Appalachian Trail to Summit

The Appalachian Trail to Mount Greylock's summit is the signature route in all of western Massachusetts. Beginning from Notch Road, the white-blazed AT winds through northern hardwood forest dominated by yellow birch and sugar maple before breaking into windswept fir stands near the 3,491-foot summit—the highest point in Massachusetts. The final approach crosses open rocky terrain with sweeping 360-degree views spanning five states on clear days. At the top stands the 93-foot Veterans War Memorial Tower, a granite lighthouse-style monument dedicated to Massachusetts soldiers who died in World War I. The adjacent Bascom Lodge, a fieldstone and timber structure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, offers seasonal meals and overnight accommodations. The descent retraces the ascent, giving hikers repeated opportunities to spot Blackburnian warblers, Swainson's thrushes, and occasional red-tailed hawks riding thermals off the ridge. Trail conditions can be muddy in spring and icy in winter, so microspikes are recommended from November through April. The summit area is accessible by road in summer, but reaching it on foot via the AT provides a far more rewarding experience of the reservation's rugged northern Berkshire character.