Hopkins Memorial Forest
Williamstown, MA
Snowshoeing | Hunting | Hiking
Berlin Pass Trailhead Berlin Road, Williamstown, MA
Managed by
Williams College
Part of
Berlin Mountain
Allowed Uses & Features
Information
- Free
- Low Visitation
- Parking
A view of a mountain from the trail
The trail
The trail covered in grass
A collection of rocks by the trail
An overlook along the trail, showing fields and distant mountains
A view of the distant mountains and forest from the trail
- Public Land
- Private Land
- Bus Route
- Trail
- Major Trail
About Berlin Pass Trailhead
The Berlin Pass Trailhead will bring visitors to an expansive hiking area in Williamstown. Overall, visitors will have several options for an enjoyable day of outdoor recreation in the Berkshires.
Leaving from the trailhead toward the south, visitors will soon see the old Williams ski hill. When enough snow has fallen in winter, this hill is an excellent place for backcountry skiing. But, during the summertime, visitors can hike this trail to the summit of Mount Berlin. Though the path is extremely steep, it is both short and rewarding. Eventually, after about one mile, the trail will reach a grassy field at the peak. This area offers beautiful scenic views of the surrounding Berkshires toward the east.
Meanwhile, heading west from the trailhead on the Berlin Pass Trail, hikers will climb on a moderate slope through a dense forest toward the Taconic Crest Trail, a major north-south thru trail that straddles the MA and NY border. A recommended hike is to head south on the Taconic Crest Trail before looping back to the trailhead via. the Old Williams Ski Trail for a 3-mile hike with fantastic scenery. Plenty of local wildlife species, including songbirds and amphibians, are found in this rugged Western Massachusetts forest. There are also many wildflower species in spring.
Along the Berlin Pass Trail is the Purple Valley NEMBA "Proof of Concept Trail." This mountain biking trail offers adventurous visitors the opportunity to bike a short but exhillerating hand-made MTB trail.
There is a large parking lot at the end of Berlin Road. Further down the road, visitors will also find a trailhead for a small waterfall.
Williams College
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Accessibility Assessment
Features- Accessible Parking
- Adaptive Equipment Trails (Mt. Biking and Skiing)
Under construction as of June 2025.
This trailhead has a large flat parking area with no designated handicap spots. It is made of compacted gravel. There is a short path that leads to the trailhead from the parking lot that requires going up a 3" gap onto a wooden platform bridge. The trail is wide, more than 3 feet for most of it, however, aggregate material of various sizes can be found on the trail. In June 2025, it was under construction and saw more aggregate material impeding the trail. The mountain biking trail is 5 feet wide and has turnaround spaces often. It is made of packed dirt.
Parking lot
A bridge with 2" gap leading to the trailhead
A section of the mountain bike trail, showing the 5' width
A section of the hiking trail with sticks and aggregate material
Clubs, Retail & Rentals
Looking to meet up with others for team sports or group activities? Check out our list of clubs, guides and leagues in the Berkshires on the Resources page. Our list of summer camps will help you plan an overnight or day camp adventure for your young ones.
We also link to an array of outdoor recreation retail shops for gear and rental facilities for equipment on the Gear page.
