Great place to hike and enjoy the outdoors!…read more You have your choice of 3 trails! Starting in the lot, facing the mountain, go to the right, the yellow trail. Yes it is the more difficult path, but its the shortest way to the top. It is great if you're looking for a challenge or a workout. It is great if you want to see nature, including the many playful chipmunks, at its finest! We took the Red, into the blue trail down. It was longer than the gold/yellow trail. I was bored and just ready to get back. The blue path is super long and it wasn't much of a challenge. Part of this trail was along the main road, so it was a reminder that modern civilization was just beyond a few trees. I think the blue trail was more for people who are looking to take a stroll in the woods, or for people who are less athletic. Parking is $5 and you can pay at the machine on the lot. There are also a few picnic tables to enjoy a meal! There are a couple high points and peaks. It just feels great to say that you hiked up a mountain and made it to the top! So "just do it" and "take some time to enjoy the view!"

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.

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).

This was our first time up in the area. We spent the day at the "beach " area here. The views were…read moreabsolutely spectacular. In addition, the water was super clean and clear. As other reviewers wrote, the area is very no frills. My 2 complaints were 1) the bath House was not open so we used the port-a-johns. They looked like they had not been cleaned out in months. All 4 were vile. 2) there were no signs about rules of the lake. Our children were using tubes and a plastic kayak. After 3 hours of using them by the beach, we were then reprimanded for using these items in the swimming/ ropes off area. Just wish that there was a sign that informed us as to what was and not allowed. Overall, had a wonderful day.

The campgrounds at Tolland State Forest are some of the best in the Massachusetts DCR's arsenal of…read morecampgrounds. Tolland was voted America's #1 Family Campground in 2009, and with their well-maintained and functional facility, it's easy to see why. Built on a small peninsula of land that juts into the largest recreational body of water in Massachusetts, Tolland boasts excellent swimming, fishing, hiking and boating opportunities, as well as some unique and cool campsites for campers of all ages and skill levels. We came out and reserved 4 sites for a camping-fishing-relaxing bachelor party weekend, and we were all pretty pleased with the results. The staff were friendly and helpful, and stayed out of our way. We were within easy walking distance of bathrooms and sinks for washing dishes, though the shower in our area was broken. I wasn't planning to shower anyway, though. Be warned that the area around Tolland State Forest is not very active. The town of East Otis sports just 1,200 year-round residents, and there are few nearby stores, all of which close around 9. There are, however, a couple of nice general stores, and a gas station that sells organic groceries. If you're inclined to head west on the Pike out of Boston, Tolland is a great spot for a weekend trip, whether you're looking to chill or to get out there and do stuff.

The two of us (25&27) had an awesome time. The guide was relaxed, fun and so great at taking…read morepictures! We were able to have two drivers (switching half way through the tour) and got to experience all levels of terrain. No safety concerns at all. We have been telling all of our friends to head out there for a great experience. Our only recommendation is to wear full coverage goggles or safety glasses as it was very dusty and spring pollen-y. Amazing trip all around!!

What a fun experience! Our tour guide was very nice. Checked in to make sure we were doing well…read more Very friendly conversations. The trail was a lot of fun to drive on - lots of bumps and small hills. Highly recommend!

I was looking for some adventure with a couple Bros and Fine young biker ladies. Wanted to get off…read morethe paved roads and do a little carving and some mud and dirt on our big Bmw adventure bikes. While these bikes are big and heavy they do cut these roads down to size pretty easily. Whether it's hitting jumps popping wheelies or skidding around dirt turns at high speed they perform very well. Decided to head to October mountain as the dirt roads there can be anything from easy to extremely challenging for the experienced rider. Additionally the views and scenery are generally outstanding. As always at the top of the mountain we got a great view of Mount Greylock across the way. After relaxing and maxing for a couple minutes we headed down to the Reservoir parking area and checked out the water. There was a few people fishing and relaxing with a picnic lunch when we were there. Did not stay very long and was back on the dirt roads looking for the more challenging areas and of course as always we found them. Huge potholes deep water and lots of rocks to crush with our cycles. After a few hours of fun filled mud covered Riding we decided we were going to go get some food then head home. What a beautiful day sunshine perfect temperatures and great scenery.

We stayed here in Yurt #2. One of the best yurt experiences. Having the ceiling fan in the yurt…read morehelped a lot. Very clean yurt. No bugs inside. Had a great stay. Bathroom are very clean as well.

I have been to Chesterwood before but not in many years. During the pandemic they did a major…read morerenovation of the residence, including creating educational displays in the bedrooms on the second floor. This certainly was a highlight of this trip to Chesterwood! French's studio is remarkable and so interesting. It contains the actual model of the seated Lincoln that was used to created the marble statue we see in DC today! Many thanks to Laura, our tour guide, who was incredibly knowledgeable and an excellent educator. We learned so much! Highly recommend visiting Chesterwood when in the Berkshires - and be sure to take a tour!

Really lovely and understated estate/museum to visit in an area rich in those, Chesterwood is…read moredefinitely worth a visit. Daniel Chester French was the sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial, and there's a smaller version of the famous sculpture here in his studio. The house he resided in is well-maintained and is quite lovely. The tour guide was informative and friendly. The house tour is worth the admission but the views of the valley puts it over. The garden where the studio is has a nice fountain. I had to leave just before the end of the tour. With the tour, try to have at least a couple of hours so you can get the full feel of the estate.

Great walk along the river with some spectacular gorge viewsread more

This is a great peaceful walk through a canyon that boasts wall formations 70 feet high…read more The hike is short, only half a mile, but you can continue walking straight into a state forest to make it a 7 mile walk if you'd like to. In the state forest, the trustee website states that you may see bears, bobcats and turkeys. Hopefully not! There are several erratic boulders making it a fun and prehistoric site to see. If you have time, you can stop by nearby Glendale Falls in Middlefield for a wonderful waterfall spectacle. This was a very beautiful and peaceful stop.

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.