A Springtime Hike
EXPLORE THE RICHLY BIODIVERSE LANDSCAPE OF BARTHOLOMEW ’ S COBBLE WITH ITS FIVE MILES OF TRAILS
Springtime is more than the Berkshire landscape greening up . It ’ s an invitation to explore the breathtaking landscape with its emerging woodland wildflowers and other reawakening plantlife . Our ancient mountains will be carpeted with a colorful display , and the trails at Bartholomew ’ s Cobble are the perfect place to enjoy this outdoor exhibition .
Drive south on US 7 from Great Barrington into Sheffield on a soft spring day in April or May . Bear right onto Route 7A and another right on Rannapo Road . You ’ ll find Weatogue Road on the right and immediately see the parking lot for Bartholomew ’ s Cobble on the left , in the village of Ashley Falls abutting Canaan , Connecticut . In no time , you ’ ll be walking on a forested trail approaching the peaceful Housatonic River .
Bartholomew ’ s Cobble is owned by the Trustees of Reservations and is a collection of bent , twisted , and uplifted rock ( limestone and marble ) from the continental collision of Europe and North America a half-billion years ago . The preserve includes two rocky knolls — cobbles — that rise from the Housatonic River .
This location is a National Natural Landmark because it contains more than 800 plant species , including North America ’ s greatest diversity of ferns and their allies , and the greatest overall biodiversity in Berkshire County . One of the largest cottonwood trees in the state — 125 in height — is located here , in a floodplain along the Housatonic River . Bartholomew ’ s Cobble is also an important migratory bird habitat , where more than 250 species of birds have been documented . An interpretive center and museum are located on the preserve . Rangers and staff lead guided canoe trips on the Housatonic River in season .
The property was originally occupied by the Mahican tribe and then settled by New England colonial revolutionary Colonel John Ashley . Ashley built a house near the cobbles — the Colonel John Ashley House — that is a historic site also managed by The Trustees .
The name “ Bartholomew ’ s Cobble ” comes from a series of Bartholomews who owned the property after Colonel Ashley . In 1838 , Wyllis Bartholomew purchased the Ashley house and 5 ¼ acres from the Ashley family . It is said he used it for farm laborer housing and owned it until his death in 1846 , when Wyllis ’ son Hiram inherited it . In 1852 , Hiram sold it to his son George , who farmed it for many years . It didn ’ t become known as Bartholomew ’ s Cobble until George owned it .
The property came into the hands of The Trustees in 1946 , and additional
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Holiday Spring 2024 2023 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // // 67