Adventuring Along the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail

   

Big puffy clouds over a smooth
expanse of water and distant mountains.

    The most beautiful rail trail in Massachusetts is in the Berkshires. The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail travels 12.7 miles from the Berkshire Mall at its southern end, northward through the town of Adams and a mile beyond. Along the way mountains are visible on either side and wide expanses of water provide delightful scenery while passing through the town of Cheshire.

    Last week I rode the northern section from Cheshire through Adams for the first time. What a treat! Where else can you ride a bike along a gently rushing river for several miles? This year's heavy rain has given the Hoosac River a lively energy. You can follow it through wetlands and below mossy cliff faces as it races along through the woods, then out into bright sunny meadows north of Adams.  

Exploring the Southern Berkshires - Bash Bish Falls and BNRC Trails

I took a step back in time this week and traveled to the Berkshires, where at higher elevation, spring is a week or so behind the Connecticut River Valley and urban places. It was a relief to have less pollen to contend with in these allergy prone times.

It also turns out to be a nice time to visit Bash Bish Falls State Park- before the crowds arrive for the summer. With a jumble of big rocks and a cascade ending in an 80' drop, this waterfall will not disappoint - but it is also a serious people magnet. This popular park in the southwest corner of Massachusetts is heavily visited from Memorial Day through Labor day and probably well into the fall. The main entrance is in New York state, where this park is called Taconic State Park. It is a quick trip from the New York City area. I would think twice before going on weekends. There can be 2-3000 people visiting this small rugged park to picnic and enjoy the cooler temperatures and cold water rushing off of adjacent mountains. 

Into the Wheelchair Accessible Woods at Savoy Mountain State Forest

Four miles off Route 2 in the Berkshires, Savoy Mountain State Forest has a delightful accessible trail linking a beach with the woods. Though short, the trail offers a surprising bit of respite in nature. This state park offers a remote opportunity for camping, hiking and enjoying the outdoors.

I particularly like the bit of wildness you feel on the accessible trail as you traverse gently rolling terrain near North Pond. It's a great spot to listen for forest birds. While there I heard the robust and complex song of the elusive winter wren and saw ladyslipper flowers in bloom. I also saw my first autumn leaf in the trail, before the end of June!

The accessible trail starts from the main parking lot. Pass the restrooms and tee up onto a paved path traversing the main area of the park. If you turn left, you'll enter a picnic area and head down an accessible path to the beach. Turn right and soon you will see a trailhead sign for the North Pond Loop on your right. This is where the accessible woodland trail starts.

Easy Hikes in the Vicinity of Mt. Greylock

The northwest corner of Massachusetts offers beautiful mountain scenery where it is possible to find a few accessible and easy trail experiences.

Driving to the top of Mt. Greylock State Reservation, our tallest peak at 3491 feet, will bring you to a beautiful stone lodge and a 1/4 mile wheelchair accessible paved trail. Here you can circle the summit of Mt. Greylock around the War Memorial Tower and enjoy extensive views
across western Massachusetts. I always enjoy the cooler temperatures, fresher air and shorter trees in places like this! Plan to bring and wear a mask as the summit may be well-attended on beautiful days this summer, though there is plenty of room to spread out on the open summit field. Wheelchair users may need to be ready to ask people to move off trail if other users don't recognize they should do so to allow safe passage in the Covid-era.

The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in the valley east of Mt. Greylock offers a more extensive wheelchair accessible trail opportunity - more details on the rail trail at the end of this post.