Pfeiffer Arboretum At Long Pond Great Barrington Land Conservancy Pfeiffer Arboretum at Long Pond

249 Long Pond Road, Great Barrington, MA

About Pfeiffer Arboretum at Long Pond

The Pfeiffer Arboretum is a fantastic natural space within the forests of northern Great Barrington. With mellow hiking trails, the site is easy to enjoy at all times of the year. The trail offers a brisk .3-mile trek to  Long Pond, and continuing along the loop makes for a roughly three-quarters-of-a-mile journey. Long Pond is a quiet, undeveloped body of water, and a wooden viewing platform at its edge provides visitors an excellent way to observe the pond in its entirety. In the warmer months, the vibrant ecosystem offers a wonderful opportunity for birding and wildlife viewing, while the diverse forest that the arboretum is known for showcases various trees native to Western Massachusetts. A defining feature of the park is its Bog Bridge, a walkway made of local black locust timber that offers a way for visitors to walk through the site's wetlands, which are brimming with wildlife. In the fall, the arboretum displays the vibrant foliage that the Berkshires is known for, especially around the pond where deciduous trees saturate the area in red, yellow, and orange. In the winter, the arboretum is great for snowshoeing or observing the striking beauty of a forest blanketed in snow.

As one of the lesser-known outdoor spaces in Great Barrington, the Pfeiffer Arboretum is a hidden gem that accommodates multiple leisurely outdoor activities. A limited number of parking spots are available on-site, where a sign and informational kiosk mark the trailhead.