When it comes to fall foliage, nothing beats the spectrum of colors on display in the Berkshire hills. Leaf peepers rejoice as the forested landscape erupts into shades of copper, cornelian, cranberry, gold, and every hue in between. From late September to October, this prismatic flash in the pan transforms any regular, old weekend hike into a dream-like ramble.
For a county as old as the Berkshires, it would be impossible not to have our share of the paranormal. With well over 116,000 acres of the region conserved for public land use, it’s also no surprise that many of these spooky encounters occurred during recreational activities like hiking. At Berkshire Family Hikes we’re always looking for inroads to get more people exploring their outdoors, and maybe a jaunt with the things that haunt our local woods is precisely the adventure you’ve been searching for.
In 1972, Raynard Getty, a high school science teacher, began developing 50 acres behind the Dalton school into a conservation area. In conjunction with classroom studies, Wahconah students, alongside Getty, worked on extensive plans to create a wildlife refuge, 4 1/2 miles of nature trails, two tree farms, a large fieldstone fireplace, and a small pond. A teacher truly ahead of his time,
Getty described his vision as, “a quiet area where students can go to think and meditate.”
The John Lambert Nature Trail located on the main campus at Berkshire Community College was made by environmental students and faculty.
