Difference between revisions of "Berkshire Hills"

Revision as of 13:42, 28 May 2007

The Berkshire Hills are located at the western extreme of Massachusetts and form a continuous range that contain the state's highest peak, Mt. Greylock, at 3,487 feet. The region is coextensive with Berkshire County.

Regions

Berkshire County is located at the western extreme of Massachusetts and borders Rensselaer and Columbia Counties in New York, Bennington County and Windham County in Southern Vermont, and the Litchfield Hills region of Connecticut.

Cities and towns

• Adams - Birthplace of Susan B. Anthony.
• Alford
• Becket
• Cheshire
• Clarksburg - Clarksburg State forest offers recreation.
• Dalton
• Egremont
• Florida - on the Mohawk Trail with entrance to Savoy Mountain State Forest.
• Great Barrington including the village of Housatonic.
• Hancock - Jiminy Peak ski area.
• Hinsdale
• Lanesborough - Gateway to Mt. Greylock and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
• Lee
• Lenox - Home to Tanglewood Music Center.
• Monterey
• Mount Washington - Great place to hike and enjoy nature.
• New Ashford
• New Marlborough
• North Adams - Two state parks: Western Gateway Heritage and Natural Bridge.
• Otis
• Peru
• Pittsfield - The Berkshires' largest city (about 42,000).
• Richmond
• Sandisfield
• Savoy
• Sheffield
• Stockbridge
• Tyringham
• Washington
• West Stockbridge
• Williamstown - Home of Williams College.
• Windsor

Other destinations

• Mount Greylock State Reservation, with visitor centers in Lanesborough and North Adams.
• Western Gateway Heritage State Park and Natural Bridge State Park in North Adams.
• Savoy Mountain State Forest, accessed in Florida.
• Mount Washington State Forest, in Mount Washington.

Understand

• Berkshire Visitors Bureau, 3 Hoosac Street, Adams, MA 01247, 800-237-5747, Fax: 413-743-4500 bvb@berkshires.org [1].

Talk

Get in

By air

• Albany, NY (ALB), Albany, New York, [2].

• Bradley International Airport (BDL), Windsor Locks, Connecticut, [3].

By car

• Interstate 90, the "Massachusetts Turnpike" or "Mass Pike" runs through the southern portion of the Berkshires. I-90 goes west to Albany, NY and east to Springfield, Worcester, and Boston. Access to I-90 is at Exit 1 in West Stockbridge and Exit 2 in Lee. From Lee one can take Route 7 either north or south.
• In the northern part of the region Route 2, also known as the Mohawk Trail, runs from the New York state border in the west at Williamstown to Interstate 91 at Greenfield.

Get around

In this rural region a car is preferred.

See

• Tanglewood - Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and is located in Lenox. During the summer it is not unusual to see James Taylor perform at this venue, because he lives just outside of the town, as the population of Lenox swells to nearly 30,000 for the show.

• Stockbridge is the former home of Norman Rockwell and the location of the Norman Rockwell Museum, a museum he founded.

• Shakespeare Theather Company, and Williams College in Williamstown.

Do

Jiminy Peak Resort in Hancock offers a full slate of year-round mountain activities. Mountain biking is available there and at several state forests throughout the region. There are also extensive excellent hiking trails, including a portion of the Appalachian Trail. Mount Washington is home to some of the state's best trail scenery.

The Berkshires are a good place for walking and relaxing and perhaps taking in a summer play in the college town of Williamstown. In October this area shares in the colorful fall foliage show.

Eat

There are a number of fine eateries in Great Barrington and Lenox.

Drink

Stay safe

Get out

Southern Vermont offers similar rural attractions. For a change of pace, Greater Boston is a little over two hours away. If headed there, a stop at Sturbridge to see Sturbridge Village is worthwhile.