Cheshire Harbor Trail

Approach

Road Directions from Boston:

90 W -> 91 N -> 2 W to North Adams

In downtown North Adams, turn onto rte 8 south (turn is from right lane- watch for signs & follow them as you turn into a shopping center and then pass underneath rte 2.)
(Intersection is after the library & just before crossing the railroad tracks - if you see Hillside Cemetery you've missed it)

Stay on 8 south about 4miles.

In the town of Adams (about 4 miles from North Adams), bear right (ie, stay on 8) at the fork where rte 116 bears left

Immediately turn right (crossing the river) and onto Fisk St bearing WNW. At the fork, go straight (not right, which
takes you to a golf course).

[Street names in Adams are confusing - rely on a map and a sense of distance, not on street signs. Rte 8 at this point (only!) is called Commercial St. The block-long right branch to the river is called River St. (If you miss it you can take a sharp right on Prospect St instead as soon as Rte 8 crosses the river.) On the west side of the river, River St becomes Harmony St, but only for a few hundred feet up to the fork. The left fork (what you want) is Fisk St; the right fork (to the golf course) is Forest Park Ave. After two blocks Fisk St becomes Fisk Rd.]

In about half a mile, Fisk St (I mean Fisk Rd) ends in a T with West Rd. Turn right, then immediately turn left onto Camp Hamelin Rd.

[The southern extension of Camp Hamelin Rd is a dirt path called West Mountain Rd. On some maps the name "West Mountain Rd" appears to refer to Camp Hamelin Rd as well. I don't remember what the street sign says, or if there even was one.]

Follow Camp Hamelin Rd uphill {west, then curving southward} to the end of the pavement (just past a garden store). The Cheshire Harbor Trail will be on the right (there's a sign).

There is a dirt parking area with room for a half-dozen cars.

Route Description

Trail is unblazed but extremely wide and smooth (it's a mountain bike trail), and all intersections are marked with signs. Just follow the Cheshire Harbor Trail uphill (West and then North) to the A.T., then follow the signs to the summit.

Essential Gear

None except in winter. If this year is typical, snow lingers into April but not a trace remains by May.
Usual warnings about being prepared for weather apply. There is a lodge on the summit that opens in mid-May; in winter there is no shelter.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.