Sports & the Outdoors in Berkshires

Sports & the Outdoors

Bicycling

The region's terrain is tremendously varied, and it tends to be hilly. The Berkshires are relatively uncongested and extremely popular for biking, affording cycling enthusiasts of all abilities miles of great riding. It's an especially appealing area for mountain biking.

The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail runs from the Pittsfield-Cheshire town line north up through Adams. Part of the trail is paved. It traces the old rail line and passes through rugged woodland and Cheshire Lake. The Berkshire Visitors Bureau distributes a free Berkshire Bike Touring Route, which is a series of relatively short excursions along area roads.

The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, an advocacy group that works to improve conditions for area cyclists, has information on organized rides and sells good bike maps of Boston and the state.

Contacts

The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (44 Bromfield St., Boston, 02178. 617/542-2453. www.massbike.org).

Hiking

The Berkshires are rife with great hiking areas, including a 90-mi swath of the Appalachian Trail that cuts through the Berkshires. You'll also find hundreds of miles of trails elsewhere throughout the area's forests and parks.

Contacts

Appalachian National Scenic Trail (NPS Park Office, Harpers Ferry Center, Harpers Ferry, WV, 25425. 304/535-6331 or 304/535-6278. www.nps.gov/appa).