Great Barrington

Hiking

Bartholomew's Cobble. This natural rock garden beside the Housatonic River (the Native American name means "river beyond the mountains") is filled with trees, ferns, wildflowers, and 5 miles of hiking trails. The 277-acre site has a visitor center and museum. 105 Weatogue Road (U.S. 7A), Ashley Falls, Sheffield, MA, 01257. 413/229-8600. $5. Daily dawn-dusk.

A 90-mi swath of the Appalachian Trail cuts through the Berkshires. You'll also find hundreds of miles of trails elsewhere throughout the area's forests and parks.

Appalachian Trail. On Highway 23, about 4 miles east of where U.S. 7 and Highway 23 intersect, is a sign for the Appalachian Trail and a parking lot. Enter the trail for a moderately strenuous 45-minute hike. At the top of the trail is Ice Gulch, a gorge so deep and cold that there is often ice in it even in summer. Follow the Ice Gulch ridge to the shelter and a large flat rock from which you can see a wide panorama of the valley. Lake Buel Road, Highway 23, Great Barrington, MA. www.appalachiantrail.org.

Monument Mountain. For great views with minimal effort, hike Monument Mountain, famous as a spot for literary inspiration. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville trekked it on August 5, 1850, and sought shelter in a cave when a thunderstorm hit. In the cave, they discussed ideas that would become part of a novel called Moby-Dick. While poet William Cullen Bryant stayed in the area, he penned a lyrical poem, "Monument Mountain," about a lovesick Mohican maiden who jumped to her death from the cliffs. Feel like hiking? An easy 2.5-mile loop is reachable via a parking lot. Rte. 7, near Rte. 102, 4 miles N of Great Barrington, Great Barrington, MA. 413/298-3239. www.thetrustees.org.

More Sports and Outdoors

• Bicycling
• Hiking

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