West
Take in the wonders of nature at our 15 sanctuaries in the Berkshires and Connecticut River Valley area.
Nature Centers & Trails
Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton & Northampton
Diverse terrain (forest, meadows, grasslands, marsh, and wetlands) attracts an extraordinary variety of wildlife and is home to a thriving population of wildflowers. Explore Arcadia
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox
Set amidst more than 1,000 acres in the Berkshires, the sanctuary's trails through forests, meadows, wetlands, and along Lenox Mountain make for excellent easy-to-strenuous hiking. Explore Pleasant Valley
Trails Only
Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Pittsfield
Located just one mile from the center of Pittsfield, Canoe Meadows brings wilderness to Berkshire County’s largest city, attracting warblers, turtles, ospreys, otters, and the occasional bear. Explore Canoe Meadows
Conway Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Conway
A single loop trail with a moderate ascent takes you through a previously harvested white pine and hemlock forest, past aging stone walls, by a large sugar maple "wolf" tree, and over some rocky ledges. Explore Conway Hills
Graves Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Williamsburg & Whately
This former dairy farm is complete with dramatic geologic features, pristine cold-water streams, serene pastoral landscapes, and a rich forest canopy that supports birds such as wood thrushes and saw-whet owls. Explore Graves Farm
High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary, Shelburne
Enjoy spectacular views of the Deerfield River Valley and Mount Greylock from the ledges at the end of the sanctuary road. Spring is the best time to see many wildflowers. Explore High Ledges
Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Hampden
Watch for kingfishers, orioles, signs of beavers, and water striders on the pond's surface at Laughing Brook, the former home of children's author Thornton Burgess. Explore Laughing Brook
Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Sheffield
The rolling hay fields, limestone ridge, conifer forest, and former pastures of Lime Kiln Farm attract more than 50 species of butterflies as well as pileated woodpeckers, alder flycatchers, and red foxes. Explore Lime Kiln
Lynes Woods Wildlife Sanctuary, Westhampton
Take a easy loop walk along a quiet woodland path to crystal clear Lyman Brook and listen to the water rushing over rocks at this former working farm and orchard. Explore Lynes Woods
Old Baldy Wildlife Sanctuary, Otis
A short (but steep) trail to the summit provides hikers with a spectacular 360° vista of the surrounding sugar maple, white ash, and basswood forests. Explore Old Baldy
Poor Farm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, New Salem
Part of a large mosaic of conservation land, the expansive area provides forest habitat for warblers, ground nesting birds, and large mammals including bobcat, black bear, and moose. Explore Poor Farm Hill
Richardson Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Tolland
A challenging trail meanders by large trees, boulders, and an old stone structure before ending at the sanctuary's namesake brook along the southern boundary. Explore Richardson Brook
Road's End Wildlife Sanctuary, Worthington
Once a farmstead, a white pine forest now stands in the old field, and the two gentle trails loop by forests and a brook to transport you to “the middle of nowhere.” Explore Road's End
West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Plainfield
The sanctuary provides habitat for moose, black bears, otters, and bobcats as well as for a number of state-listed rare plants and threatened ground nesting birds. Explore West Mountain
No Trails
Tracy Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Richmond
Named for a stream that has been impacted by industrious beavers for more than 50 years, Tracy Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Richmond is wetland surrounded by woodlands. Explore Tracy Brook
Not Ready for Visitors
Brush Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Warwick
209 acres
This wildlife sanctuary lies in a hidden valley located in the secluded western Massachusetts town of Warwick.
Conservation Features: The lovely Gales Brook, strung with beaver ponds and an old mill pond, forms the heart of this forested wildlife sanctuary in Warwick. West of the brook, steep slopes with rocky outcroppings host a variety of forest types, while the gentler eastern slope joins with the Warwick State Forest. Along the banks of the brook an abundance of cardinal flower provides a striking contrast to the greens, browns, and greys of the surrounding landscape.
Cold Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Sandisfield & Otis
770 acres
Cold Brook is located in the Lower Berkshire Hills ecoregion, and within an area of conserved land of approximately 2,000 acres or more, including the Granville, Tolland, Otis, Sandisfield, and Cookson State Forests.
Conservation Features: The great majority of the wildlife sanctuary is upland forest, spanning Miner Brook, a tributary to the West Branch of the Farmington River. Eastern hemlock is the dominant or co-dominant canopy tree, with eastern white pine and a variety of typical northern hardwood forest species covering approximately one-quarter of the sanctuary. Moose, black bear, beavers, and mink can all be found on this land.
West Branch Wildlife Sanctuary, Heath
50 acres
Located off Hosmer Road in Heath, this wildlife sanctuary is landlocked and not accessible from a public way. It's bounded on the north by the West Branch of the North River.
Conservation Features: West Branch includes high-quality rich mesic forest community, which is among the best occurrences of this type of natural community within Mass Audubon’s wildlife sanctuary network. West Branch also includes a rugged, steep slope, carved by landslides, that rises above the southern bank of the river, an exemplary cold water stream.
Whetstone Wood Wildlife Sanctuary, Wendell, Orange, & New Salem
~2,580 acres
Mass Audubon's largest sanctuary sits at the junction of Wendell, Orange, and New Salem in North Central Massachusetts.
Conservation Features: Much of Whetstone Wood Wildlife Sanctuary is typical of forests in Massachusetts that grew following farm abandonment: a mixed forest type that provides habitat for a variety of species, including birds, amphibians, and mammals. Surrounded by significant public and private conservation lands, the sanctuary is a central link in the conserved land network that includes the Quabbin Reservoir and the Wendell State Forest. It provides an important corridor for wildlife to travel safely through this region. This landscape function is one reason that the sanctuary is managed strictly for the protection of wildlife.