A.T. from North Adams

Approach

Driving directions from Boston:

90 W -> 91 N -> 2 W

into North Adams

On the far side of town you'll see Hillside Cemetery on the side of a hill to your left.

Take a left on Notch Rd (4th left after cemetery; second-to-last left before the next bridge).

Stay on Notch Rd for about a mile (avoid the dead-end right fork at about 0.5mi);
you will see Mt Williams Reservoir immediately ahead.
Turn (merge) right onto Pattison Rd (Notch Rd continues south but would require a sharp left)

At the far (ie, west) end of the reservoir, the A.T. joins the road from the North. It leaves to the South less than a reservoir-length after that (ie, less than a quarter mile), just after the road crosses Paull Brook (and before the road reaches the smaller Williamstown Reservoir). Park along the road somewhere here - there is room beside the Mt Williams Reservoir.

Route Description

A very pleasant wooded ridge hike.

The A.T. is extremely well-traveled, well-blazed, and well-posted.

From Pattison Rd, follow the AT south.

There's a relatively steep (but still class 1) ascent at first, then the route
climbs more gently up to and along the ridge.

Stay on the A.T. (ie, turn east - downhill at first) at the junction with the Mt. Prospect Trail.

(Or, take a short side trip to the summit of Mt Prospect for a good view of the valley and of the summit.)

The trail begins to climb again after a road crossing within half a mile; ignore two turn-offs to the right (one on each side of the road). The AT heads east (and slightly south) to the summit of Mt Williams (perhaps 0.8mi from the Mt Prospect trail junction), where it turns south to follow the ridge over Mt Fitch and straight up Mt Greylock.
(ignore turnoffs for Thunderbolt and Overlook trails just below the summit cone -- or take a side trip along the Overlook trail for a better view westward than you can get from the summit. {The overlook trail rejoins the AT just south of the summit.)

Essential Gear

None except in winter.

Miscellaneous Info

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