Berkshires

Understand

Berkshire County is 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. The Berkshires are the size of Rhode Island and offer year-round visitation. Their peak seasons are summer and fall.

Other destinations

• October Mountain State Forest – main entrance in Lee, most of the park is in Washington, and portions of the park are in Becket, Lenox, and Pittsfield.
• 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 the town of Florida.
• Mount Washington State Forest, in Mount Washington.
• The Appalachian Trail runs through the entire region.

Get in

By air

• Albany Airport ALB, Albany, New York.
• Bradley International Airport BDL, Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
• Boston Logan BOS, Boston, Massachusetts

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. However, there is a bus service between many of the communities, and the centers of most towns in the region are small enough to walk through. Biking is also possible, if you are looking for a great quad workout. Remember, you're in hill country!

Go next

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.

Cities and towns

• Adams - Birthplace of suffragist Susan B. Anthony.
• Becket - the home of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.
• Cheshire – Very small town with an interesting landmarked stone tower
• Dalton - Small town known for Crane Currency, which makes the paper for United States currency; also has lots of outdoor recreation opportunities.
• Florida - on the Mohawk Trail with an entrance to Savoy Mountain State Forest.
• Great Barrington A pleasant town with a walkable downtown with restaurants, shops, specialty stores, banks, etc. and a couple of mountains to climb.
• Hancock - Jiminy Peak ski area and Ramblewild, a tree-top forest adventure park.
• Hinsdale - Very small rural town with outdoor recreation opportunities.
• Lanesborough - Gateway to Mt. Greylock and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. Small family-owned and -operated farms dot this country town.
• Lee - a 1-mile stretch of road reveals a pretty downtown where you can discover more than 7 nationalities represented in restaurants. Enjoy antiquing, bakeries, and many other interesting shops/stores/hidden gems.
• Lenox - Home to Tanglewood Music Center (the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra) and various shops that tend toward the high end. Downtown Lenox is bustling with artisan shops and lots of tasty restaurants.
• Monterey - home of the Beartown State Forest, a small downtown strip with an old-timey General Store. Cool and off the beaten path.
• Mount Washington - Great place to hike and enjoy nature. Borders New York and Connecticut.
• New Ashford Small town with some good hiking including access to Mt. Greylock, the tallest mountain in Massachusetts.
• North Adams - The Berkshires' second largest city. Two state parks: Western Gateway Heritage and Natural Bridge.
• Otis Tiny town with campgrounds.
• Pittsfield - The Berkshires' largest city (about 42,000). A bustling downtown undergoing a renaissance. Lots of shopping, hotels, restaurants, and the former home of Herman Melville who wrote Moby Dick. Find Barrington Stage Company in its downtown center, along with the Berkshire Museum and the Berkshire Athenaeum.
• Sheffield - the antique capital of Massachusetts, in the southern part of the county. Countryside and antique homes.
• Stockbridge - a compact downtown in the Historic District of Stockbridge. Boutique shopping, a handful of restaurants, and anchored by the Red Lion Inn, a landmark which has operated for over two centuries.
• Washington - small and very rural town, the majority of which is in October Mountain State Forest
• West Stockbridge - restaurants, shopping, coffee house, art, and a bustling market.
• Williamstown - Home of Williams College, The Clark Art Institute, the Williams College Museum of Art, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Beautiful buildings and very walkable.