Washington (Massachusetts) Voyage Tips and guide

Washington is small rural town in the east central Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. With less than 500 people, Washington mostly offers outdoor wilderness activities. It also has several historic buildings.

The area that is now Washington is historically Mohican land, near the Pocumtuc. Europeans first colonized the area in 1760 and the town was officially incorporated in 1777. The town went by various names, including Greenoch, Watsontown and Hartville, before being renamed for George Washington in 1784. The town has always been very rural and very small in population. Most of the town area is forest wilderness. Washington is bordered by Dalton and Hinsdale to the north, Peru to the northeast, Middlefield to the east, Becket to the south, Lee to the southwest, Lenox to the west, and Pittsfield to the northwest. The majority of the 16,500 acres of October Mountain State Forest is in Washington. The Appalachian Trail also passes through the town.

There are two main routes into Washington, both of which run north-south: MA Rt 8, from Hindsale to Becket, and Washington Mt Rd, from Dalton/Pittsfield to Becket. Washington Mt Rd begins on the Dalton/Pittsfield end at the corner junction of Williams St and Dalton Division Rd and turns into McNerny Rd in Becket. Washington Mt Rd can be difficult, even impassable, in bad winter conditions.

Washington lies on the Appalachian Trail and can be entered by it via the trailheads at street intersections.

42°21′36″N 73°9′0″W

Map of Washington (Massachusetts)

Car is the feasible option to get around Washington. If you are a good hiker, you can traverse the town on foot. MA Rt 8 is fairly passable on bicycle.

• 42.343333-73.0752781 Clark–Eames House, 230 Middlefield Rd (take Lower Valley Rd off of South Washington Rd (MA Rt 8). At the junction with Cross Place Rd, bear right to stay on Lower Valley Rd. At the junction with Johnson Hill Rd, turn left onto Johnson Hill Rd. Continue to the terminus at Middlefield Rd; turn right onto Middlefield Rd, the destination will be on the left.). Likely built in 1790, it is one of the few surviving 18th-century houses in the town. It is an example of Federal architecture. (updated Dec 2025)
• 42.33914-73.110382 Lower Historic District, Washington Mt Rd. A National Register of Historic Places property. Consists of four homesteads dating from 1765 to 1803, built along a stretch of Washington Mountain Road near the border with Becket. It includes the town's oldest house, that of William Milliken. The specific houses and address are as follows: Richmond - Foster - Corey House, 1570 Washington Mt Rd; Clark - Strong - Abbott - Pomeroy Farm, 1648 Washington Mt Rd; Hiram Savery Farm, 1651 Washington Mt Rd; and William Millekean Farm, 1796 Washington Mt Rd. (updated Dec 2025)
• 42.37174-73.119283 Philip Eames House, 88 Stonehouse Rd (take Simmons Rd off of MA Rt 8. The site is at the corner of Simmons Rd and Stonehouse Rd). An 1843 house built out of irregularly cut granite. It was built by Philip Eames, who owned several sawmills in the area. The National Register of Historic Places listing calls it "most imposing 19th century residence" of the town. The building has Federal and Greek Revivalist stylings. (updated Dec 2025)
• 42.35-73.1258334 South Center School, Washington Mt Rd. An 1880 building and Washington's only extant district school building. (updated Dec 2025)

42°21′42″N 73°9′10″W

Appalachian Trail

• 42.39578-73.153431 Appalachian Trail. (updated Dec 2025) Entry and exit points, as well as the overnight shelter, are as follows:
  • 42.40946-73.149921 Appalachian Trail at Blotz Rd. Parking, 57-1 Blotz Rd Trailhead and parking lot at Blotz Rd. (updated Dec 2025)
  • 42.377158-73.1507422 Appalachian Trail Parking at Washington Mt Rd, Washington Mt Rd and Beach St Trailhead and parking lot at Washington Mt Rd. (updated Dec 2025)
  • 42.361715-73.1531633 Appalachian Trail at W Branch Rd Trailhead at W Branch Rd (updated Dec 2025)
  • 42.355091-73.1540791 October Mountain Shelter Group site with 5 tent pads and a camping capacity of 12. Has a moldering privy, bear box, and a water source that crosses the trail just south of campsite. Within October Mountain State Forest. (updated Dec 2025)
  • 42.333306-73.1622554 Appalachian Trail at County Road Trailhead at County Road (updated Dec 2025)

Go south to Becket or Torrington, Connecticut, north to Dalton and Pittsfield, or west to Lenox and Lee.

Pittsfield ← Hinsdale ←	N  S	→ Becket→ becomes → Torrington
Adams ← Dalton ←	N  S	→ Becket → Lee