The New Marlboro Preserve New Marlborough Land Trust New Marlboro Preserve

New Marlborough Sandisfield Road, New Marlborough, MA

About New Marlboro Preserve

The New Marlboro Preserve contains a hiking trail through a serene natural environment with a picnic area and scenic overlook. Part of the trail runs along the Willow Creek gorge, whose quick waters cast a calming ambient noise on the property. A scenic overlook is found on this section of the trail, which provides views of the gorge atop its steep banks and allows visitors to soak in the beauty of the Berkshires. Another section of the trail walks along the Umpachene River. This rocky, babbling stream can be accessed with a short descent down the riverbanks, which are less steep than those along Willow Creek.

Away from the water, the trail winds through a mixed hardwood forest dominated by birch, black cherry, white oak, and eastern hemlock trees. Wildlife viewing and birding are great activities in this environment, as nuthatches, chickadees, cardinals, and Baltimore orioles can be found throughout the forest. As a minimalist nature preserve, there are many mammals and amphibians that thrive in this undisturbed environment. The forest is sparse, making it easy to bushwhack throughout the woods, whether to get an up-close look at nature or gain a more rugged hiking experience. In the winter, the preserve is an excellent primitive snowshoeing spot as the forest is blanketed in untouched snow and evidence of the hiking trail disappears.

A complete trip around the trail is 1.3 miles over primarily moderate terrain. While the trail is marked, it is designed to be as unintrusive to nature as possible, meaning it can sometimes disguise itself as the rest of the forest. Observant visitors may notice historic structures hidden in the landscape. By the Willow Creek ravine, stone walls appear along the river bank left over from a 19^th-century cheese factory, which took advantage of the stream's strong waters to power the factory.

The property can be accessed from a trailhead by the intersection of South Sandisfield Road and New Marlborough Sandisfield Center Road. There is an informational kiosk with a trail map to prepare visitors before venturing into the forest. As one of the lesser-known hiking areas in Western Massachusetts, the New Marlboro Preserve is a hidden gem that immerses visitors into a pristine natural environment.