A spotting scope is helpful for finding shorebirds at the marsh. From July-October prepare yourself for lots of mosquitos. The trails here tend to be well saturated, come prepared with waterproof shoes or better yet a sturdy pair of waterproof boots.

Within Berkshire County, the Washington Mountain Marsh is essentially one of the only hotspots that reliably has consistent numbers of shorebirds.

Parking and access to this hotspot is from the end of a dirt road just before the Washington Mountain Lake Dam. From the parking location, prepare to hike/bushwack a quarter of a mile northeast until you reach a boardwalk (see point 8 on interpretive map) that will provide you with a view of the marsh. If you continue further northeast beyond the boardwalk, there is another vista that also provides good vieiwing conditions of the marsh (see point 9 on interpretive map). 

At 16,500 acres, October Mountain is the largest state forest in Massachusetts. You’ll find trails for any level of hiking experience, and you can also visit nearby Tanglewood, a popular music venue and home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The AllTrails website and the Western Mass Hilltown Hikers website have descriptions and maps of hikes at Washington Mountain.