AMC's Best Day Hikes in the Berkshires: Four-Season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails in Western Massachusetts

by John S. Burk, Rene Laubach

Overview

Discover 50 of the most impressive trails in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts—home to the state’s section of the Appalachian Trail, as well as plentiful glorious, under-the-radar routes—all doable in a day or less. Ideal for hikers of all skill levels, from families and nature lovers to advanced backpackers, this fully revised and updated third edition features hikes stretching from Mount Greylock south to Bash Bish Falls and includes ten entirely new trips. You’ll find the state’s most inspiring vistas, background on flora and fauna, and suggested locations for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Whether you’re a local or a visitor looking for a short walk or a daylong adventure, this title from the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Northeast’s most trusted resource for outdoor information, is your quintessential reference for hiking the beautiful Berkshires. Inside You’ll Find: • 50 recommended hikes for all ability levels and seasons• Locator map and at-a-glance trip planner for easy trip selection• GPS coordinates for every trailhead and turn-by-turn directions for every hike• Detailed route map for every trip, showing parking areas, trails, and natural highlights• Summaries of time, distance, and difficulty level for each hike• Hiking and safety tips, including advice on what to carry in your pack• Essays on the nature and history of the region ALSO AVAILABLE: AMC’s Best Day Hikes in Central Massachusetts: Four-Season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails, From the Pioneer Valley to the Worcester Hills, by John S. Burk ISBN-13: 978-1-62842-094-4 AMC’s Best Day Hikes Near Boston: Four-Season Guide to 60 of the Best Trails in Eastern Massachusetts, Third Edition, by Michael Tougias, John S. Burk, and Alison O’Leary ISBN-13: 978-1-62842-042-5 AMC’s Best Day Hikes in Vermont: Four-Season Guide to 60 of the Best Trails in the Green Mountain State, Second Edition, by Jen Lamphere Roberts ISBN-13: 978-1-62842-078-4 AMC’s Best Day Hikes in Connecticut: Four-Season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails, from the Highlands to the Coast, Third Edition, by René Laubach and Charles W. G. Smith ISBN-13: 978-1-62842-070-8 Massachusetts Trail Guide: AMC’s Comprehensive Guide to Hiking Trails in Massachusetts featuring the Appalachian Trail and the Berkshires, Tenth Edition, John S. Burk ISBN-13: 978-1-628420-20-3

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781628421217
Publisher:	Appalachian Mountain Club Books MA
Publication date:	11/01/2020
Series:	AMC's Best Day Hikes
Edition description:	3rd Edition
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	1,064,401
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

John S. Burk is an outdoor writer, photographer, and historian from central Massachusetts. His other books include AMC’s Massachusetts Trail Guide and Best Days Hikes in Central Massachusetts.René Laubach retired in 2014 from Mass Audubon’s Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries, which he directed for nearly 30 years. He is also co-author of AMC’s Best Day Hikes in Connecticut, 2e, has written seven books on natural history, and has written for AMC Outdoors, Audubon, Sanctuary, and many other publications.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS Locator Map At-a-Glance Trip Planner Acknowledgments Introduction How to Use This Book Trip Planning and Safety Leave No Trace Section 1: Maryland 1. Patuxent River State Park 2. Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary 3. Calvert Cliffs State Park 4. Cedarville State Forest 5. American Chestnut Lands Trust 6. Seneca Creek State Park—Clopper Lake 7. McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area 8. Watkins Regional Park (Wetland Trail and Old Maryland Farm Path) 9. Cosca Regional Park (Lake Trail) 10. Patuxent Research Refuge (South Tract: Loop, Goose Pond, and Cash Lake Trails) 11. Piscataway National Park—Accokeek Foundation 12. Greenbelt Park 13. Lake Artemesia and the Northeast Branch Trail14. Catoctin Mountain Park and Cunningham Falls State Park 15. Antietam National Battlefield 16. Sugarloaf Mountain 17. Black Hill Regional Park 18. Matthew Henson Trail 19. Capital Crescent Trail (Elm Street Park, Bethesda to Aqueduct Arch, Georgetown) 20. Billy Goat Trail at Great Falls 21. Woodstock Equestrian Park (Straight Shot Trail and Field’s Edge Loop) 22. Little Bennett Regional Park 23. Patapsco Valley State Park 24. Greenwell State Park Section 2: Washington, D.C. 25. Theodore Roosevelt Island and Potomac Heritage Trail 26. Potomac River: Georgetown to Lincoln Memorial 27. National Arboretum 28. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens 29. Rock Creek Park 30. Around Georgetown 31. East Potomac Park and Hains Point 32. The National Mall Section 3: Virginia 33. Prince William Forest Park 34. Sky Meadows State Park 35. Mason Neck State Park 36. Leesylvania State Park 37. Bull Run Mountains Natural Area 38. G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area 39. Riverbend Park and Great Falls Park 40. Huntley Meadows Park 41. Fraser Preserve (Blue Trail) 42. Wildcat Mountain Natural Area 43. Washington & Old Dominion Trail and Cross Country Trail 44. Bull Run (Occoquan Trail) 45. Scotts Run Nature Preserve 46. Mount Vernon Trail—Fort Hunt Park to Mount Vernon 47. Old Rag 48. Harpers Ferry to Maryland Heights 49. Manassas National Battlefield Park 50. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Nature and History Essays An American Success Story: Saving the Bald Eagle A Story to Tell: The Piscataway People As Well As Any Man: Matthew Henson and the Race to the North Pole Centuries of Perseverance: The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Peace and Long Life: Spirit within a Tree Washington’s Sakura—and Those Who’ve Loved Them What’s in a Name: Mr. Smithson’s Legacy Under Cover: Spies in the Parks Far Away in Time: The Geology of Great Falls Beavers at Work Roosevelt’s Tree Army: The Civilian Conservation Corps John Brown and the Assault on Harpers Ferry “Firsts” of the First Battle of Manassas Appendix Further Reading Index About the Authors Appalachian Mountain Club The AMC Washington, D.C. Chapter AMC Books Updates