Barton's Ledge Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 1
Barton's Ledge Wildlife Management Area is 147 acres of MassWildlife land in Lanesborough (Berkshire County), in Wildlife Management Zone 1. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 414 deer in Zone 1 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Barton's Ledge WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landState forest and park land (DCR)Barton's Ledge WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 147 acres (MassWildlife), in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Lanesborough |
| County | Berkshire |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 1 |
| MassWildlife district | Western District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 1, 2025 | 414 (269 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Lanesborough (2 mi), New Ashford (3 mi) and Cheshire (4 mi) |
What is Barton's Ledge WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Bartons Ledge WMA is comprised mostly of rich upland hardwood forest predominately sugar maple intermingled with other species such as basswood, hickory & ash. The western portion of the WMA has some white pine oak forest while the eastern portion has several small swamps and wet drainages. A short section of Town Brook flows through the western edge of the property. A small former agricultural field is now periodically mowed to keep open."
On its habitat work: "The field is mowed every 2-3 years to keep open."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Barton's Ledge WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Barton's Ledge WMA?
"This WMA has excellent white-tailed deer and black bear hunting. Town Brook is a trout-stocked waterbody. Go to mass.gov/trout for more information."
How do you get into Barton's Ledge WMA?
"This WMA has no formal parking area. Limited roadside parking is available along Kessler Road in Lanesborough."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Barton's Ledge WMA.
Highways within five miles: US 7, MA 43 and MA 8. Distances to the nearest town centers: Lanesborough 2 miles, New Ashford 3 miles, Cheshire 4 miles and Hancock 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Misery Mountain (4 miles), Green River WMA - Williamstown (5 miles), Stafford Hill (7 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Barton's Ledge WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 1: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 147 deer to archers and 196 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 149 | 414 | 269 | 347 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Barton's Ledge WMA?
Under 321 CMR 3.01, camping, fires and target practice need the Director's written permission, vehicles stay on roads open to traffic, and dogs must be leashed unless hunting or training with a licensed hunter.
Source: MassWildlife WMA regulations.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Barton's Ledge WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 1, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Barton's Ledge WMA in?
Zone 1, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 414 deer in Zone 1 in 2025, 269 of them adult males, after 347 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get into Barton's Ledge WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "This WMA has no formal parking area. Limited roadside parking is available along Kessler Road in Lanesborough."
What can you hunt on Barton's Ledge WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "This WMA has excellent white-tailed deer and black bear hunting. Town Brook is a trout-stocked waterbody. Go to mass.gov/trout for more information."
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Sources: MassWildlife fact sheet; MassWildlife Lands (MassGIS); MassWildlife parking for recreation; MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates); MassWildlife WMA regulations; public land MassGIS Protected and Recreational OpenSpace for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land; towns U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, towns (county subdivisions). FilledTag is not part of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife).