Ramada Plaza Resorts Things To Do

Berkshire

Scenic Rides:
Jiminy Peak, Hancock, with the Berkshires' only high-speed quad chairlift, brings riders to the summit weekends through mid-June, seven days a week from mid-June through Labor Day, and then weekends through October. Butternut offers scenic chairlift rides on October weekends.

Hiking:
The Appalachian Trail extends 80 miles from Clarksburg State Park to Mt. Everett State.

Mount Greylock is the highest peak in Massachusetts: Take the Appalachian Trail, climb to the top, or try any of the other less ambitious trails in the Mount Greylock State. An ecological treasure, Mount Greylock is home to more than 20 rare Massachusetts plant species. Henry David Thoreau described it as "a country as we might see in dreams, with all the delights of paradise."

Jiminy Peak has 172 acres of hiking trails, marked for degree of difficulty.

Old-timers will remember when Jug End was a ski area. It now is part of the Mt. Washington State Forest and is open year round for hiking and bird watching. Jug End Road, South Egremont.

Other hiking opportunities include: Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 472 West Mountain Road, Lenox,, 1,400 acres, seven miles of trails; Bartholomew´s Cobble, Weatogue Road, Ashley Falls,; Berkshire Mountain Llama Hikes, 322 Landers Road, Lee. Biking: The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail (ASH-oo-will-ti-cook) is an 11-mile paved trail along a former rail bed from the Pittsfield/Cheshire line to Adams. It is a perfect place for biking, jogging, in-line skating, or just a pleasant stroll.

Jiminy Peak offers lift-served mountain biking. The 50 miles of trails in the Pittsfield State Forest can be reached from the summit. Mt. Greylock State; Pittsfield State Forest, Cascade St., Pittsfield; October Mountain State Forest, Woodland Road, Lee; Beartown State Forest, Blue Hill road, Monterey; Mt.Washington State Reservation, East Street, Mt. Washington.

Fishing:
Public fishing locations include Onota & Pontoosuc Lakes, Pittsfield; Cheshire Reservoir, Cheshire; Thousand Acre Swamp, New Marlboro; Prospect Lake, Egremont; Benton Pond and East Otis Reservoir, Otis; and Richmond Pond, Richmond.

Picnics: Mt.Greylock has picnic areas with panoramic views; Wahconah Falls State Park has beautiful falls; Onota and Pontoosuc Lakes in Pittsfield have picnic areas with grills and rest areas; Natural Bridge State Park in North Adams offers picnic areas with restrooms, grills and picnic tables (per vehicle entrance fee). You can also picnic during Tanglewood concerts in Lenox (admission fee), Clark Art Institute concerts in Williamstown (free).

Climbing Wall:
Try your hand at rock climbing at Jiminy Peak´s rock climbing wall in Hancock, with automatic belay line and routes that suit a range of skill, beginners or experienced.

Boating:
Berkshire Rowing and Sculling Society, PO Box 787, Pittsfield; Wild N Wet Snow & Water and Bike Rentals, Route 7, Pontoosuc Lake, Pittsfield.

Historic Sites:
Historic sites include: Arrowhead, home of Moby Dick author Herman Melville, 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield; Chapin Library of Rare Books and Manuscripts, Williams College, Stetson Hall, Williamstown; Edith Wharton Restoration, at the Mount, 2 Plunkett Street, Lenox; Natural Bridge, Route 8, North Adams.

Family Fun Outing:
Dig for dinosaur bones or learn to use a Geiger counter at the Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Route 7, Pittsfield. Art, history, and science are presented with a large variety of hands-on activities for people of all ages.