6.5 mile loop; ~2,000 ft. elevation gain
Summit: 3,491 ft.
Route: Gould Trail to summit; Cheshire Harbor Trail back to parking lot
Review: Mt. Greylock is the highest peak in Massachusetts. The Gould and Cheshire Harbor trails are reached from West Mountain Road, just west of the town of Adams, and on the eastern side of Mt. Greylock. I did the hike with two AMCers -- John Good and Bob Armao. We spotted cars so we could do this loop. The sign at trailhead calls this a strenuous hike. We certainly didn't think so--not compared to the White Mountains in New Hampshire! No ladders, no difficult parts, not overly steep. Just a very steady climb up for 2 hours.
The summit is reached after crossing the summit road several times and taking the AT (Appalachian Trail) for about half a mile. Fortunately the auto road is closed, so the only people at the top were fellow hikers, and it wasn't as crowded as it usually gets on a nice day.
The tower at the summit is actually a lighthouse! Or at least that's what the signage states. Apparently there is some controversy about whether it was actually built and intended for the Charles River estuary, ending up as a war memorial on the top of Mt. Greylock.
The views are nice, but over-rated. Views from summits in New Hampshire and Vermont are far more spectacular. All-in-all, not worth doing again, even though there are numerous approaches and trails to try.
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