Massachusetts trails · Appalachian Trail/Long Trail
Appalachian Trail/Long Trail
A 11.4-mile out-and-back in Massachusetts, with 2,754 ft of climbing. Reaches Mount Williams and other summit/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the middle third — 75% of the ascent, between mile 3.8 and mile 7.6. It gives back about 2,484 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 Williams (summit)
- Mount Fitch (summit)
- East Mountain (summit)
- Mount Greylock (summit)
- Adams Overlook (viewpoint)
Getting there
Thunderbolt Trail access — parking nearby. 42.64219, -73.16240 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:46 a.m., the sun rises at 6:16 a.m. and sets at 7:29 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:58 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 13 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 22.8-mile round trip takes roughly 11 h 11 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 5:27 p.m. — 2 h 02 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Unnamed trail + APPALACHIAN TRAIL/LONG TRAIL + Appalachian National Scenic Trail — 13.0 mi loop, 4,576 ft gain
- APPALACHIAN TRAIL + Unnamed trail + APPALACHIAN TRAIL/LONG TRAIL — 4.6 mi loop, 2,049 ft gain
- Unnamed trail + APPALACHIAN TRAIL/LONG TRAIL + Appalachian National Scenic Trail — 2.9 mi loop, 709 ft gain
Across the border
- Continues into VT as APPALACHIAN TRAIL/LONG TRAIL — view on the map
- Continues into VT as Appalachian National Scenic Trail — view on the map
- Continues into VT as Long Trail / Appalachian Trail — view on the map
Nearby trails
- Mahican Mohawk Trail — 6.6 mi
- Taconic Trail — 7.1 mi
- Bruiser's Pass Snowmobile Trail — 7.9 mi
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail — 11.0 mi