The Mohawk Trail began as a Native American trade route which connected

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tribes with tribes in

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and beyond. It followed the

Millers River The Millers River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in northern Massachusetts, originating in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, Ashburnham and joining ...

, Deerfield River and crossed the Hoosac Range, in the area that is now northwestern

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Route

Today the Mohawk Trail is a part of Routes 2 and 2A, following much of the original Indian trail. The exact path of the trail is not officially defined, and there is some disagreement among various sources as to its endpoints. The broadest definition runs 75 miles (121 kilometers) from Athol, Massachusetts to the border with New York in Williamstown, Massachusetts, passing through the communities of Orange, Erving,

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, Greenfield, Shelburne, Buckland, Charlemont,

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, and North Adams. However, other sources use a narrower definition, with the eastern terminus being in Millers Falls, Greenfield, or Charlemont. The trail is generally considered to follow Route 2A in the east (which diverges from Route 2 as it goes through the town centers of Athol, Orange, and Greenfield) and continue on Route 2 after Route 2A ends in Greenfield.

Attractions

The modern day Mohawk Trail is considered one of the most beautiful drives in Massachusetts. The

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mountains are clearly visible from several points. There are numerous points of interest along the way, including many scenic viewpoints,

roadside attraction A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road meant to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere, rather than being a destination. They are frequently advertised with billboard (advertis ...

s and gift shops. Of particular note is Hail to the Sunrise at Mohawk Park, a statue made in tribute to Native American heritage. A portion of the trail parallels the Deerfield River for several miles, and passes through the village of

Shelburne Falls Shelburne Falls is an historic village in the towns of Shelburne, Massachusetts, Shelburne and Buckland, Massachusetts, Buckland in Franklin County, Massachusetts, Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The village is a census-designate ...

, and the Bridge of Flowers. The route crosses the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

via the historic French King Bridge at a height of 140 feet. The road reaches a high elevation of 2272 feet at Whitcomb Summit. On the western side of the summit there is the popular hairpin turn and lookout, overlooking the city of North Adams and the Taconic Mountains. On the eastern side, the highway descends steeply eastward from Whitcomb Summit down the slope of the Hoosac Range following the Cold River to the Deerfield River. Notable features include the infamous Dead Man's Curve. A six-mile section of the Mohawk Trail was severely damaged by

Hurricane Irene Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth tropical cyclone naming, named storm, first hurricane, and first major ...

in August 2011. A considerable portion of the road is surrounded by the Mohawk Trail State Forest, a forest, known for its camping, and occasional encounters with

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s and black bears. Within this area there is substantial acreage of old growth forest containing many of the tallest trees in Massachusetts as verified by the Eastern Native Tree Society. The route passes close to

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's southern border, and alternate routes travel north into Vermont to Harriman Reservoir and Ball Mountain State Park. The western terminus in Williamstown provides access to Mount Greylock, U.S. Route 7, and New York State Route 2. A portion of the historic footpath route, running through Florida, Savoy, and Charlemont, from the confluence of the Cold and Deerfield Rivers up the Cold River valley to Wheeler Brook, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on April 3, 1973. This route, where the footpath itself is no longer extant in original form, is located on the north bank of the Cold River, with the modern roadway running along the south bank included in the listed area as an intrusion on the setting.

Gallery

References

External links

Mohawk Trail Region
, The Mohawk Trail Association * * {{Authority control Historic sites in Massachusetts Historic trails and roads in Massachusetts History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts Native American trails in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Franklin County, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Berkshire County, Massachusetts Native American history of Massachusetts

Route

Attractions

Gallery

See also

References

External links