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Massachusetts mountains and nature centers are primed for outdoor adventure

Massachusetts > State > Outdoor Activities > Outdoor Adventures

The beauty of nature in the Berkshires Mountains of western Massachusetts – think, for example, of the views from Mount Greylock – gets the heart racing, especially for people who love to throw themselves into the outdoors to play. Ski mountains in the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley will keep the whole family – from kids to grandparents – busy and tired during cold-weather and warm-weather vacations. Naturally, the ski areas will have snow sports and lessons and rentals. In the summer and fall foliage seasons, come to enjoy zip lines and canopy tours and other aerial adventures, mountain coasters and mountain biking, white water rafting, and water sports. Tired muscles? It is not hard to find a spa with massage and fitness rooms, and game rooms for the kids.

Find more great outdoor adventures at Explore New England.

ma outdoor adventures
Whitewater Splash 500x250 - Crab Apple Whitewater - Charlemont, MA
Crab Apple Whitewater (MA)

Route 2 Charlemont, MA, 01339 Phone: 800-553-7238

Family Owned and Operated Whitewater Rafting Outfitter

Click here for information about our 2020 reopening!
Add whitewater rafting to your outdoor adventures this year. Crab Apple offers outings on the Deerfield River in Massachusetts and the Kennebec and Dead Rivers in Maine. You’ll enjoy full day rafting trips on mild Class 1-3 rapids or more aggressive Class 3-4 rapids. Or take a mild half-day trip in guided rafts or inflatable kayaks. Friendly and knowledgeable guides share information and stories about local history, wildlife and hydrology all with a personal touch. There’s great food and excellent equipment. Maine location includes riverside lodging, pub and heated pool. Massachusetts location sits along historic Mohawk Trail.
Whitewater 2018 - Zoar Outdoor - Charlemont, MA
Zoar Outdoor

Route 2 (Mohawk Trail) Charlemont, MA, 01339 Phone: 800-532-7483

Fun, fun, fun are the watchwords at this experienced outdoor center

Since 1989, Zoar Outdoor has been providing exhilarating New England adventures for all ages. We can honestly say we offer you one-of-a-kind experiences on land, water – and in the air! Plunge over whitewater rapids on a beautiful river, fly through a Berkshires forest on a zip line canopy tour, or rent a stand-up paddleboard and survey the wildlife from your perch on a serene lake. From our adventure center in Wilmington, Vt., explore the Green Mountains via snowshoes, cross-country skis or mountain bike. To really experience the great outdoors, stay with us in Western Massachusetts at one of our five tent sites or 11 cabin tents or in our Hawk Mountain Lodge. No matter your level of experience, we have an outdoor activity you will love and instructors and guides to make it safe as well as fun.
Autumn Boat River - Old Sturbridge Village - Sturbridge, MA
Old Sturbridge Inn & Reeder Family Lodges

369 Main Street Sturbridge, MA, 01566 Phone: 774-304-1011

Inn, lodges are prime location for village and outside-the-village adventures

Stay at the Old Sturbridge Inn & Reeder Family Lodges and enjoy all that Old Sturbridge Village and the surrounding area have to offer. Stroll through the 19th century village through covered wooden bridges and glorious gardens, dropping in at the sawmill or blacksmith. Want to explore outside the village? Check out Six Flags New England (100 rides!), the 850 exotic animals at Southwick Zoo or nearby botanic gardens. Or hike through forest and meadow trails at the Ecotarium. Or maybe something a little more adrenaline-pumping? An aerial forest adventure awaits at Storrs Adventure Park. Come back to your lodging to relax by the pool, hit the exercise room or, for the kids, romp around on the playground.
Deerfield Inn Carriage House & Bikes - Distinctive Inns of New England
Distinctive Inns of New England

Luxurious Accommodations throughout New England , CT Phone:

From the Berkshires to the Cape, these inns offer a gateway to outdoor fun

From the Berkshires to Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts has so much to offer those seeking outdoor adventures. From the Gateways Inn & Restaurant in Lenox, in the heart of the beautiful Berkshires, plan to ski, play tennis, go biking or hiking or bring your blanket to the lawn at Tanglewood. The historic Deerfield Inn is a great launching site for rafting, hiking and antiquing. In coastal Marblehead, the Harbor Light Inn is a great launching place for whale watching, sailing or fishing cruises. On the Cape, from the stately Captain’s House Inn in Chatham, explore a nearby lighthouse, go sailing, explore the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge or plunk your umbrella down on 70 miles of incomparable shoreline.
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Destination Plymouth - History is Just the Beginning
Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau
Mountain Biking 500x250 - Berkshire East Mountain Resort - Charlemont, MA
Berkshire East Mountain Resort

66 Thunder Mountain Road Charlemont, MA, 01339 Phone: 413-339-6617

Intense skiing, zipping, rafting, and biking adventures

Whatever your outdoor pleasure, it can be found here: from skiing and snowboarding to tubing, zip lines, white water rafting, and downhill mountain biking. Jump aboard North America’s longest mountain coaster, or strap yourself into one of USA Today’s Top Ten Zip Lines in the United States. Fly above the tree tops at New England's largest zip destination with an introductory Base Tour and a more advanced Mountain Top Tour, and see fabulous views of the valley. The extreme Valley Jump has two half-mile-long zips that rise nearly 200 feet above the ground. Families, bring your kids and play. There are lessons, instructions, and equipment rentals, a family friendly lodging, and the Crazy Horse Bar and Grill for lunch or dinner.
Dunkerque - American Heritage Museum - Hudson, MA
American Heritage Museum

568 Main Street Hudson, MA, 01749 Phone: 978-562-9182

Learn to drive a tank under the auspices of the American Heritage Museum

The museum is now open! Wednesdays-Sundays from 10am-5pm. Advance ticketing is preferred - Please call or visit our website.

