Distributed for University Press of New England
Trail Running Western Massachusetts
Ben Kimball, a long-time trail runner, provides profiles of fifty-one great trail runs in western Massachusetts. Geographically, this book covers the area between the Quabbin Reservoir and upstate New York, including the Pioneer Valley and Berkshire areas as well as portions of the Taconic Highlands. Elevations range from the lowlands of the Connecticut River and Housatonic River valleys to the state’s highest point at the top of Mount Greylock. The trails profiled represent a range of locations within the region as well as a range of difficulty levels and terrain types. There are options for everyone, from the beginner to the experienced trail runner looking for new options. Each run receives a two-page treatment that includes an informative trail description and a trail map, along with a scannable QR code to download each map to your smartphone. This book will appeal to the entire running community of Massachusetts and the surrounding region, including the Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River, communities along the Housatonic River corridor in the Berkshires, the many running clubs in the Boston area, and seasonal vacationers.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments • INTRODUCTION • Conservation • Etiquette • Safety • Trail Access • How to Use This Book • SITE PROFILES • Hopkins Memorial Forest • Pine Cobble • Mt. Greylock: The Hopper • Savoy Mountain State Forest • Hoosac Range Trail • Monroe State Forest • Pelham Lake Park • Mohawk Trail State Forest • Notchview • The Boulders • Pittsfield State Forest • Shaker Mountain • Kennedy Park • Yokun Ridge • October Mountain State Forest: Finerty Pond • Tyringham Cobble • Monument Mountain • Jug End • Alander Mountain • Granville State Forest • Chester-Blandford State Forest • Keystone Arch Bridges Trail • Chesterfield Gorge (East Branch Trail) • DAR State Forest • Two Bridges Trail • Bear Swamp Reservation • Mahican-Mohawk Trail • Colrain Ridge Trail • Greenfield Ridge • Northfield Mountain • Mt. Grace • Wendell State Forest • Mt. Toby • North Sugarloaf Mountain • Puffers Pond • Mt. Orient from Amethyst Brook • Fitzgerald Lake • Mineral Hills Conservation Area • Mt. Tom • Lake Bray • Holyoke Range: Black Rock and Mt. Holyoke • Holyoke Range: Earls Trails • Holyoke Range: Mt. Norwottuck and Rattlesnake Knob • Holyoke Range: Bachelor Street • Quabbin Park • Chicopee Memorial State Park • East Mountain • Stanley Park • Robinson State Park • Minnechaug Mountain • Peaked Mountain