Massachusetts trails · Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
A 117.6-mile section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Massachusetts, with 2,600 ft of climbing. The full trail runs about 2,197 miles. Reaches Mount Race and other summit/waterfall destinations. Managed by Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 20,292 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Mount Race (summit)
- Saddle Ball Mountain (summit)
- Mount Bushnell (summit)
- Mount Everett (summit)
- Bald Top (summit)
- Walling Mountain (summit)
- North Mountain (summit)
- The Cobbles (summit)
- Becket Mountain (summit)
- June Mountain (summit)
Heads up
Getting there
APPALACHIAN TRAIL access. About 50 min drive (24 mi, 1 of them unpaved) from Pittsfield. 42.15382, -73.37478 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:36 a.m., the sun rises at 7:04 a.m. and sets at 6:13 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:41 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 09 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 117.6-mile route works out to roughly 44 h 52 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- APPALACHIAN TRAIL + Appalachian National Scenic Trail — 13.3 mi loop, 3,169 ft gain
- APPALACHIAN TRAIL + Appalachian National Scenic Trail — 1.6 mi loop, 384 ft gain
- APPALACHIAN TRAIL + Appalachian National Scenic Trail — 2.7 mi loop, 493 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Ski Trail — 3.4 mi
- South Taconic Trail — 6.6 mi
- Mount Frissell Trail — 8.6 mi
- Willams River Rail Trail — 13.6 mi