September 04, 2010

One Of Our Favorite Berkshires Hiking Trails, With Multi-state Views And Waterfalls

It was easy for me to dismiss Massachusetts for so long. The Catskills were closer, bigger, and more popular. But a friend finally convinced me to come and see what Western Mass has to offer, and a hike like this will make me think twice about where to find trails next weekend.

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Lower Race Brook Falls is impressive any time of year.

The trail gets steeper and rockier towards the top.

While hiking the lower elevations, a water source is never more than a few minutes away.

We began our hike in the Southern Berkshires at our usual late time of about 11am after a series of wrong turns. Nothing new there. My sense of direction is usually better on the trail than on pavement.

The Race Brook Falls trail starts off by immediately crossing a small brook, and there's something about trails that begin this way that always give me a good feeling. After a brief walk past a grassy meadow, the trail enters a patch of hemlocks, a great source of relief from the summer sun, I'm sure. Shorty thereafter, another brook crossing. This one can get kind of hairy in the spring run-off, but it's generally pretty tame from the end of April on.

Not long after, you have the option of making a right to check out the Lower Falls. Do it! These falls are awesome, especially in the Spring. They plunge about 80 or 90 feet, in only one or two cascades. If you're heading up after a severe dry spell, don't expect much, but other times of the year it's nice, and only a short detour.

When you're done playing by the falls, head back to the blue-blazed Race Brook Falls trail. It follows the brook for quite a ways, crossing back and forth. Shortly afterwards, another Upper Falls reveals itself, hidden off to the side until you're almost under it. This fall is as beautiful, if not more, than the first, flanked by lush green moss on both sides. It's such a rare thing to find a hike with sweet views and waterfalls, which is why I really like this hike.

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	One Of Our Favorite Berkshires Hiking Trails, With Multi-state Views And Waterfalls It was easy for me to dismiss Massachusetts for so long. The Catskills were closer, bigger, and more popular. But a friend finally convinced me to come and see what Western Mass has to offer, and a hike like this will make me think twice about where to find trails next weekend. More Photos >> Lower Race Brook Falls is impressive any time of year. The trail gets steeper and rockier towards the top. While hiking the lower elevations, a water source is never more than a few minutes away. We began our hike in the Southern Berkshires at our usual late time of about 11am after a series of wrong turns. Nothing new there. My sense of direction is usually better on the trail than on pavement. The Race Brook Falls trail starts off by immediately crossing a small brook, and there's something about trails that begin this way that always give me a good feeling. After a brief walk past a grassy meadow, the trail enters a patch of hemlocks, a great source of relief from the summer sun, I'm sure. Shorty thereafter, another brook crossing. This one can get kind of hairy in the spring run-off, but it's generally pretty tame from the end of April on. Not long after, you have the option of making a right to check out the Lower Falls. Do it! These falls are awesome, especially in the Spring. They plunge about 80 or 90 feet, in only one or two cascades. If you're heading up after a severe dry spell, don't expect much, but other times of the year it's nice, and only a short detour. When you're done playing by the falls, head back to the blue-blazed Race Brook Falls trail. It follows the brook for quite a ways, crossing back and forth. Shortly afterwards, another Upper Falls reveals itself, hidden off to the side until you're almost under it. This fall is as beautiful, if not more, than the first, flanked by lush green moss on both sides. It's such a rare thing to find a hike with sweet views and waterfalls, which is why I really like this hike. 1 \| 2 \| Continue >>