About Canoe Meadows

Downy Woodpecker female on a tree at Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary (Kristin Foresto/Mass Audubon)
Downy Woodpecker (female)

Located just one mile from the center of Pittsfield, Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary brings wilderness to Berkshire County’s largest city. The sanctuary's varied habitats attract warblers, turtles, Ospreys, otters, and the occasional black bear at different times of year.

Gentle, flat trails wind through the sanctuary’s scenic woods, fields, and wetlands, and along the edge of the Housatonic River.

Acres

253

Trail Mileage

3 miles (0.3 miles universally accessible)
Details & maps >

Sanctuary Highlights

  • Weekly guided bird walks in spring and fall.
  • Spectacular scenery observed from various points on the trail.
  • Home to a Community Garden, accessible to local green thumbs who want to grow organic vegetables and flowers for a small fee.
  • Sackett Brook, the restored flowing stream and floodplain forest.
  • More than 60 acres of contiguous open field, which provides critical breeding habitat for grassland birds. 
  • Programs regularly offered through Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.

Location

Holmes Road, Pittsfield, MA
Get directions or contact us >

Hours

Trails: Open daily, 7:00 am–dusk

Admission

Free, donations appreciated