Beartown State Forest covers a large, wooded piece of the southern Berkshires, with trails, brooks, beaver ponds, and Benedict Pond at its centre. It is a useful outdoor escape from Stockbridge and Great Barrington, especially in autumn.
The forest is good for hiking, swimming, paddling, fishing, and quiet wildlife watching. The Appalachian Trail passes nearby, so the area also works as a short taste of the longer Berkshire walking country.