Bicycling in the Berkshires is getting better for visitors and locals because of the development by the MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation of the The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, which is overseen locally by the Berkshire Bike Path Council. Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) and the Berkshire Bike path Council (BBPC) help the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) gather information regarding the popularity of multi-use trails state wide. The data we collect is used to advocate for greater trail development.

The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is a former railroad corridor converted into a 10-foot wide paved, universally accessible, passive recreation path. The Ashuwillticook runs parallel to Route 8 through the towns of Cheshire, Lanesborough, and Adams. The southern end of the rail trail begins at the entrance to the Berkshire Mall off MA Rte. 8 in Lanesborough and travels 11.2 miles north to the center of Adams. Parking lots and restrooms are available at selected locations along the way.

“If one were to imagine a hub of bike trails circumnavigating Mount Greylock, with spokes to all corners of the county, the Berkshires would become the best bike region east of the Mississippi and one of the top five in North America. The draw of that would be immense: something like Tanglewood, the Clark, and Jiminy Peak all rolled into one.”

– Joseph Thompson, Director, MASS MoCA
The rail trail passes through the Hoosic River Valley, between the Mount Greylock and the Hoosac Mountain Ranges. Cheshire Reservoir, the Hoosic River, and associated wetlands flank much of the trail offering outstanding views of the scenery and abundant wildlife. The name Ashuwillticook (ash-oo-will-ti-cook) derives from the Native American word for the south branch of the Hoosic River and literally means “at the in-between pleasant river,” or in common tongue, “the pleasant river in between the hills.” The name was adopted for the trail as a way to reconnect people to local history and the natural environment.