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Heritage Experiences

You can visit the Berkshire and Northwest Connecticut region, or you can fully experience it!

The Upper Housatonic National Heritage organization – Housatonic Heritage – has curated a number of interest-based experiences for visitors, residents, scholars, historians, outdoor enthusiasts, literature lovers and museum-goers of all kinds.

The Heritage Experience

Interested in Native American history in our region? Or the legacy of Black Americans who impacted our communities and country? How about a curated tour of historic homes, or a tour of the places where great writers created treasured novels?

If outdoor activity is your passion, we can direct you to cycling experiences of all kinds, paddling and swimming places, hiking trails flat or steep, with breathtaking mountain views or lush wooded trails.

Explore our various “experiences” to indulge your particular interests and passions. You will be surprised at what you find and learn!

African American Heritage Trail

A diverse group of local scholars, historians, educators and community leaders to identify, preserve and share Housatonic Valley’s rich African American heritage.

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Arts Heritage Trail

Music and theater in the Berkshires and Northwest Connecticut are historically vibrant cogs in the wheel of the Upper Housatonic Valley.

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Bike Routes

Exploring the Upper Housatonic region by bike is an exhilarating experience.

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Historic Homes and Gardens

Visit a historic home in the Berkshires or Litchfield Hills, and you step back in time to eras of great architectural beauty and craftsmanship.

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Du Bois National Historical Site Program

Engage in W.E.B. Du Bois’s life, global significance, and relevance to important issues of our time.

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Housatonic Heritage Walks

FREE, guided interpretive walks to the most interesting historic, cultural, industrial, natural and scenic sites in Berkshire County, MA, & Litchfield County, CT.  Join us each autumn season for these unique experiences.

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Paddling and Swimming

Public access lakes, waterfalls and and kid-friendly secret streams can be found everywhere.  Enjoy the pristine waters of the Upper Housatonic Valley.

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Iron Heritage Trail

Explore the rich history of iron production in the Tri-State section of Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York including Litchfield, Berkshire, Dutchess and Columbia counties.

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Hiking Trails – CT & MA

From easy and family-friendly – to challenging and super-rewarding – this region of Connecticut and Massachusetts offers dozens of hiking trails for all abilities.

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Great Writers Trail

The cultural life of the Upper Housatonic Valley has produced a tradition that has attracted writers, artists, musicians, and actors decade after decade.

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Native American Heritage Trail

Created in partnership with the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians to explore the history and culture of Indigenous People of the region. Explore the Housatonic River Valley while viewing it through a Native American prism.

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The Paper Trail

By 1850, most towns had small factories along the upper Housatonic’s banks, using the river as both a source of water for their manufacturing or milling processes and a dumping ground for their waste products.

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