These woods are wilder than they look from the road, and they're filling back up with big animals. Black bears are all through these mountains now — Massachusetts has thousands of them, and the population's been climbing for years — so keep an eye on the roadside at dawn and dusk, especially in the fall when they're fattening up for winter. A bear ambling across a clearing is a real possibility up here.
If you stop at an overlook and happen to see one, the rule is simple: admire it from a distance, never get between a sow and her cubs, and never, ever leave food out for it. A bear that learns to associate people with snacks is a bear that ends up dead, so the kindest thing you can do is keep your distance and keep your lunch in the car. Moose are creeping back into these hills too, and they're enormous and unpredictable, so if you see one near the road, slow way down. This is real wild country. Treat it with a little respect and enjoy the show.
Photo: U.S. Forest Service · Public domain
