Beartown State Forest Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Beartown State Forest Beach

69 Blue Hill Road, Great Barrington, MA

About Beartown State Forest Beach

The Beartown State Forest Beach is a perfect destination for families to enjoy a day together in the beautiful outdoors of the Berkshires. The beach is right on Benedict Pond, a large, serene pond on the southern edge of Beartown State Forest, right next to the forest's main entrance. It is a beautiful, sandy beach with buoys outlining a large swimming area in the pond. Children will love playing in the sand and taking a plunge in the cool water here. A large parking lot is only a few feet from the beach, making it accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Additionally, a flat and wide boardwalk with railings wanders around the lake perimeter, making the beach an excellent location for sightseeing on the lake. Bathrooms are also available at the beach.

Stemming off the boardwalk is the Benedict Pond Loop Trail, which travels around the pond through various ecosystems, such as evergreen forests filled with spruce and pine trees and deciduous forests of oaks and maples that have a dense and diverse underbrush of mountain laurels and hobblebush. The trail is of moderate difficulty due to the many rocks and roots in the path, but it is primarily flat. Along the trail are benches right on the water—a perfect place to rest on the hike and enjoy the beautiful scenery of one of the prettiest lakes in Western Massachusetts.