Natural Bridge State Park (Blog Hike #156)

Trail: (unnamed)

Hike Location: Natural Bridge State Park

Geographic Location: north side of North Adams, MA (42.70848, -73.09153)

Length: 0.5 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: August 2004

Overview: A short, easy trail to an impressive, though somewhat obscure, natural bridge.

Park Information: https://www.mass.gov/locations/natural-bridge-state-park

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=130730
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From North Adams, go east on the combined SR 2 and SR 8.  Where these two routes divide, turn left to go north on SR 8.  The state park entrance is 0.5 miles north on SR 8.  Turn left to enter the park, then immediately bear right on the main park road.  Follow this park road to where it ends at a single parking lot beside the visitor’s center.  Park in this lot.  You will need to pay a nominal fee for a parking pass.

The hike: Tucked in the Berkshire Hills in the very northwest corner of Massachusetts, the state of Massachusetts today operates Natural Bridge State Park as a day-use park, but this was not always so.  The first European to describe the bridge was Seth Hudson, a hunter from Fort Massachusetts, who visited the area in the 1700’s.  The area gained interest in the 1800’s, but not for the bridge.  The marble that comprises the bridge and surrounding rock could easily be quarried, and in 1837, commercial quarrying of the rock began.  In fact, most of the tombstones in the surrounding area consist of Natural Bridge marble.  This quarrying continued until 1947, when fire destroyed the buildings and the site was abandoned.  From this point, the site was managed by Edward Elder as a tourist attraction.  Upon his death in 1984, title of the property was transferred to the state to create the park you see today.

At only 48 acres, this park does not offer the plethora of hiking opportunities of some other parks in Massachusetts or the Green Mountain National Forest in nearby Vermont.  What this park does have to offer is a short, easy walk to the only natural bridge made of marble in North America.  Also, the park regularly schedules talks and interpretive programs on a wide variety of subjects, usually occurring on the weekends; phone ahead for details.

Begin at a gravel trail leaving the far side of the parking lot where a sign directs “to Natural Bridge.”  The trail descends slightly, passing a couple of picnic tables, to pass just below a small pond created by a man-made marble dam.  You will likely see turtles and frogs in the pond, and even though it is man-made, the water spilling over the white marble dam still makes a nice sight.

Water spilling over marble dam

            Past the dam, the trail arrives atop the bridge and offers several options, each of which should be explored to fully appreciate the area.  To the far left is an overlook with a sign describing the bridge.  Just to the right of the overlook is a set of 52 steps that take you to the base of the cliffs that surround the bridge.  You should descend these steps because two items of interest lie at the bottom.  First, a grassy area allows you to step into the midst of the marble walls that form a horseshoe just north of the bridge.  Make a little noise here to explore the acoustic effects.  Also, the area surrounding the walkway is maintained as a prairie habitat, so take note of the plants and wildlife found here that you will not see in the surrounding forest.  Second, Hudson Brook, named for Seth Hudson mentioned above, can be seen flowing out from under the bridge, having completed its cascade from the pond you passed earlier.  There is only one way down, so you will have to climb the steps back up to the top of the bridge when you are finished exploring the areas under the cliffs.

Hudson Brook flowing under trail bridge

Marble cliff

            To the right of the steps lies a walkway that takes you around to the opposite side of the bridge for possibly the best view of the bridge itself.  The bridge is dark grey in color, 20 feet high, 10 feet thick, and 10 feet wide.  From this vantage point, you can also see Hudson Brook tumbling over a waterfall as it passes under the bridge.

Marble Natural Bridge

            The last item of interest, on the far right, is a walkway that runs atop an old water pipe that used to supply water to the city of North Adams.  No longer used, this pipe is falling into disrepair, but you can still see the human history at this site as well as the geologic history. 

When you have finished exploring the bridge, retrace your steps to the parking lot.  Before returning to your car, walk to the right and view some interesting sculptures that comprise the Guardian Project.  This project, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, features the work of some young artists from the region.  Walking through this grassy area is like walking through a miniature sculpture park, so enjoy an extra stroll before returning to your car and completing the hike.