Grove Street Park
Great Barrington, MA
Tennis/Pickleball | Playground | Basketball
Thomas & Palmer Brook State Road/Route 23, Great Barrington, MA
Managed by
Berkshire Natural Resources Council
Part of
Thomas And Palmer Brook Reserve
Allowed Uses & Features
Information
- Dogs allowed - Leashed
- Family Friendly
- Free
- Parking
- Scenic View
Meadow Loop trail.
Benches sit alongside the trail, overlooking the Berkshire Mountains and wetlands.
Whale Rock trail.
Woodland Trail.
Entrance to the Thomas & Palmer Brook Reserve from Route 183.
- Public Land
- Private Land
- Bus Route
- Trail
- Major Trail
About Thomas & Palmer Brook
The Thomas & Palmer Brook Reserve, located on Route 23, offers visitors multiple ways to explore the outdoors. The most popular feature of the reserve is a flat, half-mile loop along the accessible Meadow Loop that provides views of Monument Mountain to the north and smaller hills of Western Massachusetts in other directions. This walking trail runs over the Thomas & Palmer Brook and encircles a wetland that nurtures local wildlife and bird species. Birding and wildlife viewing are popular activities here, and doing so is made easy by the several benches and open viewing areas found throughout the site. The site is surrounded by large sugar maple trees, providing excellent foliage in the fall.
The reserve also offers a moderate hiking experience through the forest on the Woodland Trail. This trail can be accessed from the east side of the Meadow Loop, and gradually increases in slope before reaching the Whale Rock trail, which offers a quarter-mile ascent to exposed bedrock atop the Threemile Hill ridge. The trip to Whale Rock is one mile long from the parking lot with roughly 450 feet of elevation gain. Hikers are asked to remain on the trail due to the sensitivity of the surrounding ecosystem.
Berkshire Natural Resources Council
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Accessibility Assessment
Features- Accessible Parking
- Adaptive Device Trail
- Sensory Guide Features
Parking for the Thomas & Palmer Brook Preserve is in a flat, compact dirt lot. This area provides room for at least 10 cars to park. There are 2 accessible parking spaces at the top of the lot closest to the trailhead, with one of the spaces being van accessible. There is a wooden bridge required to access all the trails in the preserve, which contains a brief maximum grade of 9%. The .5-mile Meadow trail loop is comprised of crushed stone and features gentle slopes under 5%. There is a short section at the back of the loop which contains slopes approaching 10%. The other two trails, the whale rock and woodlands trail, are dirt trails. These trails contain sustained grades of 10-15% and a maximum grade of 20%. Both trails contain some sections of roots and rocks.
A sloped section on the crushed gravel Meadow Trail.
The Woodland trail, which features moderate slopes and is comprised of dirt.
Flat, dirt parking area for Thomas & Palmer Brook.
Two accessible parking spaces in the parking area at the Thomas & Palmer Brook Preserve.
Meadow Loop Trail.
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.
