The Cascades Trail

Brickyard Court, North Adams, MA

About The Cascades Trail

The Cascades Trail is a family-friendly hiking trail in the City of North Adams. The trail ambles alongside a rushing brook and ends with scenic views of a towering waterfall, perfect for a refreshing rest on hot summer days in the Berkshires.

Visitors should begin by leaving the YMCA parking lot. They will cross a bridge and follow blazes up Pershing Street. The trail will then turn right on Marion Avenue and head into the woods.

Hikers will follow alongside a babbling brook for the remainder of the hike, traveling through a hemlock-beech forest. Many local Western Massachusetts wildlife species, including songbirds and amphibians, will be audible along the trail throughout the spring and summer. There will also be plenty of animal tracks when enough snow has fallen in winter.

Hikers will eventually reach a point where they must cross the stream on foot. Then, after continuing past the stream crossing, the trail will continue until a picturesque waterfall is within view. Visitors can bring lunch, picnic, and grow mesmerized by the rushing water. They can also trek closer and go swimming beneath the falls.

Visitors should not park directly at the trailhead at the end of Marion. There is a designated parking area next to the YMCA off Brayton Street.