The Tyringham Cobble trail is located right pass the center of the village of Tyringham, Massachusetts. Take a short stop here and wander around the little town for a taste of the tranquility of the Berkshires before heading on your adventure.
This very well marked and maintained trail is a short moderate trek of about 2 miles with 300 feet in elevation gain, strenuous at some spots but nothing too bad. Part of it coincides with the Appalachian Trail (about a mile) where you can take a detour if looking for a longer hike. The trail itself should not take more than an hour and a half and is perfect for children and dogs and great for birdwatchers and butterflies chasers offering maximum views with minimal effort.
If you come here at the right time you might find yourself passing by herds of cows which makes for a lovely and educational encounter for the little ones. Pause for a second and watch them as they graze the green grass and answer all the funny questions that your little ones might come up while witnessing the rural scene.
The trail starts at the welcoming sign right after the small parking area at the entrance of the trail. Follow the cleared path through the pastures between the wild flowers and tall grass. If you are with really small children and think that the whole trail might be a little too much for them, just do this first part of the hike before the more strenuous section.
If you choose to do this, take right after the sign, follow the path which would take you through more wild flower fields towards the river, over a short bridge and to a grassy area where you can take a rest and let the littles burn off their energy before heading back to the your car.
And if you are here for the full hike take left after the sign. You will pass by the barn and head on to the wooded part of the trail. Here you’ll find shade and singing birds as well as one of the geological attractions on this rail – The Rabbit. Stop for a second and read the sign which tells you more about it and how big it actually is. Sit on the rocks and enjoy the stunning views of the Berkshires Hills and the village of Tyringham before you. If you are an experienced hiker and looking for a good exercise and getting your heart rate going do the hike the opposite way. Turn right after the entrance and instead of coming down at the steepest part of the trail you would be climbing up. This way you’ll reach the summit with a little more effort but would get a nice workout.
There are so many great spots to lay a blanket and have a snack or enjoy a picnic. We encountered few bugs and the shade along with the sounds of the chanting birds make for a marvelous experience. Let the kids walk between the trees looking for mushrooms and collecting sticks and pine cones for a craft once back home for the perfect ending of a day in the Berkshires. Or if you are here with older kids have them name all different trees, plants and flowers along the way. Great way to keep them entertained, talking and off devices!
The trail is open daily and best to visit between the months of March and November. It would be the best place for leaf peeping once the colors start to change with the contrast of the white village buildings seen in the distance. It would be sure to create a stunning Berkshire postcard scene and the perfect picture to post on your feed.
In the summer CHP, Great Barrington offers a wonderful free children event at Tyringham Cobble where kids can come and stay and play here with piers their age between the hours of 10am -11am, learn new songs and make new friends. You can find a list of all of their events here.
Below you can find the location of the trail: