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Berkshire Hiking offers reasonably priced, safe, healthy, fun outings designed to help you enjoy the beauty of Berkshire Mountains, Litchfield Hills, and beyond. We're focused locally in western Massachusetts and Connecticut region. Long distance views, tough hikes, easy hikes, waterfalls, river walks, forest strolls, open field treks, remote back country hiking, Appalachian Trail - this part of the country has it all. However, guides are certified to lead outings beyond the region to higher altitudes. Please scroll down to learn about what types of private outings are available.
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Private Fall Foliage Hiking Tours
This region is world famous for the changing colors on billions of trees - that's not an Austin Powers' exaggeration - that blanket the Litchfield Hills and Berkshire Mountains. Connecticut (Kent to Salisbury) and Massachusetts (Great Barrington, Pittsfield, Williamstown/North Adams) make for a great day hike destination during fall foliage season. Check the group outing schedule and if that doesn't work out for you, consider hiring a guide to take you and/or family&friends on a personalized tour of the best foliage spots the region has to offer. Litchfield Hills in CT are gentler but still offer up great views and scenery whereas Berkshire Mountains are a bit bigger and perhaps require a little more cardio to get to those wonderful views. Kent, CT is closest to New York and northern Berkshire County, MA is closest to Boston.
Tour guides are extremely friendly, mature, down to earth, with a vast knowledge of the terrain they are covering. Safety is of the utmost concern and you'll never go beyond what you're capable of nor have to worry about holding anyone up. You're the star of the show and it's all about your enjoyment!
Email Berkshire Hiking or call (203) 788-7665.
Backpacking/camping lessons
Have you wanted to venture off on the Appalachian Trail but too nervous to just do it on your own? A little shy, or unsure, to hike in and camp out in a first come/first served backwoods environment? Ever wondered how to properly pack the right amount of gear and food? Cook a meal out on the trail? Berkshire Hiking has networked with friendly, certified instructors in all things outdoors. Individuals or larger groups can be handled. All the guides are local to the trail sections they cover. They enjoy teaching to make a backpacking experience fun and enjoyable rather than a disorganized, rookie mistake "why did I do this?" mess some folks get themselves into by just hiking off onto trail without really considering lots of factors. Go solo or get a group of friends/family together and for $450 group rate, try a 2-day/2-night hike with a guide along the Appalachian Trail, up and over Connecticut's or Massachusett's highest mountain (Bear Mountain 2,300 feet and Mount Greylock 3,496 fet). You'll be trail ready and eager to venture off on your own after spending 36 hours with an experienced guide. It's fun but very instructive since seamlessly woven into your scenic trail experience will be important things such as "leave no trace", how to protect your food while you sleep from snooping black bears, water purification, first-aid techniques, along with endless tips/advice that will literally last a lifetime. 1-day/1-night outings are also available if you have some backpacking experience but need a boost of knowledge and local trail. Longer outings are also available if you would feel safer with a guide. But the Appalachian Trail through CT and MA, as well as similar terrain the world over, is very doable on your own once you've earned some wings and learned the basics - and we've found that most people with an open minded, adventurous approach to things do quite well on the 2-day/2-night outing.
Email 203.788.7665
Northeast Mountain climbing
There are hundreds of peaks in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine over 4,000 feet. A couple of the guides love to road-trip all over the Northeast so if you need a highly trained guide for "high point" adventures such as New York's Mount Marcy (5,344 feet), Maine's Mount Katadhin (5,267 feet), or New Hampshire's "worst weather in the world" Mt Washington (6,288 feet), they've led hikes in those spots dozens of times. All of them are local to this area and trained wilderness guides with extensive hiking, rock-climbing, snowshoeing, Appalachian Trail backpacking, animal tracking, and other outdoor experience. They have the type of training and certification allowing them to lead an adventure into the higher altitudes. All the guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and very responsible. You need to provide transportation (or cover their travel expenses) then pay a daily rate which starts at $250 per day. Let us know what you have in mind and we'll see if we can make it happen Email 203.788.7665
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