Mt. Greylock Hike - The tallest mountain in Massachusetts

 When the snow has melted and the sun come out - it's time to visit the Berkshires.  

Baby's First Hike - Mt. Greylock, MA

Friends- Courtney, Ingrid, and I don't get together often.  With one in Maine, another in Eastern Mass, and a third in upstate New York, we aren't exactly nearby each other  We decided we were in desperate need of a girls weekend and an adventure.  For a quick trip, we decided to all drive to North Adams, Massachusetts on a cool spring Friday, and spend a Saturday hiking Massachusetts tallest mountain - Mt. Greylock.  We were there April 19-20, 2013.

This turned out to be a wonderful idea. After about 3 hours of driving from each direction, we all got to spend a wonderful 24 hours together.  Ingrid's baby girl came along for our trip and enjoyed her first big trip.

Here is more information about our adventure for those looking for a similar getaway...

The Porches Inn, North Adams, Ma

Where we stayed:  We decided that camping this early in the year was not an option with a baby.  Instead, we stayed at The Porches Inn at Mass MoCA.  This inn provided comfortable and charming accommodations including a swimming pool/jacuzzi and a delicious complimentary breakfast.

Where we ate:  Friday night we ate at Desperados.  It is a Mexican restaurant in town with a lively and family friendly feel.  Their food was typical chain Mexican and have a bar.  They were accommodating to food allergies and the baby.  We ate breakfast at the Porches Inn and packed in lunches.

Where we hiked: We took Cheshire Harbor Trail trail up Mt. Greylock which is accessed from a parking lot at the end of West Mountain Rd.  The trail ascends 2.6 miles at a moderate grade up through deciduous forest and connects with the Appalachian Trail for the last 0.7 miles.  It provides views of streams before reaching the summit at 3,491 ft.  The summit has a visitor center (still closed for winter when we were there) and an enormous war monument.  It provided views of the Berkshire Mountain and valley bellow.  We descended on the same trail making the trek 6.6 round trip.  For a detailed trail map and description download this Mass Gov Pdf.   

Summit of Mt. Greylock 

Recommendations:  I truly enjoyed this voyage into Western Massachusetts, however, I think it would be even better to visit in the fall or summer when the leaves are present on the trees.  Early spring conditions provides a brown landscape that gave the illusion of a dead forest.  I can imagine that the deciduous forest is breathtaking in the fall months when the birch leaves are changing.

I loved my girls trip to the Berkshire of Massachusetts and an opportunity to see my dear friends.

Please feel free to leave comments or questions for Lindsey below...