Decent hike. Interesting boulders covered in vegetation. River views. Buggy and mucky on a lot of…read morethe trails. Trails not as well marked as others in the Land Trust. View from the summit, reached by walking up a huge field, was spectacular

A series of well-marked hiking trails snake through some strikingly massive and odd-looking stones,…read moremany of them topped with moss so soft-looking you'll be tempted to pet it. This lush park is also home to some of the most beautiful ferns I've ever seen. There's also a huge cottonwood tree, with a cubby hole large enough to fit several small children. The visitor center is also worth a visit, and not just for the real flushing toilets. There's a stuffed bobcat, and a helpful staff member who says complimentary things like, "You guys are pretty fit! You'll finish that trail loop in half an hour." (In reality it took an hour, mostly because we kept stopping to take pictures. (There are a bunch of longer trails as well).

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.

A unique place to spend some time! Parking in the lot is $10 and free for Trustees members. Take…read morethe entrance path which is about half a mile, and you will come across some cool ruins like trucks and derricks. From there, it's just a short walk to the quarry, which is now full of water and quite lovely to look at. We learned (thanks, informational signage!) that the quarry was active from the 1860s-1940s. When it closed, the workers left machinery, which is still there in all its rusty glory. This was a nice stop on our way back to Boston from the Berkshires!

No climb to Squaw Peak at Monument Mountain Reservation should by-pass the stairs up to the view of…read moreDevil's Pulpit! Take strenuous Hickey Trail up and continue after Squaw Peak to the marker!

we were there in the summer and it was dry and less water. We were able to walk on the rocks…read moreWe came back in the Fall and it was alot of water. It is beautiful not crowded, 30secs walk and you'll see the water. 5mins walk down the bottom to see it all. Just FYI in the summer on the rocks surface where there were a bit if dirt alot of tiny tiny worms the size of a hair strand (not sure what they're called) maybe mosquitoes' babies lol. If you dont look yiu wont see it.. that creeps me out..

I'm honored to write the first review of Glendale Falls because it is fantastic and I'd love…read moreeveryone to know about it. This is a hike that will please everyone. It's very well manicured making it impossible to get lost. Easy enough for beginners but the more advanced will not be disappointed by the spectacular waterfall cascades. I blog about waterfalls and the hill towns offer many. But Glendale Falls is one of my favorites that I return to. It's a hidden gem.

This is a small, quiet park sitting just above the river, next to a covered bridge. During our…read morevisit the river was low and flowing gently. A sign in the dirt parking area, directly across from the park, says the river is polluted and no fishing is allowed. There is however a stairway, of sorts, there leading down to the river where you may be able to launch a kayak or canoe. An information sign at the entrance to parking states this covered bridge is the oldest in MA? There is a timeline from it's inception to the present day. It is now a pedestrian only bridge. Walking across this bridge brings you to a dirt road where people were walking and to the park. A small metal sculpture welcomes you. Several benches face the river here lining the bank. A sign under a shady tree from the State of MA announces the historical inclusion of a UFO event that occurred here as being factually accepted by the state. A big picnic table also resides in the shade here. The grassy lawn is mowed. New plantings have been protected from wild life. Lamp posts are located between the benches. Everything seems to be donated with plaques affixed. One of the benches includes cremeated remains so they are always there, where it happened. A bike rake, trash bin and dog waste bags are located in the parking area. Pups are allowed on leash. This is a small, quiet area. A place to enjoy solitude, take a walk, read a book or share a picnic. Visit for the history of the bridge and the event.

