Home > Massachusetts > Beartown State Forest

Beartown State Forest

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Trail Map

Other Names

Benedict Pond Road, Wildcat Trail, Beebe Trail, Sky Peak Trail, Airplane Trail, Turkey Trail, Lookout Trail, Lake Benedict, Mount Wilcox

Last Known Status

Open

This state forest offers 16.4 miles of challenging ATV trails that consists mostly of loose and chunk rock, mud puddles, tree roots and steep uphill and downhill sections. The staging area is large and trail maps can be found at the kiosk.

Swimming, boating and camping can be found at nearby Lake Benedict but note that there is no direct trail access from there so machines must be hauled to and from the staging area. The campground is open year-round but reservations are required May through October which can be done online.

A small parking fee is charged from May through Labor Day during weekends. There is no self pay kiosk at the staging area but a ranger should be available to take the parking fee (cash only). If there is no attendant then you must pay the fee at the ranger station which is just a few miles away off Blue Hill Road.

A variety of wildlife can be found which ranges from black bears to deer and bobcats. During the winter months the trails are open to snowmobiles.

Trail Map... Nearby ATV Trails...

REGULATIONS

Permit Required	Yes	Massachusetts Registration Sticker
Dates Open	May through last Sunday in November
Other ATV Stickers Accepted	No	ATVs and motorcycles must be registered in Massachusetts, no reciprocity with other states.
Spark Arrestor	Yes	A spark arresting exhaust silencer or end cap is required for all vehicles.
Noise Limit	Yes (96 dB)
Whip Flags	Not Required
Maximum Vehicle Width	Yes (50 inches)	has entrance gate or posts vehicles under 900lbs dry weight and 50 inches wide permitted
Motorcycles & Dirt Bikes	Permitted
ATVs	Permitted	(maximum width 50 inches)
UTV & SXS	Permitted	(maximum width 50 inches)
SUVs & Jeeps (registered)	Prohibited
Dune Buggy & Sand Rail 4x4 (unregistered)	Prohibited
2 Stroke Engines	No Restriction
MX Helmet Required	Yes	required by state law
Camping	Some Areas	(camp in developed sites only) camping permitted at Lake Benedict, no direct trail access
Campfires	Some Areas	(permitted in developed campsites only)
Night Riding	No	riding hours dawn to dusk
Trail Blazing	Prohibited	stay on trails
Alcohol	Prohibited
Rule Enforcement	Some	Dedicated Rangers/Officers

TERRAIN

Approx Size	12,000 acres (19 sq mi)
Miles Of Trail	16
Climate Type	Forest
Elevation	1650 to 2000 ft.
Trail Maintenance	Marked, Not Rated, Lightly Maintained
Loose Dirt	Little
Hard Pack	Some
Sand	None
Mud	Some
Dust	None
Rocks	Mostly
Trees	All
Steep Hills	Some
Water Crossings	Few
Small Jumps	None
Large Jumps	None
Berms	None
Sand/Gravel Pits	None
Single Track	None
Roads	Few
Intersections	Some
Rider Traffic	Few
Shade	Some
Ranges/Gunfire	Some	area open during hunting season
Hazards	Few	(hazards not marked)
Novice	Little
Amateur	Mostly
Expert	Some

TYPE OF AREA

Area	Motorized Trails

Land	State Forest

GPS POINTS

KEY SERVICES

Gasoline	5-20 Miles (SW)	Great Barrington Texaco (413) 528-9773
Diesel	5-20 Miles (SW)	Great Barrington
Water	5-20 Miles (SW)	Great Barrington
RV Hookup	30+ Miles (SE)	Sodom Mountain Campground (413) 569-3930
RV Disposal	5-20 Miles (SE)	Camp Overflow (413) 269-4036
Campground	1-5 Miles (S)	Beartown State Forest Campground (413) 528-0904
Conv Store	5-20 Miles (SW)	Lipton Mart Stores (413) 528-9898

FEES & PASSES

Parking	Certain Times ($30.00) Fee charged Memorial Day through Labor Day. Massachusetts Residents - $8/vehicle; Non-Residents - $30/vehicle. Residency determined by vehicle license plate.
Entry	(None)
Riding	(None)
Camping	Yes Tent: $14.00 RV: $14.00 Addtl. Vehicle: $0.00 Beartown State Forest Campground Fee - $14/night/residents; $40/night/non-residents. Residency determined by vehicle license plate.
Comment	Benedict Pond Campground is open year-round, reservations required May through Labor Day.

RATINGS

Pros	beautiful scenery, nice long loops
Cons	very rocky, no single track, no direct trail access from campground
Our Rating	Good
Recommended Stay	Full Day
Comments	(Scroll Down For Rider Reviews & Comments)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Nearest City

Monterey, MA

Address

Benedict Pond Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230

Trail Map

From: Westfield, MA
1) Take I-90 West to Exit 10
2) Continue about .5 miles, veer left at fork near end of off ramp
3) Turn left (south) onto Housatonic Street, continue .3 miles
4) Veer right onto Pleasant Street/SR-102, continue 2.6 miles
5) Turn left (south) onto Meadow Street, cross the river then immediately veer right onto Pine Street, continue .4 miles
6) Turn left onto Beartown Mountain Road, continue 3.2 miles (Beartown Mountain Road will fork at 2.2 miles, stay to the right)
7) Staging area is on the right (west).

OFFICIAL CONTACTS

Contact Info

Beartown State Forest
69 Blue Hill Road
Monterey, MA 01245
(413) 528-0904
beartown.forest@state.ma.us
www.mass.gov

Contact Info	Massachusetts Environmental Police 251 Causeway Street, Suite 101 Boston, MA 02114 (617) 626-1610 www.mass.gov
Comment	ATV/Motorcycle Registration Info

Contact Info	Reserve America (877) 422-6762 (877) 620-2267 www.reserveamerica.com
Comment	campground reservations

Contact Info	Patriots All Terrain Club P.O. Box 2967 Pittsfield, MA 01201 patriotsatv@yahoo.com www.patriotsatv.org
Comment	Offroad club that does trail maintenance and group rides in Massachusetts and surrounding states.