The Hop Brook Valley (also known as the Tyringham Valley) is a

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

in southeastern Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The valley lies predominantly in the town of

Tyringham, Massachusetts Tyringham is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 427 at the 2020 census. History Founded as Housatonic Township Number 1, th ...

, although a good portion of it is located in the neighboring town of

Lee Lee may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lee'' (2007 film), Tamil-language sports action film * ''Lee'' (2017 film), Kannada-language action film * ''Lee'' (2023 film), biographical drama about Lee Miller, American photojournalist * ''L ...

. Because of its

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

location, scenic views, and variety of hiking trails, it is considered as a destination for travellers of the region.

Geography

The valley floor at an elevation of about above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. With the

mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...

(part of the

Berkshire Hills The Berkshires () are highlands located in western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut in the United States. Generally, "Berkshires" may refer to the range of hills in Massachusetts that lie between the Housatonic and Connecticut River ...

) surrounding it rising to elevations between in

elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

. In the center of The Hop Brook Valley lies Hop Brook, a small stream that feeds into the

Housatonic River The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United ...

where the Hop Brook Valley meets the Housatonic River Valley. Jerusalem Road traverses along the

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. Due to the similarity, the term '' scarp'' may mistakenly be incorrectly used inte ...

on the south side of the valley. Some notable peaks rising above this side of the valley include side include Sky Hill, Beartown Mountain, and Mount Wilcox. All of these mountains are part of the

Beartown State Forest Beartown State Forest is a publicly owned forest with recreational features located in the New England town, towns of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Great Barrington, Monterey, Massachusetts, Monterey, Lee, Massachusetts, Lee, and Tyringham ...

, which lies just to the south of the valley. To the north of the valley, lies the peak of Mount Baldy, as well as several other mountains in the area that form a

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

extending northward beyond the valley to Route 90. On this plateau lies Goose Pond, the most elevated body of

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

in the state. Below this plateau, Main Road, which turns into Tyringham Road when it enters the town of

runs parallel to Jerusalem Road, but on the north side of the valley. The small and quaint downtown area of Tyringham, Massachusetts is situated where this road merges with Jerusalem Road at the southeast end of the valley (Jerusalem turns northwards here). Just south of this intersection, in the center of the valley, lies the

Tyringham Cobble Tyringham Cobble is a open space reservation located in Tyringham, Massachusetts on 411 m (1,348 ft) Cobble Hill in The Berkshires. It is managed by The Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit conservation organization, and is notable ...

one of the most notably shaped and prominent physical features of the area. The valley is a popular hiking destination because it is crossed (north to south) by the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...

References

{{Coord, 42, 13, 45, N, 73, 11, 48, W, region:US-MA_scale:50000_source:GNIS, display=title Landforms of Berkshire County, Massachusetts Valleys of Massachusetts Tyringham, Massachusetts