Mount Greylock Scenic Byway
Welcome to Mount Greylock

Departure: Mount Greylock State Reservation Visitor Center, Massachusetts
Destination: Western Gateway Heritage State Park, 115 State Street, North Adams, Massachusetts, Massachusetts
Time to allow: 1 day

This tour features 12 sites of interest traveling from south to north along the mountain’s roads, inviting you to stop at one or more during your visit. Each site features a story and most have scenic views and an optional hike. Reset you vehicle’s trip odometer at the Visitors Center to find the total mileage distance to each stop. The mileage is provided following the listing for each stop. This information is also available as a printed format in the scenic byway brochure: Mount Greylock’s Hidden Treasures, A Driving Tour.

Mount Greylock Scenic Byway is accessible from mid-May through October 31 as long as safe driving conditions permit (please call ahead). Access is free, however, a $2 parking fee applies at the Summit lot only.

Day 1

  • Start: Mount Greylock State Reservation Visitor Center

    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour 30 minutes

    Location: 30 Rockwell Road in Lanesborough.

    Visitor Center, interpretive exhibits, accessible parking and restrooms, scenic views, hiking trails.

    Although mostly forested today, this area was farmed extensively between the 1760s and early 1900s. At the Mount Greylock State Reservation Visitors Center you can still see remnants of this agricultural past by hiking the Bradley Farm Interpretive Trail (view stone walls) and driving up along the Rockwell Road (abandoned apple trees survive along the roadside). The mix of field and forest provides “edge” habitat, supporting a more diverse number of animals including Black Bear, White Tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, songbirds and a variety of birds of prey. Looking south, you may still see a patchwork of fields from today’s working farms.

    North of the Visitor Center the forest has returned to native northern hardwoods. Dominant trees here are birches, beech and maples. Ash and Black Cherry trees are also common. White (Paper) Birch trees line the roadway as you drive along, their white bark a dramatic contrast against the dark background of the forest.

    Hike: Easy - Bradley Farm Interpretive Trail, loop, 1.8 miles, 90 minutes. Pick up a self-guided brochure for the Bradley Farm Trail at the Visitor Center.

  • Stop 2: Round's Rock

    From previous stop: 3 mi (4.8 km)
    Directions:

    Continue along the byway.
    Suggested time at this stop: 45 minutes

    Farmer Jabez Rounds owned several hundred acres in this area during the early 1800s. Nestled among the hardwood forest is a small boreal spruce bog and blueberry barrens, unusual for southern New England. Along the trail are two scenic vistas and the remains of a 1948 plane wreck with a monument to the pilot who died there.

    Hike: Easy - Rounds Rock Trail, loop, 0.7 miles, 45-60 minutes. Scenic views south and west of the Berkshire Hills, Taconic Range and Catskills.

  • Stop 3: Jones' Nose

    From previous stop: 0.7 mi (1.1 km)
    Directions:

    Continue along Rockwell Road.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour 30 minutes

    Seth Jones once farmed this mountain meadow in the early 1800s. To provide a more diverse ecosystem this high-elevation meadow has been kept opened under the MassWildlife Upland Habitat Management Program. This type of open “early succession” habitat of meadow and shrubs is a great place to watch for butterflies and birds in what would otherwise be a dense forest.

    Hike: Strenuous - Jones Nose Trail to Saddleball Summit and return, 2 miles round-trip, 90 minutes. Scenic views south and west to the Berkshire Hills, Taconic Range and Catskills (NY).

  • Stop 4: Ashfort Monument

    From previous stop: 1.2 mi (1.9 km)
    Directions:

    A few miles down Rockwell Road.
    Suggested time at this stop: 20 minutes

    The Ashfort Monument commemorates the nearby site of a colonial-period stockade (c.1760) built of ash tree logs. Reputed to be the start of the settlement in this area, the site gave name to the town of New Ashford. Nearby is a rock-lined fire pond built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s.

  • Stop 5: CCC Dynamite Trail

    From previous stop: 0.7 mi (1.1 km)
    Directions:

    Continue along Rockwell Road.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour 30 minutes

    Scenic views, hiking trails, mountain streams.

    Nearby the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) once stored explosives to blast through ledge in creating the present roadway. This trail is a favorite of botanists for its ferns and wildflowers.

    Hike: Moderate – CCC Dynamite Trail to Jones Nose Trail and return, 3.1 miles, 90 minutes.

  • Stop 6: Stony Ledge

    From previous stop: 3 mi (4.8 km)
    Directions:

    At odometer reading 5.6, park at CCC Dynamite Trailhead for pedestrian access to Sperry Road.
    Suggested time at this stop: 2 hours

    Scenic views, hiking trails, camping (reservations required), waterfalls.

    Should you choose, the Rockwell Road intersects with Sperry Road (unpaved) and detours 1.5 miles down through the campground and out to the Stony Ledge vista. Stony Ledge is a great spot to view the Hopper. It is a steep, semicircular valley designated by the state and the Society of American Foresters as one of a few Natural Areas within Massachusetts. Three stands of old-growth red spruce designated a National Natural Landmark, are visible across this valley, below Greylock Summit.

