The Lake Mansfield Recreation Area boasts two main attractions directly across a narrow road from…read moreeach other. First is the lake itself -a gorgeous 29-acre pond with a strip of sandy beach front, grassy shaded picnic area, benches and swings. On the other side of the road is a forest with a network of forest trail walks. The trail is mostly flat and made of crushed stone. We parked by the main entrance at the beach and headed north on the well marked Main Trail before we peeled off to the right to walk the Loop Trail which eventually rejoined the Main Trail and took us back to our car. It was peaceful and tranquil today as the only other soul we saw was a young lady jogging along to her music. It was gorgeous out there- the trees were bare of leaves in preparation of the inevitable harsh winter and we agreed it was one of the better hikes we'd had in a while. One cool thing we saw on the Loop Trail was a humongous boulder off on the side of the trail. It appears on the trail map as (you guessed it) "Boulder".

Wonderful neighborhood beach fit for all ages and activities. Unlike most other Berkshire lakes,…read morethere are lifeguards on duty daily. Great for swimming, kayaking and lounging.

Very easy walkable trail outside of Great Barrington (just across from Barrington Brewery). There's…read morea small sign off the side of the road for "Housatonic Flats", with a nice gravel parking lot. There isn't too much information (such as flora/fauna markers, historical notes, etc), but the signage that they do have is in great condition. At the trailhead just past the gate, there is a bulletin board with a trail map on it. There's only one trail as of the writing of this review: the Loop Trail which is 0.8 miles in length. It's obviously a loop, so whichever direction you choose, you will end up back at the trailhead. The trail itself is very walkable, great for a causal afternoon or evening stroll, and doable for all ages and abilities. It meanders along the river-- and there's a couple of side paths that head towards it-- but the banks are very steep. Use caution when walking off the main trail. There is very little incline over the course of the trail, and is mostly trimmed grass. It's very well kept up. When we visited, there were quite a few beautiful wildflowers in bloom. I'm sure that if you took your time, you'd get to observe some regional fauna, too. There's only one bench on the trail, which over looks the river. Aside from the mown trail, the rest of the Housatonic Flats park is mostly thick meadow with a treeline near the river. I'd advise staying on the trail to minimize nuisances such as ticks, poison ivy, and mosquitoes. There's no place to picnic or BBQ, so I'd advise saving that for another area altogether. It's a very nice path for a quick scenic walk. Enjoy it while it's still relatively unknown!

I didnt love this hike. Went in aug 2018 which was a very hot and humid month. We always hike…read moreearly so in by 730. Very buggy. Not very pretty. I think everyone else knew it too as this is the first time i have ever hiked and not bumped into other people. Hike is also very short. Would not recommend when there are so many other nice hikes around

I visited this trail today for the first time. I really enjoyed the view of the river…read moreand the serenity. The path is flat, with blue crushed stone and quite wide so even someone with a wheelchair could navigate it. At times the river falls out of view and comes back again while the trail takes you through meadows and more populated areas of the town. A great way to get out and enjoy nature in Western Massachusetts.

"Hey, babe Take a walk on the wild side"…read more(Lou Reed) Great Barrington, MA was founded way back in 1738. So what did the town do to celebrate it's 250th anniversary? They staged a cleanup of the Housatonic River and volunteers removed 15 tons of debris from the riverbank. This was the start of a river restoration project that culminated in the creation of the Housatonic River Walk. The River Walk was built in two sections known as "Upstream" and "Downstream". We walked the Upstream section yesterday. It runs from the River Walk bulletin board at 195 Main Street to the William Stanley Overlook. The entrance has a pretty steep staircase, so you'd best be paying attention and not be texting with your BFF. The trail is short, but has some gorgeous views of the river on your left. This portion of the trail ends at the William Stanley Overlook - a nice observation point where you can admire the view and learn about Mr. Stanley, a local inventor who developed an electrical transformer. His 1886 breakthrough was responsible for running electrical wires across the river to transmit power to stores and offices on Great Barrington's Main Street. The upstream section's exit is a staircase going up to the St. Peter's Church parking lot on Dresser Avenue. This worked great for us, because we had conveniently parked our car there. It's not the longest trail we ever walked, but it was one of the more interesting and scenic walks we've taken.

Beautiful trails and an amazing view from the top. We arrived around 11AM on a fall Saturday and…read morethere were only a few spots left in the parking area. There is a $6 fee for parking, and the machine takes credit cards. We hiked up to the summit on the Blue trail which connected to the red trail. Trails were clearly marked and not too difficult. We even found a few geocaches along the way. Be sure to take the short spur trail to Devil's Pulpit for a spectacular view. Even though the parking lot was nearly full, there are enough trails to that we never felt crowded. It took us about 2 hours total for our climb up and down the mountain, with some time spent enjoying the view from the summit.

Finally came here after having it bookmarked for years. Medium lot fills up quick. Paid parking. 9…read morebucks. There was a DCR worker there helping people figure out which trail was better for them. He was very polite. There are 2 trails to get to the top. You can take the steep shorter trail or a longer trail that wasn't as steep. I opted for the steep one. Definitely a good little hike. I was out of breath. The top has a phenomenal view. Absolutely breathtaking. Definitely a place you need to put on your list of things to do.

Ran a 1/2 day float trip with Harry and had a great experience. Caught our 1st trout on the very…read more1st cast of the day and had consistent bites for the next 4 hours. Harry knows every contour of the river and exactly what patterns to cast. Overall, caught about 12-15 fish...couldn't ask for a better day on the water. Very much looking forward to running it back with Harry in the near future.

Outstanding float trip! Great guide, put us on the fish! Very knowledgeable about the river and the…read moretechnique needed to fish it. Will definitely use them again!

Peaceful and calm setting. Beautifully designed rooms (cabins) with plush towels, comfortable…read morebed, Scandinavian minimalism. There's also a lake, pool, sauna, tennis, restaurant. I'm writing this while here and Prospect Berkshire is only open under new ownership for 5 weeks. Staff is very friendly. About 15 min drive to Great Barrington.

this place is literally out of a fairy tale and it's so worth a visit. the water, the pool, the…read morepeople everything is amazing. the sauna!! the tennis courts the food!!

Well marked trails lead to the top of Monument Mountain's Squaw Peak. Beautiful multi-state views…read more Sunrise, sunset, mid-morning never fails to satisfy when one needs a peaceful getaway. Don't forget to reward yourself for the Hickey Trail Climb with a nice sit-down on the boulders, enjoying the sun, breeze and bird song!

This is the home of the Conservancy in western Massachusetts and, of course, abutts the trail and…read moreis a good place to park and hop on the trail for short hikes. There is also a small museum and usually people available to answer questions who are very knowledgeable.