Mass Audubon's Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Hancock

Great trails and views. Interesting beaver dam areas to check out with kids.

Its a cool place to walk around and relax.

This is just a great MA Audubon Preserve. Lots of trails. Beaver Dams. An active (so they say, I never saw wildlifeBeaver Lodge along Beaver Lodge Trail - another was in the pond. I saw at least TWO well-established Beaver dams. Lots of gnawed trees.We took only the easy trails but the higher ones could be “strenuous”. We’re non-member seniors so the price was only $3 each. Adults were $5. There’s even a short, easy trail for “EVERYONE”.There’s been a drought so there was lots of mud and only a little water where the trails we’re.Some trails were more detoured than closed because of storms in early September. The bathrooms seemed new and very nice. Under A/C, with a water fountain, both non-gender and specific gender. I used a stall in the Men’s room and it seemed “new” w privacy doors from floor to ceiling and no open walls.I saw some birds and a chipmunk. Enjoy!!

Well-marked trails among woods and beaver ponds. Pleasant displays explain the habitat. Bring binoculars and your favorite bird song ID app.

Nice area for a walk or birding. Wasnt expecting the $5 entrance fee, but it goes to a good organization.

Went canoeing with my son with Audubon guides. It was very nice, not to fast passes and great for novice canoe riders.

Beautiful trails. Well maintained and offering a variety of skill levels.

Lovely, well-maintained with diverse flora. There are flat trails and loops or continue further into the Audubon and gain elevation to a gorgeous vista. The view at the top overlooks westward. Relatively quiet experience when I went late in the afternoon on a week day. I would assume it gets busier on weekends as well as in summers when there are events and programming. This is a space that is friendly to all ages and activity levels.

Excellent trail marking. Well maintained facility.

Beautiful and amazing area. They have trails that range from simple to more complex. Every which way you go reveals breathtaking nature views.

Beavers, Beavers and even more beavers. We were in town for a weekend retreat. It rained all weekend and this was a welcome activity. Bring your boots because the trail can get muddy. A lot of trees felled by beavers building dams. Highly recommend while in Lenox.

Who doesnt love a trail along a rushing river, a pond, and pine forest all within a mile (blue to yellow trails)? Plenty more trails to explore. Wear waterproof footwear.

Easy and scenic trail, but parts were quite muddy after a few days of rain.We saw no birds during our late-October visit. At least the whale-watch cruises out of Boston give you a free make-up cruise if you dont see any whales.

Super pretty, and its a pretty lengthy hike if you go the full distance. Trees were unfortunately down, and I didnt have time to go the full hike but it was awesome nonetheless.

Paid $20 to go for a hike her. Nearly half of all the trails are closed. The other half were inundated with mud. If they are going to nail me for $20 at least do the decency of maintaining your trails.

Very nicely set up. I enjoyed my walk around the water, beautiful views, loads of chipmunks , everything is well marked. The creeks are soothing. Thank you for a nice visit

Such a gorgeous place with lots of trails for every kind of hike or walk.

Easily hike through the woods to ponds, on trails, and see beavers. Cool place with the family. Wear sneakers or hiking shoes just no flat bottom soles. Dont forget the bug repellent.

A great hiking experience for all seasons. A variety of trails and scenic environments. I especially enjoy the Trail of the Ledges. The view at the top is breathtaking. Love how, if you are a member, you can register online and skip the line at the welcome booth. Good for kids. Bikes are not permitted.

I hiked with my partner to the fire tower. It was a “perfect hike” for us! Less than 2 hours out and back (we didn’t take the steep trail up), and the view from the top was great. I’d considerate it easy-moderate!

It was muddy when we were there. Some wildlife but didnt see any beavers. The facilities are up to date and well maintained. Different levels of hikes for all levels. Lots of blow downs but all cleared.

Beautiful... easy walking to moderate difficulty.A very blessed sanctuary.

A wide selection of trails. We took the All Persons trail to Bluebird trail, Yokun trail, Beaver Lodge trail, Yokun trail, Pikes Pond trail, and Honeysuckle Lane back to the parking lot. It took about 75 minutes. Pikes Pond is highly recommended. This is an easy trail but hiking shoes are recommended because of the many puddles. We didnt see any wildlife but enjoyed the hike. There are newly built facilities near the registration office. There is also a drinking fountain with water bottle refilling.

Well maintained with paths and trails for all levels of fitness. Benches strategically placed for view and rest. And their educational programs well worth signing up for.