    Looking at the Hopper from a distance the slopes of several mountains appear to meet at the base, resembling a grain hopper, thus the name. Park at the CCC Dynamite Trailhead day-use lot and hike out along the gravel road to the vista. Hike: Easy - Sperry Road to Stony Ledge, 4 miles round-trip, 2 hours.

  • Stop 7: New Ashford Overlook

    From previous stop: 1 mi (1.6 km)
    Directions:

    Continue along Rockwell Road.
    Suggested time at this stop: 20 minutes

    At this pullover, cut by the CCC in the 1930s, you may see the building blocks of the mountain. According to geologists, metamorphic gray-colored Greylock schist and white-colored quartzite were formed from an ancient sea bed some 600 million years ago. A collision of continents during the Taconic Orogeny, about 450 million years ago, pushed up folds of rock into a mountain range that may once have been 20,000 feet tall. These mountains have been worn down by weather and erosion over eons to their present height.

    The view here looks down into the Hopper and across to Stony Ledge; the village of Williamstown is seen to the north. The view is of the Green River Valley. Water from Hopper Brook flows into the Green River, which then flows into the Hoosic River, which joins the Hudson River in New York State. The water eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean at New York City.

  • Stop 8: Appalachian National Scenic Trail

    From previous stop: 0.9 mi (1.4 km)
    Directions:

    Located further down Rockwell Road.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour

    Hiking trails, unusual ecology.

    You are at 3,000 feet in elevation. With harsh weather conditions the maple and beech trees are struggling to survive at this altitude. Red spruce and balsam fir become dominant, still accompanied by mountain ash and yellow birch. This Boreal forest type is more commonly seen in Canada than Massachusetts.

    At this point the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) follows the ridges and valleys of the Appalachian Mountain Chain for more than 2,172 miles between Georgia and Maine. Here’s your chance to hike a portion of the famous AT.

    Hike: Moderate – Appalachian Trail, south along Saddleball Ridge and return, 1-2 miles, 60–90 minutes. Boreal forest, sphagnum moss bogs, scenic view of the Summit to the north.

  • Stop 9: Adam's Overlook

    From previous stop: 0.5 mi (0.8 km)
    Directions:

    Continue along Rockwell Road to where it intersects with Summit Road and Notch Road. Bear right onto the Summit Road to reach the summit of Mount Greylock. Notch Road on the left continues down the north face of the mountain to North Adams.
    Suggested time at this stop: 10 minutes

    This spectacular vista offers a bird’s eye view of the town of Adams and east across the Hoosac Range, Berkshire Hills and Massachusetts. Adams center is dense with former industrial mills, lining the Hoosic River that powered them. Farms still ring the town, resting on the foothills in the valley. Mining still takes place below at a 150-year old quarry, where high-quality limestone is extracted for the pharmaceutical industry.

  • Stop 10: The Summit

    From previous stop: 0.5 mi (0.8 km)
    Directions:

    Continue along the Summit Road and follow directional signs to parking or return down Summit Road. Parking at the summit is a $2 fee.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour

    Scenic views, accessible parking & restrooms, hiking and accessible trails, refreshments & lodging, interpretive models, historic site.

    This is the reward of the climb, with dramatic vistas at every turn. The most prominent feature on the summit is the Veterans War Memorial Tower, dedicated by the state in 1933 to honor Massachusetts men and women who gave their lives in time of war. Climb the 93-foot tower for a 360° view of 75 miles or more (on a clear day) into five states.

    Mount Greylock is an ecological island looming above the surrounding landscape. Temperatures on the upper slopes of the mountain are colder, the growing season is shorter, rainfall is greater and the winter is more severe. These environmental conditions resemble the Canadian boreal forest, also referred to as spruce-fir or sub-alpine forest. Mount Greylock is one of the southernmost occurrences of this forest type in North America; providing a unique habitat that supports rare plants and animals often found nowhere else in Massachusetts.

    The stunted and gnarled trees at the summit tell the story of a natural, harsh wind-swept life. Winter precipitation transforms into sharp ice crystals, cutting into the bark and branches of the trees. The side exposed to the prevailing wind is damaged and branches are killed, while the remaining trunk and branches survive. Trees with this growth pattern are known as “flag” trees, because their leeward branches extend out on the one side like a flag in a windstorm.

    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), created by President Roosevelt during the Great Depression, brought jobless men to parklands across the nation to improve the environment and create public recreational facilities. These contributions left a lasting legacy and formed the cornerstone of the Massachusetts state park system. The 107th Company lived and worked on the mountain during 1933-41. Their camp was located at the site of the present-day campground on Sperry Road. They constructed buildings, created the road system, cut trails, and installed classic stone retaining walls and culverts, most of which are still in use today. They also created the harrowing Thunderbolt Ski Trail, site of numerous expert downhill races including the 1938 and 1940 US Eastern Amateur Ski Association Championships.

