ADAMS, Mass.—The site of Mt. Greylock is a mystical one full of history and beauty. World renowned authors and artists have been inspired by the sight.

Hikers are surrounded by the sound of the forest as they begin their incline up the majestic mountain. All the sounds of nature come together and guide the hikers that dare adventure there from the high pitch squeaking from the cluster of Cedar waxwing, the scuffing of the scavenging Red Squirrel, to the clashing of the trees.

In the Fall, you are surrounded by an array of beautiful colors. The vibrant yellow, orange, and green gives the hikes an opportunity to experience life as if it were a beautiful painting. Voyagers are lifted from a chaotic world and placed into a calm, colorful atmosphere during their journey up the summit.

As they adventure further up the summit the tree's colors fade and are replaced with the prickly pine needles from the array of balsam fir and red spruce. Cones lay cover the ground and the smell of pine fills the air. Although it is not as colorful, the scene is just as wonderful and is a pleasure to all the senses.

After a long day of hiking the many winding trails and reaching the top of the mountain sit atop the summit and gaze at the magnificent, well earned view. On a clear day you can look out 90 miles from the top of the summit. The sun will set and the sky will blaze red and orange.

Upon nightfall voyagers are encouraged to stay at the historic Bascom Lodge. Built in 1930 the stone and wood lodge has a history of its own. Inside those walls is a story of past adventures who explored the surrounding trails. Sit by the warm fireplace after a long day of exploring and listen to the sound of nature.

The distinct call of the Barred Owl is all that can be heard on those chill nights. Fall asleep to its haunting song and awaken the next morning to the fog that answered its tune. 

Mt Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts being 3,489 feet and has been the inspiration to many legendary writers including Herman Melvile, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and J.K. Rolling because of its beauty and supernatural folklore.

It was the inspiration behind Melvile’s Moby Dick and is believed that the whale was inspired by the way Mt. Greylock looked from the window of his Arrowhead home on a snowy winter day in Pittsfield Massachusetts.

Thoreau was inspired by Mt. Greylock after spending the night atop the mountain in 1884 and awakened to fog which he referenced in his first novel calling it "an undulating country of clouds."

Nathaniel Hawthorne references the legendary summit in his short story “Ethan Brand”, which he wrote after hiking the mountain in the dark. His story takes a sinister tone telling the story of a man who operates a furnace on Mount “Gray Lock” and is obsessed with finding the “Unpardonable sin.”

More recently, J.K. Rolling referenced the summit in one of her online short stories about North American witches and wizards that attend a school on top of Mount Greylock called Ilvermorny.

Mt Greylock was the first designated state park in 1898 encompassing 400 acres but has since then expanded and now covers 12,000 acres and is a stop along the Appalachian Trail and is located in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. The mountain also contains the Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial. This 93-foot tower honors the veterans that fought in World War 1.

The park is open to visitors daily from 9 am until 4pm, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. The roads to the summit are closed for the winter season but reopen May 21 and remain open until October 30.

Parking fees are determined by vehicle license plates and costs $20 for non-MA residents and $5 for MA residents. Voyagers are welcome to stay at the Bascom Lodge located at the top of the summit. Rates can be found on their website: https://www.bascomlodge.net/