If you’re amazed at the collection of tanks assembled at the American Heritage Museum in Stowe, prepare to be doubly amazed at the museum’s tank training grounds in Hudson, where you can actually learn to drive one. The Tank Driving Experience Program lets you feel what it was like to drive an M24 Chaffee Light Tank, used in World War II and Korea, or the famous M4 Sherman Medium Tank, the workhorse of the Army during World War II. Instructors will lead you through basic procedures and driving skills in a one- or two-hour program, then you will be ready to drive the tank. At the end of the immersive program, you’ll have a greater appreciation for what went into maneuvering these metal beasts.
John Adams Homestead - Discover Quincy - Quincy, MA
Discover Quincy

Adams National Historical Park Visitor Center - 1250 Hancock Street Quincy, MA, 02169 Phone: 617-471-1700

Revel in this city’s history, recreation spots and natural surroundings

With 27 miles of coastline, including 11 beautiful beaches and miles of trails bordering rivers and marshes, Quincy is all about the outdoors. But there’s plenty of fun away from the water, too, since the city also boasts 52 parks, three golf courses, baseball fields, tennis and bocce courts, bike and jogging trails and a plethora of picnic places. Launch your boat off the public ramp at Houghs Neck Maritime Center, pitch your umbrella on spacious Wollaston Beach, go birding or rock-climbing at Blue Hills Reservation or check out the Boston skyline from the Neponset River Walk. Even the city’s history is outdoors, including a Native American campsite at Moswetuset Hummock and the site where Abigail Adams watched the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Hawk Mountain Lodge - Zoar Outdoor - Charlemont, MA
Zoar Outdoor

Route 2 (Mohawk Trail) Charlemont, MA, 01339 Phone: 800-532-7483

A great place to relax before your next outdoor excursion.

There is no such thing as the wrong season to engage in an adventure at Zoar Outdoor. With the resort’s year-round five-bedroom Hawk Mountain Lodge, you can stay for a weekend rafting getaway or hit the slopes at nearby Berkshire East. The lodge features five rooms at reasonable rates plus a common area - and if you have a large group (up to 14 people) you can book the entire lodge.
When the snow ceases, make plans to shoot the white water rapids of the Deerfield River (or three other Massachusetts and Vermont rivers) with guided trips for all skill levels. Or soar above and through the forest on a three-hour zipline canopy tour. Or go kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, biking, wilderness hiking – even take a rock-climbing clinic. Why not pick several adventures? Just stay at the lodge, a cabin tent or tent and revel in all that 80 acres of wilderness has to offer.
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Destination Plymouth - History is Just the Beginning
Campfire Treats - Briarclif Motel - Great Barrington, MA
Briarcliff Motel

Route 7 - 306 Stockbridge Road Great Barrington, MA, 01230 Phone: 413-528-3000

Take a road trip to the Berkshires where adventures aplenty await

Road trip! Head to the Briarcliff in the heart of the Berkshires, stay in a stylish, retro motor lodge and enjoy all the great outdoors has to offer. (If you need adventure ideas, talk to the motel’s “experience concierge” or check out their website’s Nearby section.) In the immediate area: cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, trout fishing, hiking mountains or onto the Appalachian Trail, mountain biking, whitewater rafting on the Deerfield River (or quieter tubing), canoeing, kayaking, zipline canopy tours and other aerial forest adventures, downhill skiing, golf and a wildlife sanctuary. On the motel grounds are volleyball, badminton and lawn darts, and guests can enjoy the year-round heated, outdoor pool and hot tub at the Red Lion Inn.
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort Family Activities Hancock MA
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort

37 Corey Road -- Route 43 Hancock, MA, 01237 Phone: 413-738-5500 Toll-Free: 800-882-8859

Great outdoor family fun is live and active over four seasons

Jiminy Peak Mountain’s four-season resort offers lodging, shopping, and dining in the Village Center and Country Inn, plus an outdoor heated swimming pool, the In-Touch Day Spa, fitness room, game room, and more. It’s also home to the largest ski and snowboard resort in southern New England. Forty-five trails and nine lifts cater to skiers of all skill levels, and three terrain parks provide rails and jibs for new and experienced park riders. Enjoy outdoor summer fun with a double dose at the adjacent Mountain Adventure Park and Aerial Adventure Park, and plan some activity at the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride and Mountain Segway Tours. This wonderful family place offers memorable mountain resort experiences with outstanding service in remarkably beautiful surroundings.
paddling the charles river west of boston
Charles River west of Boston

via properties of Trustees of Reservations Milllis, Medfield, Needham, MA Phone: 508-785-0339

The Charles River west of Boston is a welcoming place for kayakers and canoeists. Several nature preserves run by the Trustees of Reservations along this 20-mile paddling route allow you to touch land, explore, and have a picnic. You can put in at Cedariver , a former farm in Millis, which has a state-run boat launch. Map.
Moving downstream, paddlers encounter Shattuck Reservation, which is old pasture land, with nice views and trails. map. Next, watch for Bridge Island Meadows, accessible only when the water is flowing in Bogastow Brook. Map.
Next on Charles River float is Rocky Narrows in Medfield, with incomparable views of the Charles River as it winds between granite walls. Peters Reservation in Dover, has a mix of natural flora, designed landscape and plantings, and two miles of trails.
Take out can be at Charles River Peninsula in Needham, a great picnic spot surrounded on three sides by the river, with access to a state-run boat launch. Map. It is about a 20-mile float from Cedariver to the Charles River Peninsula -- prepare accordingly and take a map!