Mount Greylock State Reservation
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
968 acres5.4 mi of trail
Bernard Farm TrailAppalachian TrailMoney Brook TrailOld Summit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in North Adams
37% of North Adams’ land is conserved: 4,782 acres
3,164 acres are parks and preserves, 251 per 1,000 residents. 36 miles of mapped trail cross North Adams, 1.7 per square mile of land. 94% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #63 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
37%
4,782 acres · of 20.3 sq mi of land
Trails
36 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,164 ac
251 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.1 mi
Highest peak
2,956 ft
Mount Williams
Lakes & rivers
6
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is North Adams?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild37% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Room to roam251 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 91% of U.S. towns.History along the way25 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does North Adams have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, North Adams is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #63 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of North Adams’ overall grade.
Conserved land37% 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 land251 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,164 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home94% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 78%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so North Adams’ 37% is ahead of 85% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 41% 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 Mount Greylock State Reservation, with 5.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Notch Reservoir
Nature preserve
782 acres4 mi of trail
Bellows Pipe TrailAppalachian TrailBernard Farm Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Notch Gate
Hoosac Range
Nature preserve
900 acres3.6 mi of trail
Hoosac Range TrailMahican-Mohawk Trail (M-M)Sunset Rock LoopOld Mohawk Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Savoy Mountain State Forest
Nature preserve
512 acres3.6 mi of trail
Blackburnian LoopLost Pond TrailBusby Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Clarksburg State Forest
Managed by DCR - Division of State Parks and Recreation
559 acres1.5 mi of trail
Appalachian Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Natural Bridge State Park
Managed by DCR - Division of State Parks and Recreation
45 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
The Cascades
Managed by City of North Adams Conservation Commission
126 acres0.7 mi of trail
Cascades Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 19 parks & preserves
Mount Greylock State Reservation968 acres · 5.4 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNotch Reservoir782 acres · 4 mi of trail
DirectionsHoosac Range900 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSavoy Mountain State Forest512 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
Clarksburg State Forest559 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · DCR - Division of State Parks and Recreation
Natural Bridge State Park45 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · DCR - Division of State Parks and Recreation
The Cascades126 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of North Adams Conservation Commission
Windsor Lake Park101 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · WINDSOR LAKE COMM
DirectionsFlorida State Forest14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · DCR - Division of State Parks and Recreation
Western Gateway Heritage State Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAlcombright Field23 acres
DirectionsCatherine Street Conservation Area16 acres
Kemp Park7 acres
Hoosic River Access4 acres
DirectionsWest End Playground4 acres · City of North Adams Housing Authority
DirectionsFreeman Park2 acres
Brayton Field2 acres
DirectionsBracewell Park1 acres
DirectionsColgrove Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,782 conserved acres
37% of North Adams’ land. Who manages North Adams’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks1,027 ac
State conservation732 ac
Town or city172 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits73 ac
National Park Service21 ac
State fish & wildlife5 ac
Other state land1 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,232 acWatershed Protection Area · 1,221 acState Park · 1,050 acConservation Easement · 859 acRecreation or Education Easement · 732 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 784 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 68 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Greylock State Reservation State Resource Management Area | State parks | 1,157 | Open |
| Notch Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 733 | Unknown |
| Savoy Mountain State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 531 | Open |
| Clarksburg State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 512 | Open |
| Mount Williams Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 477 | Unknown |
| Historic Valley Campground Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 132 | Open |
| The Cascades Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 125 | Open |
| Savoy Mountain Conservation Area Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 118 | Closed |
| Southwest Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 64 | Open |
| Natural Bridge State Park State Park | Not recorded | 43 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
23 places to go in North Adams
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in North Adams
Campers Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in North Adams
River Street Playground
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in North Adams
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in North Adams
Money Brook FallsIn Mount Greylock State Reservation
DirectionsScenic views in North Adams
Sunset RockIn Hoosac Range
DirectionsWestern Summit
DirectionsPlus 5 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in North Adams
Mount Williams2,956 ft elevation · In Mount Greylock State Reservation
DirectionsSpruce Hill2,543 ft elevation · In Savoy Mountain State Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in North Adams
Historic Valley CampgroundCity of North Adams
DirectionsCommunity gardens in North Adams
2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
16 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 20.5 mi
Appalachian Trail3.7 mi
Hoosac Range Trail2.4 mi
Bernard Farm Trail2.1 mi
Blackburnian Loop1.4 mi
Bellows Pipe Trail1.1 mi
Old Mohawk Trail1.1 mi
Lost Pond Trail0.8 mi
Busby Trail0.7 mi
Cascades Trail0.7 mi
Mahican-Mohawk Trail (M-M)0.7 mi
6 more trails
Money Brook Trail
0.5 miOld Summit Trail
0.4 miBarbour Street Extension
0.4 miSunset Rock Loop
0.3 miRichview Avenue Extension
0.3 miWest Shaft Road Terrace
0.1 miBiking & sports
0.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
7Baseball
6Tennis
5Basketball
5Soccer
3Softball
2Pickleball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →25 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Freight Yard Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1972
About itMonument Square-Eagle Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1972
About itBeaver MillBuilding · listed 1973
About itWindsor Print WorksBuilding · listed 1973
About itChurch Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itEber Sherman FarmBuilding · listed 1983
About itSt. Joseph's SchoolBuilding · listed 1983
About itArmstrong HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itArnold Print WorksBuilding · listed 1985
About itBlackinton Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1985
About itBoardman, TheBuilding · listed 1985
About itCharles Browne HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About it13 more on the History page.
When to get out
May is the best month for walking in North Adams
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 | 34 | 43 | 56 | 69 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in North Adams →
Next door
North Adams 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Adams | 37% | 1.7 | 251 | 94% | A+ |
| Clarksburg | 13% | 1.0 | 316 | 62% | A |
| Williamstown | 36% | 2.3 | 990 | 96% | A+ |
| Adams | 48% | 2.2 | 518 | 91% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in North Adams
Where can I hike in North Adams?
The longest trail networks: Mount Greylock State Reservation, 5.4 miles; Notch Reservoir, 4 miles; Hoosac Range, 3.6 miles; Savoy Mountain State Forest, 3.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of North Adams is conserved land?
37% 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 North Adams’ trails?
Mount Greylock State Reservation and Notch Reservoir don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in North Adams?
0.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near North Adams?
107,035 acres of parks and open public land lie inside North Adams or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,306 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does North Adams have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #63 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 North Adams 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 →