Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
1,120 acres7.6 mi of trail
Yokun Ridge TrailLaurel TrailHermit Thrush LoopOverbrook Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Lenox
Lenox has 3,728 acres of parks, 734 for every 1,000 residents
36% of Lenox’s land is conserved, about 4,883 acres. 36 miles of mapped trail cross Lenox, 1.7 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (7.6 mi), Lenox Water Supply Land (6.9 mi), Yokun South Ridge Reserve (3.5 mi).
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #71 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
36%
4,883 acres · of 21.2 sq mi of land
Trails
36 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,728 ac
734 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
90%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.4 mi
8.4 mi paths
Highest peak
2,116 ft
Yokun Seat
Lakes & rivers
6
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Lenox?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Room to roam734 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.Land that stays wild36% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 91% of U.S. towns.History along the way10 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lenox have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lenox is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #71 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 Lenox’s overall grade.
Conserved land36% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (36 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land734 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,728 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home90% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 75%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Lenox’s 36% is ahead of 84% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 38% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, with 7.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lenox Water Supply Land
Nature preserve
936 acres6.9 mi of trail
Veda TrailBob TTrail of the LedgesPortugese+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Yokun South Ridge Reserve
Managed by Berkshire Natural Resources Council
336 acres3.5 mi of trail
Burbank TrailBaldhead spur trailBob TBrothers Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Brother's Trail Parking
Kennedy Park
Nature preserve
492 acres2.6 mi of trail
Acorn RollKennedyCoakley/MainKPMB4+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Kennedy Park parking
October Mountain State Forest
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
624 acres2 mi of trail
Switchback TrailSchemerhorn Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mahanna Cobble
Managed by Berkshire Natural Resource Council (BNRC)
339 acres2 mi of trail
Yokun Ridge TrailMahanna Cobble Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Edith Wharton's Home
Managed by Edith Wharton Restoration
49 acres0.8 mi of trail
Lime Walk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
George L. Darey Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Department Of Fish And Game
465 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 23 parks & preserves
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary1,120 acres · 7.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLenox Water Supply Land936 acres · 6.9 mi of trail
Yokun South Ridge Reserve336 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · Berkshire Natural Resources Council
DirectionsKennedy Park492 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsOctober Mountain State Forest624 acres · 2 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsMahanna Cobble339 acres · 2 mi of trail · Berkshire Natural Resource Council (BNRC)
Edith Wharton's Home49 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Edith Wharton Restoration
DirectionsGeorge L. Darey Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area465 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Department Of Fish And Game
DirectionsParsons Marsh Reserve180 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Berkshire Natural Resources Council
DirectionsTanglewood43 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPost Farm222 acres
Parsons Marsh Conservation Area147 acres
DirectionsHallowell Meadow Reserve, Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)65 acres · BNRC
Schermerhorn Park29 acres
DirectionsLenox Mountain Reserve15 acres · , Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)
Edith Wharton Park13 acres
Willow Creek11 acres
Veterans Mem Park5 acres
DirectionsRoche Reserve, Berkshire Natural Resource Council (BNRC)5 acres · BNRC
Tilloston Park4 acres
Lilac Park1 acres
DirectionsOre Bed Park1 acres
DirectionsUnder Mountain Rest1 acres · BNRC
Who protects it
4,883 conserved acres
36% of Lenox’s land. Who manages Lenox’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city950 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land326 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits271 ac
State parks15 ac
State conservation15 ac
Not recorded3,649 ac
Private Conservation · 1,753 acState Conservation Area · 1,395 acConservation Easement · 1,201 acForest Stewardship Easement · 326 acLocal Other or Unknown · 156 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,198 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 16 of 73 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,034 | Open |
| October Mountain State Forest State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 623 | Open |
| George L. Darey Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 447 | Open |
| Lenox Mountain Private Conservation | Not recorded | 233 | Unknown |
| Post Farm State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 219 | Open |
| Parsons Marsh Reserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 178 | Open |
| Parsons Marsh Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 147 | Open |
| Root Reservoir Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 136 | Open |
| Mahanna Cobble Reserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 134 | Open |
| Kennedy Park Local Park | Not recorded | 105 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
16 places to go in Lenox
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Lenox
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Lenox
Decker Landing
DirectionsScenic views in Lenox
Burbank DedicationIn Yokun South Ridge Reserve
DirectionsKennedy CliffsIn Yokun South Ridge Reserve
DirectionsObservation DeckIn Parsons Marsh Reserve
Directionsstone bench vistaIn Mahanna Cobble
Directionsview to westIn Kennedy Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Lenox
Yokun Seat2,116 ft elevation · In Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsMahanna Cobble1,896 ft elevation · In Mahanna Cobble
DirectionsBaldhead1,663 ft elevation · In Yokun South Ridge Reserve
DirectionsThe Cobble1,545 ft elevation · In Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsLenox MountainIn Lenox Water Supply Land
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.2 miUnpaved · 16.0 mi
Veda Trail2.1 mi
Yokun Ridge Trail2.1 mi
Bob T1.4 mi
Baldhead spur trail1.3 mi
Burbank Trail1.3 mi
Portugese1.3 mi
Trail of the Ledges1.0 mi
Upper Po-Knee0.9 mi
Overbrook Trail0.8 mi
Laurel Trail0.8 mi
15 more trails
Hermit Thrush Loop
0.8 miSwitchback Trail
0.7 miMahanna Cobble Trail
0.6 miBroken Thumb
0.4 miLower Po-Knee
0.4 miCoakley/Main
0.4 miAcorn Roll
0.4 miBluebird trail
0.3 miKennedy
0.3 miParsons Marsh Trail
0.3 miSchemerhorn Trail
0.3 miPo-Knee Up
0.3 miYokum Trail
0.3 miWaycross Trail
0.3 miBrothers Trail
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
26Tennis
4Baseball
4Basketball
3Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Lenox LibraryBuilding · listed 1973
About itChurch on the HillBuilding · listed 1982
About itLenox AcademyBuilding · listed 1982
About itLenox Railroad StationBuilding · listed 1989
About itVentfort HallDistrict · listed 1993
About itTrinity Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1996
About itLenox High SchoolBuilding · listed 2004
About itLenox Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2022
About itHenry A. and Jennie Belden HouseBuilding · listed 2026
About itWhen to get out
May is the best month for walking in Lenox
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) | 32 | 35 | 43 | 57 | 69 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.7 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Lenox →
Next door
Lenox and its neighbors
Lenox has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenox | 36% | 1.7 | 734 | 90% | A+ |
| Lee | 37% | 1.0 | 608 | 95% | A+ |
| Richmond | 18% | 0.7 | 813 | 59% | A |
| Stockbridge | 26% | 0.7 | 830 | 91% | A+ |
| Lenox Dale | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Washington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lenox
Where can I hike in Lenox?
The longest trail networks: Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 7.6 miles; Lenox Water Supply Land, 6.9 miles; Yokun South Ridge Reserve, 3.5 miles; Kennedy Park, 2.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lenox is conserved land?
36% 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 Lenox’s trails?
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and Lenox Water Supply Land don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lenox?
8.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Lenox?
80,655 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lenox or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,759 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lenox have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #71 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 Lenox 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 →