Appalachian Trail (Dalton to Cheshire)
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
799 West Washington Street
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
(304) 535-6331
The Appalachian Trail (AT) passes through a scenic and relatively rugged 90-mile stretch of western Massachusetts, offering a variety of terrain, vistas, and experiences – from gentle ridges to steep climbs. The trail runs through the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts with elevations ranging from 650 to 3,491 feet. Mount Greylock is the highest point in this range at 3,491 feet. There are also lakes, rivers, and wetlands in the State with the Connecticut and Massachusetts border located right near Sages Ravine, a scenic area with many trees and waterfalls.
This is a short section of the A.T. in Massachusetts between the towns of Dalton and Cheshire that can be done as either a day or overnight hike. The Appalachian Trail starts at MA 8, heads east through Cheshire and eventually climbs through some hardwoods to the southern edge of the Cobbles. This is a large rock outcropping that overlooks the town of Cheshire. The trail continues uphill from the Cobbles and eventually reaches Gore Pond. The Crystal Mountain campsite is located about a half mile from here, and only a few miles beyond it is the town of Dalton (the northern terminus of this hike).
- click for more photos from this backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail: April 6, 1996
- click for a Daytimer report from this hike in Massachusetts: April 6, 1996 (password required)
- click for a map of the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut & Massachusetts (password protected)
- click for a topographical and profile map of this hike from Dalton to Cheshire (password protected)
- click to view a short video slideshow of my 1994 hike on the Appalachian Trail
- click for a journal entry from my thru-hike on the A.T. in this area: August 15-21, 1994 (password required)
- click for more information on the Appalachian Trail
- click for Appalachian Trail hiking and backpacking books
- click to view a short video slideshow of my 1994 hike on the Appalachian Trail
- click for more hiking and backpacking trips in the State of Massachusetts