Massachusetts

Trail Miles: 90
Highest Point: Mount Greylock, 3,491 feet

The commonly held image of New England is of rolling hills, hardwood forests interspersed with evergreens, and charming towns with village greens and picturesque churches.  This is exactly what is found in the Massachusetts section of the AT.  The trail passes through the Berkshires here, through small and easily traversed mountains that inspired the pens of Melville and Thoreau, among others.

Part of the fun of this stretch of trail is the access to some of these prototypical New England small towns, places like Sheffield, Cheshire, Dalton, and North Adams.  Something that is not fun about this stretch of trail can be the busyness of the trail at peak times.  The area is easily accessed by the millions in Boston and New York, making it a popular place with day hikers on weekends.