Mount Greylock State Reservation is public recreation and nature preservation area on and around

Mount Greylock Mount Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts at 3,489 feet (1,063 meters). Located in the northwest region of the state, it is part of the Taconic Mountains, a geologically distinct range from the nearby Berkshire Mountains, Berkshire ...

, the

highest point A list of highest points typically contains the name, elevation, and location of the highest point in each of a set of geographical regions. Such a list is important in the sport of highpointing. A partial list of highpoint lists is below: World ...

in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. The park covers some in the

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

of Lanesborough, North Adams,

Adams Adams may refer to: * For persons, see Adams (surname) Places United States *Adams, California *Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California * Adams, Decatur County, Indiana *Adams, Kentucky *Adams, Massachusetts, a New England to ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

, Williamstown and New Ashford,

. It was created in 1898 as Massachusetts' first public land for the purpose of forest preservation.

History

Mount Greylock State Reservation was created in 1898 when the

state legislature A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of ...

passed Chapter 543 of the Acts of 1898, which appropriated $25,000 for land purchases and created the Greylock Reservation Commission as overseer. The Veterans War Memorial Tower that crowns the summit of the mountain was built 1931-32 and dedicated on June 30, 1933. Workers with the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

were active in the reservation during the 1930s. Their efforts, undertaken from 1933 to 1939, included construction of the Bascom Lodge, the Thunderbolt Ski Trail, Thunderbolt Shelter, and improved road access to the summit. A two-year Historic Parkway Rehabilitation Project undertaken during 2008 and 2009 restored the reservation's road system, offering numerous scenic viewing opportunities along the state-designated

Scenic Byway A scenic route, tourist road, tourist drive, scenic byway, or holiday road is a specially designated road or waterway that travels through an area of natural or cultural beauty. It often passes by Scenic viewpoint, scenic viewpoints. The designat ...

Activities and amenities

Roads to the summit of Mount Greylock are open seasonally, weather permitting. At the summit, Bascom Lodge offers overnight accommodations and meals during non-winter months. The reservation's of trails for hiking, mountain biking, back-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling include an section of the

Appalachian National Scenic Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian T ...

and the historic Thunderbolt Ski Trail. Primitive camping is available for backpackers at either the Mount Greylock Campground or remote trailside backpacker shelters, all of which are only accessible by foot. Hunting is permitted in season.

References

External links

Mount Greylock State Reservation
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Mount Greylock State Reservation Map
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Hiking Trail Mileages: Mount Greylock State Reservation
Department of Conservation and Recreation * {{authority control State parks of Massachusetts State parks of the Appalachians Parks in Berkshire County, Massachusetts Campgrounds in Massachusetts Civilian Conservation Corps in Massachusetts Historic American Landscapes Survey in Massachusetts Lanesborough, Massachusetts