Pittsfield State Forest Mountain Biking Trails

Pittsfield State Forest is a great place to ride mountain bikes. For those who don't know the state forest, it's roughly 8 x 2 miles (10,000 acres) along the Taconic Ridge, sandwiched between downtown Pittsfield and the NY state line. A DCR trail map is available at the state forest, and the following description uses trail names from that map. The best map for "the big picture" is the Rubel Bike Map for Western Massachusetts (bikemaps.com). To get to the state forest, go west on West Street from downtown Pittsfield and follow state forest signs (via Churchill and Cascade Streets)

If you like to camp, consider camping in the state forest from May to October. I prefer the sites on top of the ridge near Berry Pond. The downside to the top of the ridge is that there's only a composting toilet and no running water. The good news is that the relative isolation is wonderful; take your shower and get drinking water in the camping area at the bottom of the ridge.

The most interesting rides in Pittsfield State Forest are north and south from the top of the ridge near Berry Pond, starting out in either direction on Taconic Skyline Trail (the parallel Taconic Crest Trail is hiking only). Other than the camping, the biggest advantage of starting from Berry Pond is that the Taconic Skyline Trail, which has a rough surface because of motorized vehicle use, is slightly downhill in both north and south directions from Berry Pond and is thus easier to ride.

Over the last few years Berkshire NEMBA, working with DCR staff, have put in a highly enjoyable network of trails in the eastern section of the forest. A very detailed map of these trails is available as a handout at the guard shack at the forest's entrance.