Beartown State Forest
Nature preserve
3,719 acres14.8 mi of trail
Appalachian TrailMount Wilcox TrailSky Peak TrailPond Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto trail parking
Photo: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Monterey
Monterey has 2,262 acres of parks, 2,371 for every 1,000 residents
47% of Monterey’s land is conserved, about 7,892 acres. 27 miles of mapped trail cross Monterey, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Beartown State Forest (14.8 mi), Bidwell House Museum, Gardens and Trails (5.1 mi), Bob's Way (1.2 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
47%
7,892 acres · of 26.4 sq mi of land
Trails
27 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,262 ac
2,371 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
80%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,106 ft
Mount Wilcox
Lakes & rivers
8
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Monterey?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Room to roam2,371 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.Land that stays wild47% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 81% of U.S. towns.History along the way3 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Monterey have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Monterey is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns. 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 Monterey’s overall grade.
Conserved land47% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (27 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land2,371 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,262 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home80% 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 97%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Monterey’s 47% is ahead of 97% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 21% 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 Beartown State Forest, with 14.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bidwell House Museum, Gardens and Trails
Managed by Bidwell House Museum
197 acres5.1 mi of trail
Loom Brook TrailMeeting House Loop TrailRoyal Hemlock TrailTurkeybush Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Overflow Parking Field
Bob's Way
Managed by Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)
116 acres1.2 mi of trail
Cathcart CrossingTruman Doud Crossing
Dogs allowed
Directionsto Bob's Way Parking
Appalachian Trail Corridor
Managed by National Park Service
61 acres0.7 mi of trail
Appalachian Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto trail parking
Steadman Pond Reserve
Managed by Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)
346 acres0.3 mi of trail
Charcoal Hearth Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 13 parks & preserves
Beartown State Forest3,719 acres · 14.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBidwell House Museum, Gardens and Trails197 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · Bidwell House Museum
DirectionsBob's Way116 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)
DirectionsAppalachian Trail Corridor61 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsSteadman Pond Reserve346 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)
DirectionsTyringham Wildlife Conservation Easement379 acres
Fawyer Reserve, Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)90 acres · BNRC
Swan Road Properties Reserve, Berkshire Natural Resource Council (BNRC)41 acres · BNRC
Somers Reserve31 acres · Berkshire Natural Resources Council
Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Inc.20 acres
Smith-Alexander & Clark Farms14 acres
Swan-Dunlop Reserve, Berkshire Natural Resource Council (BNRC)6 acres · BNRC
Bidwell Park3 acres
Who protects it
7,892 conserved acres
47% of Monterey’s land. Who manages Monterey’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,484 ac
Other state land876 ac
State natural resources709 ac
State fish & wildlife703 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)237 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service139 ac
State parks132 ac
State Resource Management Area · 4,685 acConservation Easement · 3,693 acAgricultural Easement · 1,128 acPrivate Conservation · 929 acFederal Other or Unknown · 139 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,230 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 22 of 137 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beartown State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 3,787 | Open |
| Arthur Wharton Swann State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 896 | Open |
| Biddwell House Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 195 | Closed |
| Monterey Preservation Land Trust Private Conservation | Not recorded | 184 | Unknown |
| Hiking Camp Private Conservation | Not recorded | 170 | Restricted |
| Hephzibah Heights Private Conservation | Not recorded | 151 | Restricted |
| Berkshire Trout Hatchery Federal Other or Unknown | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 139 | Restricted |
| Berkshire Natural Resources Council Private Conservation | Not recorded | 117 | Open |
| Appalachian Trail Corridor State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 52 | Open |
| Fairview Road Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 42 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
11 places to go in Monterey
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Monterey
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Monterey
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Monterey
CascadeIn Bidwell House Museum, Gardens and Trails
DirectionsScenic views in Monterey
Dave's BenchIn Bob's Way
DirectionsMonterey CobblesIn Beartown State Forest
DirectionsThe Steps (The Ledges)In Beartown State Forest
DirectionsPeaks in Monterey
Mount Wilcox2,106 ft elevation · In Beartown State Forest
DirectionsChestnut Hill1,841 ft elevation
DirectionsLivermore Peak1,837 ft elevation
DirectionsHunger Mountain1,768 ft elevation · In Beartown State Forest
DirectionsHalls Hill1,535 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.9 miHorses · 2.9 miUnpaved · 20.5 mi
Appalachian Trail6.0 mi
Mount Wilcox Trail1.9 mi
Diane's Trail1.1 mi
Loom Brook Trail0.8 mi
Meeting House Loop Trail0.5 mi
Sky Peak Trail0.5 mi
Royal Hemlock Trail0.4 mi
Turkeybush Trail0.4 mi
Pond Loop Trail0.3 mi
Sugarbush Trail0.2 mi
15 more trails
Champion Oak Trail - North Loop
0.2 miCathcart Crossing
0.2 miPenny's Trail - Stone Wall - Loom Brook Connector
0.2 miStone Wall Loop - East
0.2 miOrton Trail - Champion Oak - Loom Brook Connector
0.1 miStone Wall Loop - West
0.1 miChampion Oak Tree Trail - South Loop
0.1 miMcCollum Trail
0.1 miNorth Field Connector Trail
0.1 miMill Site Stub Trail
0.1 miPost Road Trail - Cellar Hole-Loom Brook Connector
0.1 miCharcoal Hearth Trail
0.1 miChampion Oak Tree - Middle Loop
0.1 miCellar Hole Trail
0.1 miStone Wall - Meeting House Connector West
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
13Tennis
5Basketball
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Monterey: May to August
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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 35 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 59 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.9 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Monterey →
Next door
Monterey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey | 47% | 1.0 | 2,371 | 80% | A+ |
| New Marlborough | 32% | 0.5 | 2,116 | 54% | A |
| Sandisfield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Tyringham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Great Barrington | 44% | 1.4 | 656 | 89% | A+ |
| Otis | 38% | 0.1 | 2,338 | 51% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Monterey
Where can I hike in Monterey?
The longest trail networks: Beartown State Forest, 14.8 miles; Bidwell House Museum, Gardens and Trails, 5.1 miles; Bob's Way, 1.2 miles; Appalachian Trail Corridor, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Monterey is conserved land?
47% 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 Monterey’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Bob's Way. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Monterey?
80,169 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Monterey or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,095 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Monterey have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Monterey 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 →