Lulu Brook Trailhead
Pittsfield State Forest
Pittsfield, MA
Hiking | Fishing | Beach
Herman Melville's Arrowhead 780 Holmes Rd, Pittsfield, MA
Managed by
Berkshire County Historical Society
Part of
Arrowhead
Allowed Uses & Features
Information
- Family Friendly
- Parking
- Restroom
Certified pollinator habitat by Herman Melville's Arrowhead
Trail running through the field at Herman Melville's Arrowhead
Trailing running through the woods behind Herman Melville's Arrowhead
Trail running through the field at Herman Melville's Arrowhead
Entrance sign to Herman Melville's Arrowhead
Entrance road leading into Herman Melville's Arrowhead
- Public Land
- Private Land
- Bus Route
- Trail
- Major Trail
About Herman Melville's Arrowhead
Arrowhead is the former house of the historic writer Herman Melville. Located on a few acres off Holmes Road in Pittsfield, the home and its peaceful surroundings attracted Melville and inspired his migration to Berkshire County in 1850. During his 13 years living here, Melville experienced some of his most productive years, churning out Pierre, The Confidence-Man, Israel Potter, and most notably, Moby Dick. In fact, Arrowhead's view of Mount Greylock supposedly reminded Melville of a whale's hump, inspiring the creation of Moby Dick.
In addition to visiting and learning about the home of Herman Melville, the property offers outdoor opportunities underneath the Berkshire mountains that Melville found so influential. Next to the parking lot, a walking trail can be accessed and loops visitors around a large field, which is a certified pollinator habitat. Walkers can also choose to follow the path into the woods, with the surrounding composition transitioning from tall grass to tall trees, before looping back onto the field's grassy path. The walking trails in the pollinator field, as well as the forest, are open to the public and do not require admission to access. Only the house site requires admission.
The walking trails are just over a mile long; the distance and difficulty complement the peaceful landscape and ensure a serene outdoor experience typical of Western Massachusetts. The trails are also ideal for snowshoeing and Nordic skiing during the winter.
The website linked below can be consulted for information regarding events, shopping, open hours, and additional information regarding Herman Melville's Arrowhead.
Berkshire County Historical Society
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Accessibility Assessment
Features- Accessible Parking
- Accessible Restroom
The parking area at Herman Melville's Arrowhead is a gravel lot with two accessible parking spaces. From the parking lot, there is a 5-foot-wide level gravel path leading to the visitor center in the big red barn and to the main house. The first floor of the house is accessible to wheelchairs; however, the second floor is only accessible via stairs. Photos of the second floor are available to visitors who are unable to access it. There are also accessible bathrooms located in the visitors' center. A fifteen-acre grass field sits behind the Arrowhead site, containing a mile of publicly accessible grass trails. These trails can be accessed from the parking lot, the entrance road, and Holmes Road. The grass trails are at their narrowest, 4 feet wide, and at their widest, 10 feet wide. The trails are frequently mowed; however, at times, the surrounding shrubbery can encroach upon the trail. The grass trails connect to a section of dirt single-track trail in the forest beyond the grass field. This dirt trail section is narrower than the grass trails, being about 2 to 3 feet wide.
Path leading to visitor center
Path leading to Herman Melville's House
Entrance to Herman Melville's House
Accessible parking space at Herman Melville's Arrowhead
Entrance to walking path from entrance road
Entrance to walking path from Holmes Road
Entrance to walking trails from parking lot
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.
