorter 1.6-mile roundtrip loop to Sunset Rock has spectacular vistas as well. Discover a 550-million-year-old geological wonder at the 48-acre Natural Bridge State Park, site of the only naturally formed, white marble arch in North America. Nathaniel Hawthorne, who visited here in 1838, recorded his experience about then-named Hudson’s Cave (or Falls) in An American Notebook: “The cave makes a fresh impression on me every time I visit it . . . so deep, so irregular, so gloomy, so stern.” The Mohawk Trail State Forest is named for an historic Native American footpath that connected the Connecticut and Hudson River Valleys. Sections of this route are open for hiking today, as the Mahican-Mohawk Trail. The 6,000-acre state forest, only 10 miles from North Adams, is a veritable woodland playground, with miles of rivers and streams for trout fishing, a designated swimming area, picnic areas, and seasonal campsites. Experienced cyclists will want to visit Bike Berkshire North for mapped rides in the region leading to all points north, south, east, and west. Back in town, Windsor Lake has a public beach with a full-fledged snack bar (and a Summer Concert Series). Got trout? Berkshire River Drifters will take you to where the browns and rainbows lurk. OutAndAboutBerkshireEdge.com
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