Mount Holyoke Range

Hike Name: Mount Holyoke Range Location: west MA Length: 75 Submitted by: Richard Orlick Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more Massachusetts trail reviews Massachusetts national parks Massachusetts state parks
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Description
Mount Holyoke Range State Park, J. A. Skinner State Park, Mt. Tom State Reservation and Mt. Sugarloaf State Reservation. These are all wooded over woodlots and pastures, eroded from clear cutting and full of dumpsites, hard to tell if you don’t know what you’re your looking for. These parks and reservations offer about seventy-five miles total of marked and mapped trails, mostly a day hike if you don’t get lost. Some steep trails can be a bit tricky. This area offers a good diversity of streams, ponds, wetlands and a verity of trees, mostly not indigenous. The peeks and lookouts offer scenic views of the broad agricultural landscape and the Connecticut River. Although rare, there is some wildlife, black bears, dear and cougars. The bird life includes some eagles, hawks, owls and other rare birds that are attempting to make a return. Fall foliage viewing is popular but please, don’t do your leaf peeping when driving. Hiking during hunting season is discouraged. On the trails, you will find three different types of hikers, the indigenous New Englander, tourists and the hard-core environmentalist, the locals call them Eco-Nazis. Trails are sometimes blocked by the Eco-Nazis in an attempt to keep the ATVs out and several times I have seen old barbed wire across the trails. Rock climbing on Mt. Tom and Mt. Sugarloaf is gnarly, loose sandstone rock and other breakaways. You can find Indian arrowheads and small fossils along the trails. The ticks are plentiful sometimes.
Overall, a good quick fix for the tailholic despite some rough spots.

Directions to Hike
Located in central western Massachusetts

Mt. Holyoke Range State Park, From east or west: take the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) to exit 5, Rte. 33 north to Rte. 116 north to the Amherst town line.

Skinner State Park, From east or west: Mass Pike (Rte. I-90) to exit 5, Rte. 33 north to Rt 116 north to Rt 47 north approximately four miles. Park entrance is on right.

Mount Tom State Reservation,

Easthampton entrance
From the south: Rte. 91 north, take exit #17-B, go 4 miles on Rte 141 west. Reservation entrance is on the right.
From the north: Rte. 91 south, take exit #18, onto Rte 5 south about 1.5 miles, right on to East St. for 3 miles, left onto 141 East (up the hill), reservation entrance on your left.

Holyoke entrance
From the south: Rte. 91 north, take exit #17-A to Rte. 5 north. Travel 4 miles, reservation entrance is on your left.
From the north: Rte. 91 south, take exit #18 to Rte. 5 south. Travel 4 miles, entrance is on your right

Mt. Sugarloaf State Reservation, From the east or west: Mass Pike (Rte I-90) to exit 4, then Rte. 91 north to exit 24, Rte. 116 east. One mile on left.

Contact Information
http://www.state.ma.us/dem/forparks.htm

Region 4 Headquarters
Address
40 Cold Storage Drive
P.O. Box 484
Amherst, MA 01004


Phone Number
413 545-5993

Fax Number
413 545-5995

Directions
From Mass Pike: 90 to Springfield Exit #4. Take Rte. 91 North to the Northampton Exit #19. Take Rte. 9 East to Rte. 116. Take left onto Rte.116 and take your first exit (University of Massachusetts). Bear right off exit and go through blinking lights to set of lights at Commonwealth Avenue. Turn left onto Commonwealth Ave. Go to Cold Storage Drive (just after the Mullen Center parking lots) and bear left.

From Rte.2 East to Rte.91. Take Rte. 91 South to Rte.116 (So.Deerfield). Take Rte. 116 South to the University of Massachusetts exit. Take left off Exit - go through blinking light to set of lights at Commonwealth Ave. Turn left onto Commonwealth Ave. and go to end and bear left.

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