4. Insider’s Tip
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Bash Bish Falls is a sight worth leaving Columbia County to visit.
(Photo: Flickr/Pablosanchez) |
Columbia County has no shortage of trail-laden state parks, but take a detour across the Massachusetts state line for a memorable hiking experience that’s off the beaten path. Located in the southwest corner of the Berkshires, a 40-minute drive from Chatham, Bash Bish Falls sits in a lush state park that’s lined with hemlock and red spruce trees. The 60-foot waterfall is the highest of its kind in the state, and it outshines the area’s other scenic vistas. The trail is easy to tackle, but ambitious hikers have the alternative of taking the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, which extends for five miles through Columbia County, and then taking a one-mile detour to reach the waterfall.