Fountain Pond State Park - North Trailhead
Fountain Pond Park
Great Barrington, MA
Fishing | Cross-Country Skiing | Birding
The Dark Side 280 State Road, Great Barrington, MA
Part of
Southern Berkshire Friends Meeting
Allowed Uses & Features
Information
- Dogs allowed - Leashed
- Free
- Parking
Climbing wall in the Dark Side.
Climbing wall in the Dark Side.
Entrance to Southern Berkshire Friends Meeting, which allows climbers for the Dark Side to park after notice.
- Public Land
- Private Land
- Bus Route
- Trail
- Major Trail
About The Dark Side
The Dark Side is one of just a handful of crags in Western Massachusetts conducive to climbing. Hidden in the forest off Route 23, The Dark Side's boulders receive little traffic, and climbers constantly find and establish new projects. However, this seemingly untouched supply of climbing opportunities comes with the cost of difficult access to boulders, which are spread out and require hiking through unmaintained woods and marshland to reach. The rough path to the boulders is an approximately three-quarters-of-a-mile journey that can get muddy and is often covered in leaves. For those willing to make the trek, The Dark Side offers some of the best boulder problems in the Berkshires. The largest boulder is known as The Whale, which provides a variety of problems from warm-ups to expert-level climbing.
Access to the site and parking is granted through the Southern Berkshire Friends Meeting property. While the group welcomes climbers to explore the property, they ask that visitors email them before arrival. It is possible to bushwhack to the rocks through the East Mountain State forest, as most boulders are located on this public land. However, those seeking more direct access are encouraged to do so through the Southern Berkshire Friends.
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Accessibility Assessment
There are no accessible features at this location.
Parking for the Dark Side is on the property for Southern Berkshire Friends Meeting. This lot consists of flat, crushed stone, holding room for at least 15 cars to park. Southern Berkshire Friends Meeting requests that any climbers using it send them an email at info@southberkshirefriends.org letting them know that you will be parking there to climb. Pathways leading up to the climbing trails are steep and contain high vegetation and are accessible in the back of the property.
Parking area in the back of Southern Berkshire Friends Meeting.
Wilderness adjacent to the parking area, with East Mountain in the background. Unofficial trails lead to the Dark Side climbing walls.
Additional parking located next to the Southern Berkshire Friends Meeting.
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.