    The CCC completed construction of Bascom Lodge (1933-37) and the Thunderbolt Ski Shelter (1940). Designed by Pittsfield architect Joseph McArthur Vance, these structures epitomize the rustic style in park design of the period, designed to conform and blend in with the landscape using native materials of stone (Greylock schist) and lumber (red spruce and oak).

    In 1998 the Summit area above the 3,100-foot elevation was designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Historic District. The Summit is universally accessible, including viewing areas and pathways. To limit impact on the summit please stay only on designated paved or gravel paths.

    Hike: Easy - Summit paths, varies under 0.5 miles, 30-45 minutes.

  • Stop 11: Money Brook Falls

    From previous stop: 3.1 mi (5.0 km)
    Directions:

    Turn right onto the Notch Road towards North Adams and continue to Money Brook Falls.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour

    Scenic views, hiking trails, waterfall The trail next to the parking area leads to Money Brook Falls, so named because a gang of counterfeiters minted coins at a site along the brook in the late 1700s.

    Hike: Strenuous - Cut-off to Money Brook Trail and falls, 1.2 mile round-trip, 60 minutes.

  • Stop 12: Wilbur's Clearing - Mt. Prospect Vista

    From previous stop: 0.4 mi (0.6 km)
    Directions:

    Follow byway.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour 10 minutes

    Scenic views, hiking trails.

    Once open pasture in the early 1800s this has been called Wilbur’s Clearing, after pioneer farmer Jeremiah Wilbur. It has now grown in with red spruce, many of which are approaching 200 years old. This forest resembles the Boreal forest normally found further north of here. The atmosphere is always dark, cool and refreshing. Here’s a chance to hike a portion of the famous AT.

    Hike: Moderate - Appalachian Trail-north to Mount Prospect vista, 1.2 mile round-trip 70 minutes. Views west to Williamstown and the Taconic Range.

  • Stop 13: Mount Williams - Summit Vista

    From previous stop: same location
    Suggested time at this stop: 2 hours

    For a gradual ascent to Mount Williams take the trail at the parking lot to the Old Summit Road. This follows the route of the original 19th century road to the summit. Along this trail you will see a lonely stone fireplace, remnants of a cabin built in the 1930s by the Williams (College) Outing Club. Further on you meet the AT. Follow it north to Mount Williams.

    Hike: Strenuous – cut-off trail to Old Summit Road Trail to Appalachian Trail-north. Mount Williams return via AT-north to cut-off trail back to parking lot, 2.5 mile round-trip, 2 hours. Views from Mount Williams vista north to the Green Mountains and Hoosac Range.

  • Stop 14: Northern Gateway

    From previous stop: 2.2 mi (3.5 km)
    Suggested time at this stop: 45 minutes

    Hiking trails

    This land, extending upwards to Mount Greylock’s Summit, was first farmed in the late-1700s by Rhode Island settler Jeremiah Wilbur (1753-1813). Now mostly returned to northern hardwood forest, remnants of stonewalls and apple trees from the farming past may still be found here. Nearby, the Bellows Pipe Trail was the 1844 route Henry David Thoreau took on his ascent of the mountain prior to his Walden Pond experience. He wrote about this dramatic hike in A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849).

    Hike: Moderate – Bellows Pipe Trail, varies 1+ miles, 45+ minutes. Mountain streams, cellar holes.

  • End: Western Gateway Heritage State Park, 115 State Street, North Adams, Massachusetts

    From previous stop: 2.2 mi (3.5 km)
    Directions:

    Leaving Mount Greylock State Reservation continue to the intersection of Notch and Reservoir Roads.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour 30 minutes

    Visitor Center, interpretive exhibits, accessible parking & restrooms, dining and shopping, historic site.

    This urban park is a former railroad yard listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Multi-media exhibits inat the Visitors Center, in Building Number 4 bring to life the controversial and danger-filled construction of the Hoosac Tunnel, one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century. The tunnel was dug 4.75 miles through Hoosac Mountain over a period of 20 yearsbetween 1852-73., It was the first tunnel project to utilize nitroglycerine to blast, and compressed air to drill. eventually The tunnel providenableding a direct rail link from Boston to Albany, NY and the west. The North Adams Museum of History and Science in Building 5A displays engaging and hands-on exhibits relating to the northern Berkshires. Be sure to explore downtown North Adams, a short walk away.

    Western Gateway Heritage State Park in North Adams is located at Route 8, near the intersection with Route 2 (Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway). Route 8 south brings you back to Lanesborough and Pittsfield via Adams near the beginning of the tour. Also, Route 2 west leads to Williamstown, then Route 7 south will bring you back to the beginning of the tour in Lanesborough.

Totals for Day 1

Total Distance Traveled: 19.4 miles / 31.0 km
Total Travel Time: 0 minutes
Total Stopping Time: 16 hours 30 minutes