Berkshires and Pioneer Valley are home to nature and science centers
127 Combs Road
Easthampton, MA
Phone: 413-584-3009
The nature center features 25 acres of varied terrain, with five miles of trails and an observation tower. The 700-acre sanctuary includes a floodplain forest, marshes, and a grassland habitat.
Routes 102 and 183
Stockbridge, MA 01262
Phone: 413-298-3926
Both functional and ornamental, the Berkshire Botanical Garden is among the oldest in the United States.The collections emphasize plants that are indigenous to or thrive in the Berkshires; more than 3,000 species and varieties are represented.Classes, workshops, lectures and special events are offered year-round.
Major annual events include the Plant Sale, the Flower Show, the Fete des Fleurs Garden Party, the Harvest Festival and the Holiday Fair. The Harvest Festival was first held in 1934 as the Garden’s first fundraising event and has since become the Berkshires’ best-known community gathering.
Hours: May to October, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $12; seniors and students, $10; children under age 12, free.
Berkshire Museum
39 South Street (Route 7)
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Phone: 413-443-7171
An all-in-one museum, featuring galleries of art, natural science and history exhibits, and a cinema. The museum schedules programs for children, lectures, and art classes throughout the year.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; closed Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Admission: Adults, $13; children, $6
15 College Lane
Northampton, MA 01063
Phone: 413-585-2740
Today, the Botanic Garden includes thousands of plants, including those grown under glass in the Lyman Conservatory and outdoors in the campus areboretum — our landscape for learning — and various specialty gardens around campus. Additionally, there are 60,000 pressed specimens available for research in the herbarium. Botanic Garden activities and collections include not only plants but also books and other resource materials (including our newsletter, Botanic Garden News), an international seed exchange, research and conservation, and diverse events.
Major events include the two-week Spring Bulb Show and Fall Chrysanthemum Show.
Hours: Daily year-round.
Admission: Free.
River Road
Chesterfield, MA
Phone: 413-532-1631
This dramatic rock canyon features 70-foot-high walls carved by centuries of rushing water from the Westfield River. Fromm the half-mile trail along the cliff tops are breathtaking views of the gorge, the river, and the surrounding forest of hemlock, ash, and oak, and is home to bears, bobcats, and turkeys. A half-mile trail runs along the top of the Gorge. Easy walking. The trail from the parking lot connects to the East Branch Trail (also known as River Road), popular with day hikers and mountain bikers, which follows the river another seven miles, beyond Bliss State Forest. Trout fishing. Hours:
Daily, April 1 to December 1, 8 a.m. to sunset. Facilities:
Seasonal public restrooms. Picnic tables.
525 South Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA
Phone: 413-256-6006
Exhibits, programs and nature trails focus on the environment, ecology, and natural history. There is also a library on the property.
793 Main Street
Hampden, MA
Phone: 413-566-8034
The 18th century house owned by children’s author Thornton Burgess highlights the 354 acres of walking trails and natural beauty. A library and exhibits offered.
McLaughlin State Fish Hatchery
East Street, Route 9
Belchertown, MA
Phone: 413-323-7632
Learn about the raising of fish at one of the largest hatcheries on the East Coast. Wildlife area covers 1,400 acres. Open seven days a week.
Nash Dinosaur Tracks
Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA
Phone: 413-467-9566
A display of dinosaur footprints and bones that were found on the site. Open seasonally.
McCauley Road, off Route 8
North Adams, MA
Phone: 413663-6392
This 48-acre park has the only naturally formed white marble arch and man-made white marble dam in North America. The bridge spans Hudson Brook as it twists and tumbles through a steep 60-foot deep gorge. There is an abandoned marble quarry.
The site was an active commercial quarry from 1810 to 1947. In the summer months, park interpreters are on hand to explain the natural forces that created the bridge and its more recent history. There is a 0.25 mile walkway above and through the chasm and a 0.5 mile wooded walking trail.
Open Memorial Day through Columbus Day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking fee is $2. Tables and grills are available for picnicking. Please carry-in, carry-out all trash. Access is limited. Pets are permitted. Must be on a 10-foot maximum leash and attended at all times. Swimming (dangerous conditions exist), rock climbing, defacing rocks, and alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
Recreational opportunities:
Fishing, historic site, interpretive program, picnicking, restrooms (accessible), scenic viewing area, walking trails.
Peck Road
Wales, MA
Phone: 413-267-9654
There are guided spring wildflower walks at this 3,000-acre site, which features three miles of nature trails and two museums.
Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center
Northfield, MA
Phone: 413-659-3714
Visitors can enjoy 25 miles of trails, which offer great views of blooming wildflowers in the spring, and fall foliage in the autumn. Of particular interest is the hydroelectric station.
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
West Mountain Road
Lenox, MA
Phone: 413-637-0320
Visitors will enjoy seven miles of walking trails covering nearly 1,400 acres and featuring beaver ponds and a hummingbird garden. Public programs are offered. Open year-round.
Pratt Museum of Natural History
Amherst College
Amherst, MA 01002
Phone: 413-542-2165
Open: September through mid-June; weekdays, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. July- August, Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.
Turners Falls Fish Ladder
Turners Falls Bridge
Turners Falls, MA
Phone: 413-659-3714
Visitors to this site can observe salmon as they swim upstream to spawn at a power company dam. Open only in the spring. There is an admission charge.
