Chester-Blandford State Forest — Attraction in Chester

The Berkshires boast countless places off the beaten path to shed your structured inhibitions and wing it for some homespun adventure. There are also numerous parks within their loosely agreed-upon confines. Chester-Blandford is a highlight among these.

Specifically, I speak of Sanderson Brook Falls. Though the parking lot is right off Rt. 20, you're smack dab in the middle of the Berkshires at their most undeveloped, so expect a bit of a ride to get there wherever you're coming from. Of course, it will be a ride well worth taking if exploring scenic motorways is a pastime.

But now you're under your own power once the keys are safely in your pocket. You understand that somewhere up there is a waterfall and you sense it will be a doozy, as you cross a wooden bridge with a stream running alongside. The path is nicely compacted. In fact . . . do we go back and pull the mountain bikes off the rack?

Yes you can, though toward the upper reaches of the trail, steepness and ruttedness might thwart whatever pride you harbor about not giving in to the temptation of walking the rest of the way.

But you're almost there by this time. While the path -- which is a straight-up, gradually inclining affair -- starts to veer off into the hills a little spur on which your bike will no longer be welcome carries you down to the basin of the wonderful Sanderson Falls.

Depending on the season you visit, you might see water pouring over a broad cataract or just squirming its way down the broad-shouldered drop. But either way, the setting is magnificent.

There are no trails to the top, but you can make your own "Guns of Navarrone" type assault by crossing fallen trees, briefly fording still sections of the fall's basin and then clambering up the dry sections of granite which flank the plunging waters.

Attaining the top is inadvisable. But you can get 80% of the way there. And along the way are plateaus of rock permitting opportunities to look up at the wondrous spectacle of a great Northeastern waterfall putting on a clinic about the forces of erosion and gravity.

Not a lot of areas surrounding the falls to kick back. so if you're planning a lunch or picnic around them, you're going to be out of luck. But if your bikes are still there -- and, of course, they will be, you'll have a lovely jog down the hillside...

Great hiking spot! Definitely not the most extreme, but if you take the steep trail (marked in blue/ white once you get up the hill) from the main trail where the first map is, it's not one for the super novice hiker, it's about a mile up, and it's about 1200' of elevation gain in that mile, it's steep but not horrible by any means, rocky steps all the way up, just keep an eye out for the trail markers because it can be easy to get off course, as it seems that the higher up the trails are a little less taken... but definitely a worthwhile venture up! Not the most scenic views that we came across, but not bad, and if you circle back down on the gravel road/ trail, there's a very rewarding waterfall experience down towards the bottom! Overall it was a great hike 😎👌 and definitely an excellent for active and adventurous pups that love the water and trail excitement! 🐶👍 just make sure they're in it for the long haul, as the full summit and circle back down is a little over 6 miles in total up to the top and back down to the...

The National Archives recently released millions of Civilian Conservation Corps records and by request the agency sent me my father’s entire service record from his CCC service in Chester, Mass. in 1939. I reached out to the forest staff at the Chester Blanford State Forest and the ranger I connected with happens to be obsessed with the CCC and knows every inch of the vast forest. He gave me a 3.5 hour tour of the roads, bridges, pavilions, stone water fountains, BBQ pits and other projects my dad worked on. This young man has cleared out many culverts/cut many trees by hand to help bring these projects back to life. Everything well preserved after 84 years. Amazing tour - grateful to him and this forest for the experience of a lifetime. PRESERVE OUR...