Well marked trails, saw almost no one on the trails we were on. Covid precautions still in place. A lovely place we are looking forward to visiting again!

Oh! This place is gorgeous! I want to return in the Fall. It was so peaceful and breathtaking!

Nice hike. Make sure you bring water, youll need it!

It was pretty cool! I didnt mind the entrance fee as you can see where the money is going. I learned a lot about beavers. Only bummer was we never saw one, but we enjoyed the very well marked trails. The place was clean and mostly, thanks for the porta potty.

Nice walks for family with kids. Walk around lakes are nice, both the smaller (half hr& larger pond (one hr).

Its a wonderful walk with well marked trails. Its a great place for kids of all ages with lots of wildlife to see.

Took a walk around the smaller trail. It takes about 1/2 hour. It was a gorgeous, warmish December day.

This is a lovely place to walk around period it can get a bit crowded but you can lose yourself along the trails. depending on how difficult to hike you want you can choose a easier or more moderate set of trails. The streams and wildlife are great to see on this property.

This is a fantastic place for a gorgeous walk in the woods. Lots of trail options with varying levels of difficulty.

Loved our hike here! Beautiful trails with nice scenery. Would definitely recommend visiting if you’re in the area!

Great variety of trails and landscapes. We did the Ledges trail and it wasnt too bad as long as you take a rest every so often. The beginning is the hardest and it levels off nicely toward the top. View at the top of Lenox is almost as good as Greylock, except without the crowds.

Such a great place! Well marked and maintained hiking trails. Beautiful & peaceful scenery. Only $5. Great price for wonderful & easy hiking.

So many spots to explore. We had a young child with our group (2yoand she kept up. The trails are very well manicured.

Managed to see beavers in two different ponds. One just swam away but the other lazily floated in the pond while eating for twenty minutes. Had we not seen them we still got to see the lodges, their stored food in the pond/mud, lots of trails out of the water and trees that they had chewed on.

Great hike with lots of trails with different degrees of difficulty, this place offers something for everyone. We decided to take a couple of the shorter trails around the pond to keep the kids interested and did it ever. We saw lots of flowers, birds, frogs, and fish in the pond. The trails were well marked and easy to follow. Due to Covid-19, the visitor’s center, restrooms, activity center, and exploration area were all closed but we were still able to have a great time here.

Clearly marked trails. Boardwalks are kept up. Several levels of difficulty for walking or hiking. Well worth the trip.

During a great family outing, challenging ourselves with a good hike, I was struck by the number of beautiful birds and variety of calls when I remembered this was more than a park but an Audobon Sanctuary!

Well marked trails, we did the steep one, it was tough but a great hike. The place had some wonderful kids programs going on as well.

Great family and kid friendly outdoor location. The many hiking trails cover many levels of difficulty, from flat to hilly. The only problem is they could be a little better marked. We got totally lost bit it was simple to get back with a little bit of basic knowledge of the outdoors. My grandkids and I enjoyed a several hour walk here recently and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Even the 9 year old computer/ gaming nerd. We even saw a bear shuffling into the woods which my grandson called "one of my forest animals". The beaver pond area was beautiful and filled with wildflowers, trees with foliage that were just starting to turn and gorgeous birds and chipmunks too many to count. Good time in a place that will keep the kids busy looking for natures treasures!

Nice hiking trails, easy for beginners

Beautiful trail up to Lenox Mountain! Picturesque wooded paths that are clearly marked, and the cacophony of birds and critters calling in the forests are musical and lovely. A wonderful place to hike or leisurely walk around the gorgeous land and experience nature fully!

Nice small mountain trail with a great view at the top minus the electrical lines and boxes. It took us only 2 and a half hours to go up and down with a beginner. The trails were well marked but thank goodness the helpful lady where you check in gave us a verbal and visual of the trail because before you reach the top, you walk down hill several times. The trail down was shorter and less sleep than the one going up. It was a really nice hike.

Bring bug spray the bugs eat me alive on the hike to the old fire tower. The superstructure remains but is now used as a communications tower.

Beautiful walk through woods and wetlands. Variety of terrain to choose from. Well maintained.

This is a stunning property with a variety of terrain to hike on. Hikes range from pretty simple to a little bit stressful depending on where you go. On the way out, and very near the parking area, its always fun to stop by in the morning or evening and watch the Beavers at work. There is a spot where they will go directly under the walkway. Unplug yourself, and spend some time walking through this property on a beautiful day.

Hot and humid up on the mountain, but very pleasant at the pond. Great hike though!