Pittsfield State Forest
Nature preserve
1,550 acres24.4 mi of trail
HonoluluHonwee Loop TrailBear ClawDeer Hill+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Pittsfield
27% of Pittsfield’s land is conserved: 6,880 acres
75 miles of mapped trail cross Pittsfield, 1.9 per square mile of land. 3,077 acres are parks and preserves, 71 per 1,000 residents. 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #107 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
27%
6,880 acres · of 40.5 sq mi of land
Trails
75 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,077 ac
71 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
9.0 mi lanes · 2.1 mi paths
Highest peak
1,785 ft
Osceda Mountain
Lakes & rivers
11
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Pittsfield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild27% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 92% of U.S. towns.Parks close to home95% of residents live within a half mile of a park.History along the way23 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Pittsfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Pittsfield is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #107 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 Pittsfield’s overall grade.
Conserved land27% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (75 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land71 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,077 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home95% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 62%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Pittsfield’s 27% is ahead of 66% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 45% 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 Pittsfield State Forest, with 24.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
The Boulders
Nature preserve
504 acres6.8 mi of trail
Red TrailBlue TrailRed-Blue TrailGreen Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Mass Audubon
249 acres2.6 mi of trail
Sacred Way TrailWolf Pine TrailOwl Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
October Mountain State Forest
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
405 acres1.6 mi of trail
Unverified DCR Track
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
George L. Darey Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Department Of Fish And Game
306 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cadwell’s Woods Conservation Area
Nature preserve
54 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Clapp Park
Park
53 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 40 parks & preserves
Pittsfield State Forest1,550 acres · 24.4 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Boulders504 acres · 6.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSpringside Park234 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCanoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary249 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Mass Audubon
October Mountain State Forest405 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
George L. Darey Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area306 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Department Of Fish And Game
DirectionsCadwell’s Woods Conservation Area54 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Clapp Park53 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Kirvin Park226 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBurbank Park268 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMahanna Cobble70 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Berkshire Natural Resource Council (BNRC)
Coolidge Park28 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Wild Acres Park26 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Fred Garner Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDeming Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Wahconah Park87 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHenry V Marchisio Memorial Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDorothy Amos Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pontoosuc Beach2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBrattle Brook Park126 acres
Tierney Conservation Area58 acres
Dubow Reserve, Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)36 acres · BNRC
DirectionsRamsey Beach15 acres
Pontoosuc Lake Park11 acres
DirectionsLake Onota Village Park10 acres
Osceola Park8 acres
The Common7 acres
DirectionsOnota Lake Dam6 acres
Onota Lake Conservation Area6 acres
Western District HQ3 acres
Durant Park3 acres
South Street Memorial Park2 acres
DirectionsWestside Riverway Park2 acres
Chalet Wildlife Management Area1 acres · Department of Fish And Game
Crane Playground1 acres
DirectionsWellesley Park1 acres
Wilson Playground1 acres
Noblehurst Conservation. Property1 acres
Crow Playground1 acres
Park Square1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
6,880 conserved acres
27% of Pittsfield’s land. Who manages Pittsfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city624 ac
State natural resources505 ac
Joint501 ac
Other state land426 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits407 ac
State parks136 ac
State conservation134 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,772 acConservation Easement · 1,267 acState Conservation Area · 1,128 acLocal Park · 684 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 659 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,136 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 165 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 | 1,770 | Open |
| October Mountain State Forest State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 393 | Open |
| George L. Darey Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 312 | Open |
| Pittsfield Country Club State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 255 | Restricted |
| Hancock Shaker Village Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 250 | Restricted |
| Kirvin Park Local Park | Town or city | 224 | Open |
| St Joseph Cemetery Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 188 | Open |
| Burbank Park Local Park | Not recorded | 172 | Open |
| Berkshire Hills Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 158 | Restricted |
| Pittsfield Watershed State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 141 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
38 places to go in Pittsfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Pittsfield
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Pittsfield
Allen Heights Playground
DirectionsHighland Playground
DirectionsLebanon Playground
DirectionsRotary ParkIn Springside Park
DirectionsTucker Playground
DirectionsWest Memorial Playground
DirectionsPlus 19 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Pittsfield
Pittsfield Dog ParkIn Burbank Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Pittsfield
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Pittsfield
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Pittsfield
Osceda Mountain1,785 ft elevation
DirectionsSykes Mountain1,719 ft elevation · In October Mountain State Forest
DirectionsOak Hill1,391 ft elevation
DirectionsSouth Mountain1,391 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Boulders1,342 ft elevation · In The Boulders
DirectionsCourt Hill1,070 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Pittsfield
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.9 miUnpaved · 30.0 mi
Unverified DCR Track2.3 mi
Red Trail2.0 mi
Honolulu1.7 mi
Honwee Loop Trail1.7 mi
Bear Claw1.5 mi
Blue Trail1.3 mi
Deer Hill1.2 mi
Vosburgh CC Trail1.0 mi
Sacred Way Trail0.9 mi
Lulu Brook Trail0.9 mi
15 more trails
Upper Rollercoaster
0.8 miHawthorne trail
0.8 miParker Brook Trail
0.8 miWild Acres Park
0.8 miMahanna Cobble Trail
0.7 miTurner Trail
0.7 miBeaver Tail Trail
0.7 miHoney Bear
0.7 miPine Mountain Trail
0.7 miShadow Ski Trail
0.6 miNorth Branch Trail
0.6 miWolf Pine Trail
0.5 miGhost Ski Trail
0.5 miDublin's Run
0.5 miRotten Apple
0.5 miBiking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.1 mi
off-road bike paths
0.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
26Tennis
19Baseball
18Basketball
3Soccer
2Pickleball
1Skate park
1Volleyball
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →23 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Old Town HallBuilding · listed 1972
About itSouth Mountain Concert HallBuilding · listed 1973
About itPark Square Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1975
About itOld Central Fire StationBuilding · listed 1977
About itWilliam Russell Allen HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itOld Central High SchoolBuilding · listed 1980
About itWollison-Shipton BuildingBuilding · listed 1982
About itAllen HotelBuilding · listed 1983
About itMorewood SchoolBuilding · listed 1984
About itBerkshire Life Insurance Company BuildingBuilding · listed 1986
About it11 more on the History page.
When to get out
May is the best month for walking in Pittsfield
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 | 59 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.5 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Pittsfield →
Next door
Pittsfield and its neighbors
Pittsfield has the most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield | 27% | 1.9 | 71 | 95% | A+ |
| Dalton | 52% | 1.3 | 608 | 92% | A+ |
| Hancock | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lanesborough | 34% | 1.9 | 620 | 67% | A+ |
| 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 Pittsfield
Where can I hike in Pittsfield?
The longest trail networks: Pittsfield State Forest, 24.4 miles; The Boulders, 6.8 miles; Springside Park, 4.6 miles; Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, 2.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Pittsfield is conserved land?
27% 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 Pittsfield’s trails?
Pittsfield State Forest and The Boulders don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Pittsfield?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.0 of painted or protected lanes, 2.1 of off-road paths and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Pittsfield?
96,739 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Pittsfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,031 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Pittsfield have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #107 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 Pittsfield 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 →