Mount Greylock is the highest mountain in Massachusetts, standing tall at 3,491 feet. Greylock is part of a long ridge of mountains that include Mount Williams and Fitch to the north and Saddle Ball Mountain to the south. The Appalachian Trail runs over this entire ridge generally from north to south and there are a multitude of trails surrounding Mount Greylock that climb the mountain from several different directions. The mountain is steep from just about every direction and almost all the ascents include over 2,000 vertical feet of climbing.
We enjoy this hike at least once a year. It’s a nice change from hiking in the Catskills and depending on the time of the year you’re hiking, you can get totally different experiences on the Mountain.
Our favorite way to hike Mount Greylock is from the west via the trailhead on Hopper Road. From this trailhead the Hopper Trail and the Money Brook Trail provide access to Prospect, Williams, Fitch and Greylock.
Moe and I follow the Hopper Brook Trail from the trailhead to the Money Brook Trail. From there it’s up Money Brook, to the Mount Prospect Trail, up Mount Prospect via the Mount Prospect Trail and then we connect with the Appalachian Trail.
From there we follow the Appalachian Trail southward up and over Mount Williams, along the ridge to Mount Fitch and then make the final climb to the summit of Mount Greylock after connecting with the Thunderbolt Trail.
From the top of Greylock we follow the Hopper Trail down off the summit and then drop down the Hopper and eventually make our way back to the trail head on Hopper Road. That’s about a 13 mile loop and you’ve got about 3100 vertical feet of relief from the parking area to the summit of Greylock.
The hike begins at the end of Hopper Road. There’s a fairly large parking area with an informational kiosk at the trailhead. We have arrived when the parking is full before, especially on weekends, so be sure to arrive early and have a plan B.
Mount Greylock does have an auto road to the summit that you will cross on this hike. The summit also features numerous amenities, though at the time of year we did this hike (late April) none of the summit buildings were open and there was no running water available at the summit.
As for water, after leaving the Money Brook Trail on this loop, there is no water until the small pond on the Hopper Trail after you begin descending Mount Greylock. In the months when the summit lodge is open, water would be available from a hiker water spigot on the outside of the lodge.
In the summer months, the snack bar in the lodge is a great place to get a mid-hike hamburger!
For More Information
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Jeff Senterman 