Bowker's
Woods is divided into two
sections. The lower trail, located
about a mile outside downtown
Stockbridge on Glendale Middle
Road, is a mile plus loop that
offers pleasant views and a cool
calming atmosphere.
The trailhead dissects two ancient
stonewalls that run parallel to
the road. From there a well-worn
path carries the hiker through
upland hardwood forest dappled
with small wetlands then meets a
fork. Take the left and gradually
descend a hillside. At the bottom
is the Berkshire Railroad Train
Tracks and after crossing you'll
find yourself in an old forest.
The trail meanders further and
after some time runs into the
remnants of an old trolley track.
If desired, there's a short trail
that leads to a scenic view of the
Housatonic river. Follow that
less-than-well maintained path to
a large stone structure extending
into the river and from there
you'll receive views of Glendale
and some wetlands that Canadian
Geese, Blue Heron, and Wood Duck
tend to frequent. It's a great
spot for birding. Back on the main
trail, towering hardwoods and
pines sway overhead, creaking in
the cold months and cooling the
air during humid summer days.
Running along moss covered
boulders and old stone walls, the
path starts to rise dramatically
exposing much of the Housatonic
River and revealing the many
wonders of a riparian ecosystem.
Eventually the trail crosses the
railroad again, climbs a steep
hillside, and reconnects to the
first bit. The upper portion,
which is only a short drive away,
begins near a small pond opposite
the entrance to The Norman
Rockwell Museum. The forest has a
similar feel, calming and
peaceful, and it more than many
other woods does well to muffle
noise pollution. It's easy to lose
oneself on this wood of valuable
wildlife territory. The wetlands
make for especially fitting
habitat, and if you look for
animal signs you'll likely see
deer tracks, leftovers from a
squirrel's meal, owl pellets, or
even deep gashes in a lonely white
birch, characteristic of bear.
Walking the entirety of Bowker's
Wood won't take long. With a
combined length of a little over 2
miles it's certainly worth the
time and effort. The trails are
both scenic and serene, perhaps
not worthy of a whole day's trip,
but considering their proximity to
attractions like The Norman
Rockwell Museum, Chesterwood, and
the Berkshire Botanical Gardens,
outdoor enthusiasts and art lovers
alike will love Bowker?s Woods.
Bowker's Wood is owned and
maintained by the oldest village
beautification society in the
United States, The Laurel Hill
Association, founded in 1853.
Click
here if you're interested in
getting a guided hike in this
region.
Directions:
From South: Take RT-7 N, turn onto
RT-102E (Main Street) in
Stockbridge, turn left onto
RT-183S, the upper trailhead is
directly across from the entrance
to the Norman Rockwell Museum, the
lower trailhead is another 0.5
miles down the road, take a left
onto Glendale Middle Rd and go
another 0.3 miles, the trailhead
is off in the woods, look for
large stone walls and depression
in the road-front vegetation.
From North: Take RT-7 S, turn onto
RT-102E (Main Street) in
Stockbridge, turn left onto
RT-183S, the upper trailhead is
directly across from the entrance
to the Norman Rockwell Museum, the
lower trailhead is another 0.5
miles down the road, take a left
onto Glendale Middle Rd and go
another 0.3 miles, the trailhead
is off in the woods, look for
large stone walls and depression
in the road-front vegetation.
If you have any trail updates to
share or have feedback/questions
please click
here to send email. |
