From Pastoral Tyringham Cobble to Opulent Ashintully
By Patricia Racine
May 2026
Tucked away between the rolling hills of Berkshire County is a valley that, in my opinion, offers the most beautiful scenery in the entire area. To the casual observer, the Tyringham Valley is a nice place to cruise through oohing and aahing about the pretty farms and cool gingerbread houses; but for an inquisitive explorer, the valley is a history lesson, a place where the simplistic Shakers met the wow-factor of the Gilded Age.
Our trip through the valley begins with one of the prettiest hiking trails around: the Tyringham Cobble. This bump in an otherwise flat area is actually a two-billion-year-old rock formation that stubbornly refused to be eroded by the receding glaciers. The loop trail is around two miles long and rated moderate, leaning towards strenuous in some sections; this is due to a rapid elevation gain of 300 feet.
You start out counterclockwise on this hike on a pleasantly meandering path through meadows before turning left, straight uphill and into the woods; this is the elevation gain I mentioned. The uphill climb continues through cattle gates and over uneven and sometimes rocky footing in a less extreme way, but never-the-less continuing to climb, to a junction where the Appalachian Trail merges for a while. All of this cardio is rewarded with multiple summit view locations that look down on the gorgeous farmlands, bogs and the quaint village below; there are even benches for you to rest. The trek down is very quick in comparison and is highlighted by the much photographed “Rabbit Rock” before you are deposited back in the meadow.
This whole area was once the sanctuary of the Tyringham Shakers who called the Cobble “Mount of Jerusalem.” They were known for their meticulous craftsmanship and ecstatic worship. Though their community disbanded in 1875, their mark is still visible on the landscape in the stonewalls snaking through the forest and the cleared upland pastures.
Just down the road from the Cobble is the antithesis of everything Shaker, Ashintully Gardens. In the early 1900s, Egyptologist Robb de Peyster Tytus built a 35-room Georgian “Marble Palace” that sat atop a hill opposite of the Cobble; but in 1952 a devastating forest fire reduced the mansion to ashes. Local legend links the Tytus family’s misfortunes to an “Egyptian Curse,” as Tytus was part of the archaeological dig that uncovered the palace of King Amenhotep III. Or, it could just be that someone was a little careless when they were burning garbage down the hill when they shouldn’t have been.
Today the property is owned by the Trustees, and you can walk around their beautifully restored gardens that are dotted with interesting statuary and water features before heading up the hill on the one-mile loop that brings you past what is left of the stables and then to the ruins of the great house itself. It is quite something to come out of the dim woods to see those four white doric columns rising against the backdrop of green forest and blue sky. It must have been quite magnificent back in the day when the actual house was still standing. This is a perfect spot to sit and catch up with a friend or take in the sunset. The trail continues down the carriage road and back to the parking lot, either by walking on the street or with a little detour trail through the lower meadow.
These two trails are great on their own but also not too much to do together; the only problem is that if you are going to make a day of it, you need to bring your own picnic as there are no places to dine in Tyringham. But honestly, sitting in the meadow at Ashintully would be a perfect place to have an al fresco post-hike lunch.
