Order of Visit: High Point #15

Date Visited:  July 29, 2019

Route Taken:  Appalachian Trail from Rockwell Road Parking area (1.8 miles round-trip)

Type of Terrain:  Easy well-defined trail. You can also drive directly to the summit though or hike several longer, more rugged trails to the summit.

Elevation:  3,491 feet

Ancestral Lands:  Mohican, Eastern Algonquin, Abenaki


What’s in a Name?

Like Connecticut’s high point, Mt. Greylock is part of the Taconic Mountain Range, which comes from the indigenous Lenape word Taghkanic or Taughannock, meaning “in the trees.” Yet the origin of Mt. Greylock’s name is less clear.

Before the arrival of European settlers, the land was inhabited by the Mohican and Eastern Algonquin people, but their indigenous name for the mountain was lost to history. 

Beginning in the early 18th century, English settlers referred to the prominent mountain as Grand Hoosac because of its proximity to the Hoosic River, which hooks around the mountain’s northern and eastern sides. This early name derives from the Algonquin word hoosac, which means “place with stones.” Later newcomers began calling the tall peak Saddleback Mountain – because of its appearance in conjunction with Saddle Ball Mountain to the south. 

By the 1930s, most locals referred to the prominent mountain exclusively as Mount Greylock. It’s believed this name originated with a Wiliams College professor as a tribute to the Indigenous Western Abenaki Chief Gray Lock (c. 1670-1750), who was born near Westfield, Massachusetts, and belonged to the Western Abenaki tribe. 

Chief Gray Lock doesn’t have any apparent association with the mountain itself, but he known was a formidable warrior for his guerilla-style raids on the English, French, and Iriquois, in Massachusetts and Vermont.

When the Abenaki groups made peace with the Massachusetts Colony and Canada, Chief Gray Lock refused and continued his raids. He died a free man, and his name soon became legendary among his friends and foes. The mountain that bears his name now sits in the 12,500-acre Mount Greylock State Reservation and contains a section of the Appalachian Trail, which climbs up and over the high point’s summit.

Monument to Chief Gray Lock in Vermont

Trip Summary

Much like our previous trip to Mt. Rogers, Keith and I tackled our trip to the summit of Mt. Greylock using different routes. Mount Greylock has over 70 miles of designated trails for hiking, mountain biking, back-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling, including an 11.5 mile section of the Appalachian Trail (AT).

I hiked up Mt. Greylock during my AT thru-hike, and started my morning from a trailhead 8 miles south of the mountain in nearby Cheshire, MA.

Meanwhile, Keith and Finn drove to Mt. Greylock State Park from their campground. Once inside the park, they parked at a trailhead on Rockwell Road, and joined me for the final mile climb to the summit.

When hiking northbound, Mt. Greylock climbs upward at a steady, but manageable grade. The trail was well-maintained and marked the entire way, and crossed Rockwell Road a handful of times.

At the summit, we visited Bascom Lodge, a rustic arts and crafts structure built in the mid 1930s, where visitors can stay overnight or enjoy lunch/dinner.

Bascom Lodge
Bascom Lodge (named for John Bascom, and early Greylock Reservation Commissioner)

After a brief visit to the lodge, we headed next door to the Veterans’ War Memoral, a 92-foot high, lighthouse-style observation tower that rests atop the actual summit of Mt. Greylock.

Mt. Greylock Memorial Tower
Veterans’ Memorial Tower

This impressive granite observation tower has an incredibly beautiful mosaic ceiling when you first enter the main level. And around the edge of the ceiling, the words, “Of those immortal dead who live again in the minds made better by their presence”, are inscribed in stone.

mosaic ceiling
Mosaic tiles

Visitors can head up a spiral staircase to the top of the observation tower and take in the 360-degree views of the Berkshires, Adirondack Mountains, and much of Taconic Range. On a clear day, you can even see into five states – Massachusetts. New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

Observation tower
Finn near the windows of the observation tower

Once our visit was done, I continued north on the AT for another 12 miles, while Keith and Finn drove back to their campground. The descent down the north side of the mountain was considerably more challenging with a steep, rocky trail between Mt. Williams and the town of North Adams, MA. Thus, I’d recommend using the southern route if you want to hike to the summit.


Details

When to Visit: Summer and Fall, as the auto road is only open between mid-May and November 1st. The visitor’s center operates daily from 9 am to 4:30 pm during those months.

Getting There:  Mt. Greylock is located 16 miles north of Pittsfield, MA.

Entrance Fees: Daily parking fees for the summit are $5 for MA residents, and $10 for non-residents (as determined by the license plate of the vehicle). There was no fee to hike up via the Appalachian Trail.

Parking: There are multiple small parking lots along Rockwell Road that will allow you to hike to the summit, as well as a large paved lot near Bascom Lodge.

Accessibility: Visitors can drive to the summit between late May to November 1st each year.

Bonus:  Bascom Lodge sells Mt. Greylock IPA (a 12% ABV double New England IPA from Greater Good Imperial Brewing Co. in Worcester, MA).

Named in honor of this high point, this beer packs a real punch!

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