Day Trip to North Adams

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November 5, 2022

Glass-half-empty people may think this day started off with a lot of effort for little reward. But Jim and I usually agree that it’s not always about the destination. Since a trip to New England is synonymous with getting back to nature, this peaceful hike in the woods was just what the doctor ordered.

At our next stop, our journey was a short one from the parking lot to the river – and the reward was breathtaking. I guess life really IS like a box of chocolates! You never really know what you’re going to get!

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit Bay State Getaway 2022.

The Cascades Trail

We parked at the YMCA as instructed and walked about 1/3 of a mile through a residential area to the trailhead. The residents must love being so close to a beautiful walk whenever their hearts desire.

With a name like “Cascades Trail“, photos on Google showing falls, and reviews on AllTrails saying the falls were beautiful – we set our sites on seeing some falls – or at least a cascade. Supposedly “blue blazes” would mark our trail, but we only saw the one just past the houses. The 2.2-mile walk (roundtrip) was pretty easy, with just enough of an incline where you felt you were getting some exercise. We walked along the babbling Notch Brook, and occasionally rays of sun jutted through the gorgeous tall trees, but not enough to heat things up as we ventured in. It really was a perfect day in the trees.

“The Cascades Trail is a short, beautiful river walk following the Notch Brook in North Adams from the end of Marion Avenue to a popular cascading waterfall. A hidden in-town gem, this trail is minutes away from downtown areas of North Adams and Williamstown and is short enough to walk on a whim for anyone looking to squeeze a nice hike into a limited amount of time…

The entire hike takes about an hour and a half and is flat enough for even the most inexperienced hikers to enjoy a taste of nature. Feel free to walk along the rocks to the base of the falls for a refreshing break from summer heat, or follow the aggressive climb along the right side of the falls to the top for spectacular views of the river below.” ~ READ MORE

Is this the Trail?

We followed what we thought was the trail, and stayed close to the river which should have been another clue. It was a fantastic walk, and it got us wondering why we don’t spend more time immersed in nature like we do when we’re on vacation. Wisconsin does have some beautiful walking trails.

Isn’t nature splendid?

Is That It?

One last photo. This was the point where we either had to climb up a large embankment which may have been the trail? or walk in the water to get around some big boulders and maybe find the trail again? So we’re not sure if the falls were further up the way, or they were waaayyy smaller than the flowing pics on the internet. Either way we decided that was enough. It was all about the journey on this one, and that was OK with us.

Break Time!

With our google of “Pubs near me”, the Freight Yard Pub & Restaurant came up for some lunch before heading to our next stop. This place claims “The Best Burgers in the Berkshires” and although we did not have burgers, our food was delicious! And no, those were NOT a Bud Light and a PBR. They did not have glasses for my Lagunitas and Jim’s “The Adults are Talking”. I tasted his and it was better than mine, but he wouldn’t switch dammit.

Natural Bridge State Park

Our perfect day continues with a stop at Natural Bridge State Park. The views as we walked to the Visitor Center were only a hint at the beauty that was to come! The reflections off of the waters of Mill Pond were very impressive as it heads to the dam just beyond the big orange tree in the third photo. Next time we come here, we are definitely packing a lunch with views like that (and an open picnic table)!

Natural White Marble Cliffs

OMG! The beautiful white marble cliffs and great mountain views – with just a hint of Autumn coming on the trees. I wish we could have come back again at the end of this trip when the colors were closer to peak.

In the early 1800s, the value of marble was realized and by 1947 two-hundred tons of stone were being quarried each day. About that time a fire destroyed all of the buildings and the business was sold to Edward Elder who managed the area as a tourist attraction until his death in 1984.

The following year, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management purchased the site from his widow. Can you imagine what a shame it would have been if the quarrying had continued? We would surely not be standing here today in awe of the beauty of this earth.

550 million year-old Bedrock Marble

“Natural Bridge State Park is home to the only natural white marble arch in North America. According to geologists, the park’s namesake natural bridge, made of 550 million year-old bedrock marble, was carved into its iconic arch by the forces of glacial melt water over 13,000 years ago. Today, the bridge spans the bubbling Hudson Brook as it twists and tumbles through a steep 60-foot gorge – one of the best demonstrations of glacial erosion in New England.

Inside the park, visitors can also tour an abandoned marble quarry and check out a man-made white marble dam – also the only one in North America.” ~ READ MORE

Namesake Natural Bridge and Arch

At the time we weren’t really sure what we were looking at in this area since it was closed for repairs. Unlike the rest of the area, it was dark, in the shadows, fenced off and in some cases crumbling. “Areas of the namesake natural bridge and the arch that was carved from the forces of the glacial melt water” (from the quote just above) were finally seen as the fenced-in stairway descends (last photo), but we couldn’t get any closer.