Monday, October 27, 2014

Mt Tom Ridge Walk

Mt. T
Rock Scramble  ©wsstern
Mt. Tom Ridge Walk
Easthampton, MA 01027

©wsstern
Reservation Road, Easthampton, MA 01027
or Christopher Clark Rd., Easthampton, MA.
Hike time: As long or as short as you wish--Trail goes for miles and hooks up with other trails.
      Difficulty:  Moderate with terrific views
      Minimum:  1 hour round trip for views
      Maximum: hours and hours of linked trails throughout the park
      Good for kids with experience
Note: Park closes at 8 pm summer or 6 pm before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. Yes, they close the gates! There are places to park outside the gates if you so desire.      
Last hiked: September 2014 
$2.00 entry fee between Memorial Day and Labor Day, or Life Time Senior Pass for MA residents to all state parks available for $10.00 at Reservation Rd. entry

Ridge Overlook  © wsstern
Mt. Tom is a well known Massachusetts state park along the Connecticut River. I'd hiked it years ago as a  new-comer. It's so close to home I ended up ignoring it, thinking I'd 'seen it all' in previous walks. What a mistake! Of the many trails available, the Ridge Walk (Metacoment-Monadnock Trail)   is one of my all time favorites anywhere in the world. And you don't have to do a lot of work to get to the magnificent scenery all along the 2 miles of stunning ridge views.

I've found using the M&M Trail access (Metacomet and Monadnock Trail) from the parking lot off of Christopher Clark Road is the easiest access--but not the only one by a long shot.

If you have Google Maps on a smart phone, you can find the trails marked on your mobile app.  The park provides a trail map which I suggest you carry. There are a variety of other ways to access the ridge, but this I have found to be the fastest way to hiker 'heaven.'

© wsstern
© wsstern
The ascent to the 2 mile-long ridge takes about 15 minutes. Then you pop up onto a trail packed with views and scrambles, climbs and rest stops. On one section of the cliffs parasail-ers take running leaps off the cliffs to float towards the valley floor hundreds of feet below.



©wsstern
How is this for kids? It's terrific for a somewhat seasoned young hikers who love to scamper and scramble over things but also have a sense of respect toward danger. Yes, you can fall over the side--no fences or bars to hold you back.

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