Property Description	206 acres | Established 1963
Two miles of trails, including a section of the Appalachian Trail, pass over the twin knobs of Tyringham Cobble offering spectacular views of Tyringham Valley and, at the southern end of the Valley, the marble columns of Ashintully. Wildflowers, blackberries, blueberries, and wild strawberries grow in clearings and open meadows. Hop Brook meaders along the northern edge of the reservation. Perhaps the most commonly asked question among visitors is, "What is a cobble?"  The word probably comes from the German word kobel or koble, meaning rocks.  The term usually applies to a rounded, exposed rocky hill or knoll of moderate elevation that is formed of bedrock, not glacially deposited materials. The Lee-Tyringham area is considered the largest pre-Cambrian territory in Massachusetts. Geologist Daniel Clark studied Tyringham Cobble in 1895 and found that rock strata on top of the hill were older than those at the bottom. He concluded that the cobble had broken off a nearby mountain and flipped over during a great geological cataclysm 500 million years ago. His specimens are incorporated in the stone work above the fireplace of the Tyringham Public Library and the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield. In the late 18th century, pioneer farmers cleared the forested slopes of what was then called "Cobble Hill." The population of Tyringham grew rapidly, and included Shakers who, by the 1840s, owned an extensive 2,000-acre farm holding including Tyringham Cobble where they pastured cattle and sheep. By 1885, the dwindling group of Shakers had sold out and moved to other communities at Hancock, MA and Enfield, CT where farming was more profitable.  Subsequent farmers grazed sheep in the Cobble’s pastures and hillsides, and, later, a small herd of dairy cattle for which the 1940s red barn was built.  Hereford cattle graze fenced pastures, while other fields are for hay—uses that preserve the historic agricultural character of the property. In the 1930s, Olivia Cutting James and a group of conservation-minded friends purchased seven parcels comprising Tyringham Cobble and its surrounding pastures to protect it from development (A ski run had been proposed). Calling themselves "The Cobblers," they set up an informal association as tenants in common. In her 1961 will, Mrs. James left The Trustees an endowment to maintain the Cobble, and expressed the "earnest hope" that the surviving tenants would give the property to The Trustees as a gift, which they did in 1963.
Trails
2-mile loop trail. Moderate hiking, strenuous in places.
Hunting Advisory
Seasonal hunting is permitted at this property subject to all state and town laws.  Click here for further information.
Property Acquisition History
Gift of Dr. Rustin McIntosh, Mrs. Francesca G. Palmer, and Edward N. Perkins in 1963.

E-mail:
westregion@ttor.org

When to Visit:
Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1.5 hours.

Admission Fees & Permits:
Free to all. On-site donation welcome from nonmembers.

Regulations / Advisories:

How to Get There:
From the Mass Pike (I-90), take exit 2 south/east (Route 20). After getting onto Route 20, immediately turn right onto Route 102 (towards Stockbridge) and then immediately turn left onto Tyringham Road. Follow into Tyringham and turn right onto Jerusalem Road. Entrance and parking (16 cars) are on right.

Road Map:

To main entrance

Tyringham Cobble Trail Map (PDF 857K)