"We're dying to be invaded Waiting for the UFOs Waiting for…read morethe UFOs We are waiting for the UFOs We know that they're there" (Graham Parker) Did a series of UFO's appear in the skies over Sheffield, Massachusetts in 1969? Did over 250 people see a disc-shaped white orb bigger than a football field hover in the sky over Sheffield's covered bridge? Did the Reed family have their car engulfed in light as they were pulled into the UFO? Did the family take a polygraph test found to be 99.1% truthful? Could this have been one of the most-seen UFO incidents in history? The Great Barrington Historical Society, Massachusetts governor, and Massachusetts historians seem to agree that all this happened, and there is a park in Sheffield commemorating that event. The Thom Reed - UFO Monument Park was founded in 2015 on the banks of the Housatonic River by the town of Sheffield where Thom Reed's off-world incident was said to have occurred. A sign reads "On behalf of the citizens of Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I am pleased to confer upon you this Governor's citation in recognition of the off-world incident on September 1, 1969, which engaged the Reed family, which has been established. Your dedicated service to this incident was factually upheld, founded, and deemed historically significant and true by means of Massachusetts historians. The records highlighting the historic event are now officially part of the Great Barrington, MA Historical Society's collection and your recent induction into Massachusetts history." There are benches scattered along the park waterfront, and many have sponsorship plaques from the media sources (Netflix, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Discovery Science, International UFO Museum in Roswell) that have publicized the story on TV shows like Ancient Aliens and Unsolved Mysteries. What say you?

Had a nice spring hike here along the trails and a lot of trilliums, jack in the pulpit, violets,…read moreand others were blooming in the woods. A great quiet spot with varied types of trees and ATV trails that are well groomed and look tick safe as well. The rocks themselves are interesting glacial erratics clustered in the woods near the "balancing rick" which in itself is really cool to see. Sadly the lowlife dragnuckled troglodytes who have also sought this spot out for their own nefarious rituals have left their marks like beasts urinating and defecating in some desperate plea to be memorialized before their puerile and vacuous little lives come to a miserable end. The rocks have been tagged and carved over the years leaving the main attraction a sad wreckage of nature that also reflects how rare it is today to see natural beauty as yet undefiled by a plebeian urban mob better served by a bag of party sized Doritos couch side with Call of Duty gun fire blaring on the big screen. A video camera with night vision should be set up at sites like this to catch the miscreants so they can be rounded up and put to work repairing the damage they do in the world. I know that the park system is strapped for cash now and understaffed but someone should really check more often to remove at least the most offensive messages and other garbage left on these blighted stones. The swastika needs to go!

Great 15 min walk in and back out for us! Helped with the cabin fever this Feb weekend!read more

Granville State Forest is a beautiful preserve offering great easy hiking, wonderful campgrounds,…read morefishing, and the ability to commune with nature. The Hubbard River, a fairly wide and fast flowing body of water, is followed by a paved closed road that formerly lead to a now defunct campground. This route crosses the entire park - which is about three and a half miles. The path is fairly level and is easy enough even for children, and the paved road is handicapped accessible for a powered chair or scooter. It wasn't crowded at all on a sunny Sunday, and I enjoyed this place tremendously.

"By the waterfall I will hold you in my arms, and we will…read moremeet again By the leafy shade, in the, in the forest" (Van Morrison) We didn't go camping in the Granville State Forest, but we did go for an introductory hike known as their "Heart Healthy" hike. It's a 1.5 mile forest loop of pretty much easy difficulty. The terrain is mostly flat with just a few small inclines. The path transitions from pine needles to grass to heavy leaves and is mostly unencumbered, save for a few rocky patches, some tree roots, and muddy tire tracks here and there. We parked at the State Forest Headquarters, traveled North on the HQ Trail N, turned left onto the Corduroy Trail, turned left on the CCC trail, and completed the loop by taking another left onto the HQ Trail S. All of these trails were clearly marked with fantastic signage and blaze markers. It was amazing to us how after about ten steps into the trail, you are in total solitude in the woods. We didn't see another human being during our 1.5 mile hike. The forest scenery is very pretty, but there wasn't a lot to see -no waterfalls, almost no water views, no cool rock formations, and just one lonely footbridge over a swampy section. For a low impact introductory hike, this really suited our needs.