Back with the Western Mass Hilltown Hikers. This trip to the far southern regions of Berkshire County and Otis. Meeting at the expansive Otis Reservoir, we quickly dove into the woods, following the reservoirs outlet, to access Otis Falls. A beautiful testimony to nature, the falls were not surprisingly low on water. After a bit of cavorting about the top of the falls, there was a descending trail that gave us a good view from the bottom. One could easily imagine the majesty the Falls would present at high water. The trail continued on to Larkin Pond where private property impeded further progress.
Back to the cars, a short drive south brought us in the adjacent Town of Tolland and the Tolland State Forest. Two hikes ensued from this point: one took us around the perimeter of campgrounds, a peninsula that juts out into Otis Reservoir. One very old cemetery (mostly the Clark Family) exists within the campground territory. The second hike took us on a nature trail that followed reservoir shoreline before turning more into the deeper woods. One old quarry was encountered that you could only guess as to its purpose. The exploration ended just as thunderstorms started rolling through western Massachusetts.
