Town of Dalton The Pines

High Street, Dalton, MA

About The Pines

Blocks away from Dalton's Main Street, the Pines is a forested area with open, flat, and navigable hiking trails. Located within a calm residential area, with its trailhead tucked behind the Dalton Senior Center, The Pines is a peaceful, relatively quiet Berkshires hiking option. Paths span and connect throughout the property, though a looped main trail allows a quick and easy walk through its woods. Along the way, visitors may encounter white-tailed deer, turkeys, and likely various bird species. Those visiting at dawn or dusk can expect to hear a symphony of peepers living in and croaking from an adjacent wetland. But of course, The Pines earns its name from its abundance of pine trees, which color portions of the trail orange with their littering of the eventually discolored needles.

The Pines is on a 40-acre property formerly owned by Crane and Company to protect the water they used to manufacture United States currency. Presently a highlight of outdoor recreation for the Town of Dalton, the forested trails and their improvement was the first project the town's 2020-founded Open Space and Recreation Committee decided upon and conducted. The forest now has a designated 10-year management plan alongside increased funding.

Street parking for The Pines is available on High Street.