Pittsfield State Forest
Nature preserve
1,678 acres23.5 mi of trail
Balance Rock Loop TrailChurchill Brook TrailBurgoyne TrailDaniels Brook Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Lanesborough
Lanesborough has 1,876 acres of parks, 620 for every 1,000 residents
34% of Lanesborough’s land is conserved, about 6,332 acres. 56 miles of mapped trail cross Lanesborough, 1.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Pittsfield State Forest (23.5 mi), Mount Greylock State Reservation (3.3 mi), Constitution Hill (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #140 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
34%
6,332 acres · of 28.9 sq mi of land
Trails
56 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,876 ac
620 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
67%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.3 mi
2.1 mi lanes · 2.1 mi paths
Highest peak
2,418 ft
Widow Whites Peak
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is Lanesborough?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lanesborough have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lanesborough is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #140 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lanesborough’s overall grade.
Conserved land34% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (56 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land620 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,876 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home67% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 51%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Lanesborough’s 34% is ahead of 80% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 49% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Pittsfield State Forest, with 23.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mount Greylock State Reservation
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
531 acres3.3 mi of trail
Bradley Farm TrailNorthrup Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Constitution Hill
Nature preserve
283 acres2.2 mi of trail
Constitution Hill Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Balance Rock State Park
Nature preserve
114 acres2.1 mi of trail
Balance Rock Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Shaker Ridge Trails
Managed by CRICKET TRAILS, LLC
352 acres1.9 mi of trail
Taconic Skyline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Widow White
Nature preserve
245 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Barton's Ledge Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
147 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 13 parks & preserves
Pittsfield State Forest1,678 acres · 23.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Greylock State Reservation531 acres · 3.3 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsConstitution Hill283 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBalance Rock State Park114 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsShaker Ridge Trails352 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · CRICKET TRAILS, LLC
Widow White245 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBarton's Ledge Wildlife Management Area147 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
The Boulders57 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Chalet Wildlife Management Area948 acres · Department of Fish And Game
Bclf & Cf Zucker Property32 acres
Kessler Road29 acres
Memorial Park1 acres
Little League Field1 acres
Who protects it
6,332 conserved acres
34% of Lanesborough’s land. Who manages Lanesborough’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,216 ac
State parks792 ac
Other state land678 ac
State conservation400 ac
State natural resources308 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)102 ac
Joint94 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,007 acState Resource Management Area · 2,218 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 981 acAgricultural Easement · 779 acState Park · 688 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,070 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 79 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,099 | Open |
| Mount Greylock State Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 671 | Open |
| Feronia Hunting Area Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 294 | Closed |
| Skyline Country Club Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 177 | Restricted |
| Fletcher Farm Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 175 | Open |
| Chalet Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 175 | Open |
| Donnybrook INC Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 160 | Restricted |
| Balance Rock State Park State Park | State parks | 136 | Open |
| Jiminy Peak Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 123 | Restricted |
| Barton's Ledge Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 87 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
19 places to go in Lanesborough
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Lanesborough
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Lanesborough
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Lanesborough
Barton's Ledge viewIn Barton's Ledge Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsPeaks in Lanesborough
Widow Whites Peak2,418 ft elevation · In Widow White
DirectionsJiminy Peak2,382 ft elevation
DirectionsHonwee Mountain2,290 ft elevation · In Pittsfield State Forest
DirectionsPotter Mountain2,224 ft elevation
DirectionsSavage Hill1,909 ft elevation
DirectionsPratt Hill1,814 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Noppet1,765 ft elevation
DirectionsLaurel Hill1,621 ft elevation
Directions3 more peaks
Constitution Hill1,604 ft elevation · In Constitution Hill
DirectionsFarnams Hill1,598 ft elevation
DirectionsBriggs Cobble1,148 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Lanesborough
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
19 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.6 miUnpaved · 43.2 mi
Taconic Skyline Trail3.6 mi
Bradley Farm Trail2.1 mi
Balance Rock Loop Trail1.7 mi
Balance Rock Trail1.7 mi
Constitution Hill Trail1.6 mi
Churchill Brook Trail1.5 mi
Burgoyne Trail1.4 mi
Daniels Brook Trail1.2 mi
Honolulu1.1 mi
Honwee Loop Trail0.9 mi
9 more trails
Northrup Trail
0.6 miTrail I (Wild Turkey)
0.6 miTen-Point Buck
0.5 miWalking Loop @ Bill Laston Memorial Field
0.5 miPotter Mountain Trail
0.4 miShort Trail
0.3 miTrail H (Jericho)
0.3 miLulu Brook Trail
0.2 miTrail G
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
2Basketball
2Baseball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Pettibone FarmDistrict · listed 1991
About itWhen to get out
May is the best month for walking in Lanesborough
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Lanesborough →
Next door
Lanesborough and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lanesborough | 34% | 1.9 | 620 | 67% | A+ |
| Cheshire | 40% | 0.9 | 1,771 | 79% | A+ |
| Hancock | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| New Ashford | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pittsfield | 27% | 1.9 | 71 | 95% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lanesborough
Where can I hike in Lanesborough?
The longest trail networks: Pittsfield State Forest, 23.5 miles; Mount Greylock State Reservation, 3.3 miles; Constitution Hill, 2.2 miles; Balance Rock State Park, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lanesborough is conserved land?
34% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Lanesborough’s trails?
Pittsfield State Forest and Mount Greylock State Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lanesborough?
4.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.1 of painted or protected lanes and 2.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Lanesborough?
102,907 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lanesborough or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,063 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lanesborough have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #140 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Lanesborough neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →