Great Barrington Land Conservancy Riverfront Trail

Riverfront Trail, Great Barrington, MA

About Riverfront Trail

The Riverfront Trail is a multi-section crushed stone walking trail along the Housatonic River. The shorter section is accessed from Brookside Road, where an informational kiosk marks the trailhead. The quarter-of-a-mile path walks along the meandering oxbows of the Housatonic River, which provides a mellow way to enjoy the outdoors in the Berkshires. The trail contains several benches that allow visitors to soak in the area's natural beauty and station themselves for birding and wildlife viewing.

The longer section of the Riverfront Trail can be accessed from Bridge Street or Olympian Meadows. This half-mile section provides multiple scenic openings in the trees, offering views of the beautiful hills of Western Massachusetts. An open field toward the trail's midpoint contains benches and low grass, while other sections of the trail are shaded in dense wooded areas. Near Olympian Meadows is a 20-foot pedestrian bridge that passes over a peaceful creek flowing into the Housatonic River. Closer to Bridge Street, the trail offers multiple paths that provide direct access to the river. Across Bridge Street, the trail connects to the downstream section of the Housatonic River Walk and rests adjacent to Memorial Park, meaning that the visitors can use the Riverfront Trail as just one of multiple outdoor excursions in Great Barrington.

Both sections of the Riverfront Trail are wide and accessible. The trail can be trekked via snowshoeing if covered in snow, and it is entirely flat. Kiosks at both trails provide information about trees, and along the path, many trees are marked with informational tags. The section by Brookside Road is better for a short excursion and provides better wildlife viewing. The section connecting Bridge Street and Olympian Meadows is better for an extended walk with a more extensive list of sites, and it also provides access to other outdoor sites within Great Barrington.