The Best Guide to Massachusetts’ Highest Peak: Mt. Greylock

This is The Best Guide to Massachusetts’ Highest Peak: Mt. Greylock!

Mt. Greylock, is home to Massachusetts’ highest peak standing at 3,491 feet. When you get to the top you are rewarded with beautiful views of rolling mountains as well as a really cool tower. 

I was just out in Western Massachusetts in the Berkshires. I had most of the day to myself and knew I wanted to do a hike. After doing some research, I found Mt. Greylock! The reviews were good so I decided I was going to hike it! 

I spent about 3 ½ – 4 hours total on the mountain. I really enjoyed this hike. It’s on the easy/moderate side, based on the NH Whites I am used to. 

If you are in the Berkshires (a beautiful area) and are looking for a fun mountain to hike, Mt. Greylock is the one! 

Here I will tell you everything you want to know before you hike it!

The Best Guide to Massachusetts’ Highest Peak: Mt. Greylock:

Choose your route:

First off, you want to pick the route you are going to take up and down the mountain. I like to do this the night before. You never know if you are going to have service at the trailhead to read more about the different ways around the mountain. 

I went with- Jones Nose Trail up – Summit – Hopper Trail down – Sperry Trail down- CCC Trail down. 

Going this way takes you on a big loop, I liked this route!

Find the trailhead:

To get to the Jones Nose Trailhead, enter “Mount Greylock State Reservation” into your GPS.

When you arrive, you’ll see you are at the Mt. Greylock visitors center parking lot…this is not where you want to park. Follow the toll road that keeps on going past this location- Rockwell Road.

It will feel like you are driving all the way up the mountain but trust me, you are not! I thought this too and turned around then went back up after I realized.

You will drive up this road for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, there will be a small parking lot on the right side of the road as you are headed up, that’s where you want to park.

You are now at the Jones Nose Trailhead parking lot!

Trailhead:

It’s almost time to start the hike! Just get those boots on, make sure your backpack has everything you need in it, lock your car and get hiking! 

You will see a sign that clearly points in the direction to Jones Nose Trail, just follow along!

The hike up:

The hike up took me 1 hour and 30 minutes. I hiked alone and fast with only breaks to take off layers. 

At the beginning of the hike you will almost immediately feel the incline, it’s a tough start. If you can power through the first mile you will have no problem with the rest of the hike! I felt myself huffing and puffing and was taking off layers about ten minutes in. It’s not any tough climbing, just a high incline that really makes your body work. 

Once you can get past that initial tough part, it’s smooth sailing! I found the rest of the hike to be sort of a fun walk in the woods! There were times of short incline but would always flatten back out. 

The trails on the hike up to Mt. Greylock are well maintained and easy to follow.

They were pretty wet and muddy the day I was there. I wore waterproof hiking boots so I had no issue, just be sure to wear proper shoes and you will be fine!

There are a few times when you will cross the toll road. It feels a little funny but totally normal, you are on the right track.

I started my hike on a Thursday morning around 9:30 AM. I passed eight people on my way to the top.

There were so many beautiful flowers and cool mushrooms I noticed on my hike up. There is a lot of beauty on the Jones Nose Trail. 

When you get towards the summit, you will feel a bit of an incline again but not for long this time! Just a quick, short stretch to hike up and then you’ve made it to the top! Overall the trail was very quiet and enjoyable.

The summit:

Woohoo!! You did it! 

The summit is so beautiful. You made it, time to soak it all in. 

As you walk out of the woods, you are immediately greeted by the Veterans War Memorial Tower! Pretty cool to see when you just summit a mountain. 

The views make the hike so worth it! 

At the top, there will most likely be more people who drove up than hiked. I didn’t find it to be overly busy though which was nice. 

Walk around and check out all the summit has to offer!

The Veterans War Memorial Tower:

Once I realized the tower was open, the first thing I did once at the summit of Greylock was go up that tower. 

The tower is open to the public everyday from 9:30AM – 8PM between May 28th – October 22nd. In the winter months you can still hike up but the tower is not open to climb up. 

To have the best views, climb up the 89 stairs on a spiral staircase to the top of the tower and see the even more amazing lookout points from up there! 

It’s pretty narrow in the tower’s staircase. There is room to get off at different levels and take a break. There is also lots of space at the top to soak in the beautiful views. 

If you are at the summit of Mt. Greylock and the tower is open, definitely check it out! It’s free!

The Bascom Lodge:

The Bascom Lodge is a beautiful lodge built into the mountains at the summit! 

The charm of the lodge is just perfect. 

In the lodge you can find public bathrooms, a small gift shop with some T-shirts, water and beer to purchase, a room with amazing views to hangout in. It also offers lodging to the public, if you are interested you can actually stay there overnight! 

There is also dining offered Wednesday – Sunday. During the months they are open: May 28th – October 22nd.

I grabbed a beer at the giftshop. I saw one that was called: Greylock Imperial New England IPA. The name is what sold me…I had just hiked to the summit of Mt. Greylock of course I had to have the beer with the name of the mountain on it! 

Outside, I found a nice place to sit with a beautiful view, took my backpack off, soaked in the views and enjoyed my beer.

I soon realized the Greylock Imperial New England IPA was a 12% beer…LOL. I accidentally spilt half of it and I think that’s what was best for me since I still had to hike down!

The beer was delicious though, a great one to share with a friend at the top.

Relax at the top:

Depending on how much time you have, spend some time in the sun taking in all the views at the summit. 

I found my own little area and relaxed there for about 15 minutes. I noticed a lot of others doing the same thing. It’s very peaceful and relaxing at the summit.

Begin the descent back to your car:

Give yourself about an hour and a half to hike down.

You will start off the hike back down the same way you came up. After a little ways the trail will split. You want to head right and follow the Hopper Trail.

The next split will be a quick cut through on Sperry Road (to the left) which will bring you onto the CCC Dynamite Trail.

Just follow the nice and easy CCC trail back! The hike down on this trail is very enjoyable, I also found it to be even quieter than the hike up.

You will stay on the CCC trail the rest of the way until you arrive back at the beginning where the trail splits and you went to the right to start off.

You will finish up the hike in the same open field headed to the parking lot that you started off in.

Things to bring with you on the hike:

Be sure to wear a few layers and bring along some extra that way you can take off and put on whatever is needed depending on weather.

Just doing the hike in mid-end September, I wore:

Long biker short spandex, sports bra, athletic tank top, hiking socks, hiking boots and my Patagonia fleece coat. I brought extra layers, gloves and a hat.

I had the coat off pretty much the entire hike up. At the top I put it back on (it’s chilly up there!) and left it on for the hike down. I was comfortable all day but noticed most other hikers were wearing more layers than me.

For the hike, I used my Hikelite Osprey Backpack and my Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Mini Hip Pack.

You are ready to hike Mt. Greylock!

Get ready for a fun, adventure filled day with awesome views!

Mt. Greylock is a enjoyable mountain to hike and I hear in the Fall it’s even better when the leaves change.

This hike is nice because It won’t take up your entire day, it’s a good one if you are just getting into hiking as well as for families.

Have you hiked Mt. Greylock? What route did you take?

Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for being here! Happy Trails (: