The 0.9-mile-long loop trail through Housatonic Flats’ 26 acres gets you up close and personal with more than a half-mile of Housatonic riverbank. The floodplain is now reverting to the forest that prevailed before settlers cleared it for pasture. Attractions include abundant birdlife, fish, otter, beaver and deer.
Located close to the center of Great Barrington, the Housatonic Flats reserve is a rich resource for hikers, hunters, dog-walkers, bird-watchers and anglers. More than half of the trail tracks very close to the river, letting visitors see how the stream is undercutting the opposite bank, changing its channel.
Trees—especially silver maples …