Saturday
April 25, 2026Guided Old-Growth Forest Walk
through The Rivulet Forest at the William Cullen Bryant Homestead
with Bob Leverett
Photo: The Rivulet Trail by Bob Leverett
There are very few opportunities to walk through true old growth in Massachusetts. There are even fewer chances to do so with one of the recognized authorities on Eastern old-growth forests.
Bob Leverett measuring a tree | David Degner for Smithsonian Magazine
Join renowned old-growth forest researcher Robert T. “Bob” Leverett and Monica Leverett for an extraordinary morning in The Rivulet at the William Cullen Bryant Homestead, a forest included in the Old-Growth Forest Network and one of western Massachusetts’ most impressive woodlands, noted for both its big and old trees.
Bob Leverett is widely regarded as one of the pioneering experts on Eastern old-growth forests. For decades, he has measured, documented, and championed some of the tallest and oldest trees in the Northeast. To walk with Bob is not simply to follow a trail. It is to learn how to read a forest, to see age structure, canopy layering, disturbance history, and ecological complexity through the eyes of someone who has spent decades immersed in it.
Bob uniquely combines Western scientific reductionism with his Southern mountain evangelistic version of connecting with the forest. To him, trees are persons—individual beings with unique characteristics. As he says about an old-growth forest,“Defining it may not be the right thing to do. Feeling it may be the right thing to do.”
This guided walk will take approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. The terrain is generally gentle, though the trail does include some uneven roots and rocks and is not steep.
The walk begins in younger woodland and progresses gradually into increasingly older stands until you arrive in true old growth. The second portion of the walk visits an extraordinary stand of towering white pines, among the tallest and most carbon-dense woodlands in Massachusetts.
What to expect
Photo: William Cullent Bryant Homstead | The Trustees of Reservations
Photo: The Rivulet Trail by Bob Leverett
Saturday, April 25, 2026This woodland is part of the historic home site of William Cullen Bryant. Bryant was a poet, and also served as editor and publisher of The New York Evening Post for 50 years. Rivulet Trail, where old growth, including ancient specimens of hemlock and a magnificent cherry tree, rise near the Rivulet, a trickling stream immortalized by Bryant's 1823 poem of the same name. The Pine Loop features enormous white pines that reach heights of 150 feet - a stand among the tallest in the Northeast.
DateSaturday, April 25, 2026*
Arrive10:00am
Duration2.5 - 3 hours
Register207 Bryant Rd, Cummington, MA 01026
Meet in the parking lot behind the Homestead barn
Light refreshments including granola bars and water will be available at the Visitors Center before we begin.
Address and ParkingPlease bring your own lunch
LunchSuggested DonationAttendance
Limit$50 per person to support the Old-Growth Forest Network
Limit two people per RSVP to maintain an intimate, conversational experience.
*This event will still take place in light rain, but in the event of severe inclement weather, the trip will be rescheduled and you will be notified as soon as possible.
Travel and Accommodations
Nearest Major Airport
The closest major airport is Bradley International Airport (BDL), located near Hartford, Connecticut. It is approximately 1 hour 30 to 45 minutes from Cummington and offers the best combination of flight availability and driving distance.
Additional airport options:
Albany International Airport (ALB) – approximately 1 hour 45 minutes
Logan International Airport (BOS) – approximately 2.5 to 3 hours
Recommended Towns for Lodging
Northampton, MA – approximately 35 minutes away
A lively college town, home of Smith College, with excellent restaurants, walkability, and boutique hotels. The town also features an outstanding museum of art and a beautiful botanic garden.
Williamstown, MA – approximately 45 minutes away
Located in the northwest corner of Massachusetts near the Vermont and New York borders, Williamstown offers classic New England charm and mountain views. It is home to Williams College and the renowned Clark Art Institute.
Both towns allow guests to stay in one location for the weekend while comfortably traveling to the William Cullen Bryant Homestead for the event.
Vacation rentals through Airbnb and VRBO are also available in Cummington and the surrounding hilltowns for those seeking a quieter, more secluded stay.
Other nearby old-growth forest walks to explore:
If you plan to visit any of these forests, we are glad to share more detailed guidance on how to experience their finest old-growth areas.
-
This state forest covers 7,758 total acres of which between 400 and 500 acres are old growth. The oldest trees in the forest are hemlocks, which have been dated to 500 years.
-
From the parking area off River Road, hike the Dunbar Brook Trail through shaded stands of old-growth old-growth Eastern Hemlock and associated northern hardwood trees. The pristine brook tumbles and drops 700 vertical feet in two miles, over huge moss-covered boulders forming entrancing waterfalls, rapids and pools.
-
The Ice Glen is a glacial ravine in the southeast area of Stockbridge, MA. The sides of the glen are covered with old-stand pine and hemlock. Because of this the pines grow tall and go uncut, and many consider Ice Glen as the most accessible old-growth forest in the state.
-
Guilder Pond in Mount Washington is the second highest Pond in Mass with Mount Everett in the background, you will experience nature at its finest here and amazing mountain laurel and azalea in spring. Old-growth hemlock grows here with some dating between 350-400 years old.
-
Bash Bish Falls State Park offers scenic viewing of the Commonwealth’s largest waterfall. Bash Bish is contiguous with Mount Washington State Forest and other preserved lands. Together, they constitute a densely biodiverse habitat for many protected species, and home to old growth forest areas.
-
Located in the rolling hills of the Berkshires, Windsor State Forest provides visitors with the relaxation of deep woods trails, views of the scenic Westfield River, historic CCC-era architecture, and sunny fields for picnic and play. A short hike takes guests up to the Windsor Jambs waterfall, featuring the Windsor Jambs Brook cascading between 80 foot high granite walls. There is a small area of hemlock-red spruce old-growth in the scenic gorge
-
Further away in Central MA.
High Meadow Trail passes through old-growth forest dominated by Sugar Maple trees; in the springtime this area is a showcase for ephemeral wildflowers such as bloodroot, trout lily, and dutchman’s breeches. Jack Frost Trail is dominated by extremely old hemlock trees.