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Spring 2004
  Articles on this page: • Once rail, now trail, the Ashuwillticook provides recreation for Adams and beyond • Discover Adams Visitors Center
Once rail, now trail, the Ashuwillticook provides recreation for Adams and beyond In 1845, the Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad developed the railway running alongside Cheshire Lake. Their goal was to extend the Housatonic Railroad north to Rutland, Vermont. The railroad received much use for over 100 years by mineral traffickers, mostly limestone operations. Several companies bought and sold the railway throughout the years, the final sale going to the Boston & Maine Railroad in 1981. When the railway, due to declining numbers, was abandoned in 1990, the citizens of Berkshire County saw its potential and banded together to preserve this historic railway. Through much fundraising and state funding, the Ashuwillticook Trail welcomed its first visitors in 2001. Locals and visitors from all over now use it for bicycling and hiking. The Trail also promotes the reconnection of the community to Berkshire County's outdoor recreational offerings. The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail (442-8928) runs through Lanesborough, Cheshire and Adams parallel to Route 8. The southern end of the Trail begins at the entrance to the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough and travels 11 miles north to the center of Adams. The 10 foot wide, asphalt-topped trail gives runners, walkers, bikers, cross-country skiers and in-line skaters a gorgeous panoramic view of the Berkshires. Ashuwillticook was taken from the Native American word for "pleasant river in between the hills."
The community also has plans of extending the Trail into Williamstown and Vermont in the future. "Comfort Stations" were added at the Trail parking areas off Berkshire Mall Road and Farnums Road. Directions and access to the Trail are very simple. Take state Route 2 to Route 8 south, and look for Ashuwillticook signs along the road. There is free parking at the trailhead on Berkshire Mall Road in Lanesborough and on Farnums Road in Cheshire. In Adams, there is parking available in the Public Lot on Depot Street. Discover Adams Visitors Center
The principal tourist-promotion agency for Berkshire County will have offices in Adams during 2004 when a $3-million, state-funded Discover Adams Visitors Center opens on Hoosac Street. The project is located at the beginning of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail (see Page 4). The 7,700-square foot building will house the Berkshire Visitors Bureau and its managing agency, as well as a reception area, exhibition area and second-story offices. The exhibits will include a corner featuring the industrial history of Adams and a replica of the War Monument on top of Mount Greylock. The Discover Adams Visitors Center will serve not only Adams, but also the whole of Berkshire County and its tourist industry. It is expected to open to the public soon. Adams Selectmen Chairman George Haddad thinks the project will be a great venture for the community and one that will generate change in town. "This is a flagship about to be built, one that the community can be proud of," he said.  RETURN TO TOP |
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