Lenox
Open meadows skimmed by bluebirds and tree swallows, with long views of October Mountain. The sunny meadow merges with a mature pine forest where the walking is pleasant when conditions are dry. Don’t be surprised if you see a bear in a tree!
This land, and all of the present-day Berkshires, are the ancestral homeland of the Mohican people, who were forcefully displaced to Wisconsin by European colonization. These lands continue to be of great significance to the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation today. To learn more visit mohican.com.
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PRINTABLE MAPS
No maintained trails: difficult
Special features: Sunny meadow, shaded forest paths
DIRECTIONS
Hallowell Meadow on East Street in Lenox has no parking. Frontage is south of 90 East Street.
GPS: 42.3447, -73.2549 (frontage on East Street)
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
A lovely meadow walk into darker woods laced with trails. Park on East Street and follow your nose, keeping an eye out for the darting grassland birds encouraged by habitat mowing and nest boxes installed by our neighbors.
While Hallowell Meadow is one of the oldest of BNRC’s properties, it’s likely one you’ve never heard of. The Hallowell family donated their farm to BNRC in 1973, stipulating that its natural and scenic character be preserved. With poor access and limited frontage, BNRC has maintained the property, generally without improvement. The neighborhood and passersby enjoy views, and you will, too!
Discernible on the aerial photo, the Reserve has three distinct habitats running in north-south bands. To the west is the meadow, a pretty hayfield that supports grassland birds and provides sweeping views. At the center is a field that is growing into shrubland. At the east is a mature forest with obvious signs of its agricultural history: open-grown pines, non-native plants, and remnants of fences.
While Hallowell has a network of footpaths, those trails are not maintained; lacking good public access, we have allocated our resources elsewhere.