mount tom state reservation

This is a beautiful area; lots of great hiking, scenic views; nothing too strenuous. My kids loved it! I grew up here, so this area holds a ton of fond memories for me. Still beautiful after all these years.

We love coming here all seasons. The hiking is plentiful. On season can get a little busy with families picnicking A lot of history up here at my tom. Off season is free but there is a fee for parking on season. About $3-4. Two entrances so you can site see from one end to the other. There is a little lake up there for fishing. Not too many open shore spots but once u get one fishing is pretty good. Spring time brings a lot of snakes so keep eyes open.

Mount Tom is very accessible from Holyoke and Northampton. The reservation has plenty of parking, picnic tables, and nice bathrooms. The trails are well marked, and nicely laid-out for pleasant rambling. I did the hike from Lake Bray to Mt Nonotuck--about 4 miles of easy hiking, with some very pretty views. The ruins of the Eyrie House are picturesque--a bit of gothic romance, if you're a fan. A great place to walk on a crisp fall day!Admission to the park is just $2.

This is really the only thing to do in the general area. Western mass is really pretty in the fall (I was there in mid october) when the leaves start to change. We went to the top of Mount Tom and it was pretty- amazing photos and you can really see the fall changing colors. The trails are well marked and there were different places to walk around. However, this is not all day thing. You will max spend 3 hours here if you try different trails or have young children. Does not require "hiking" or athletic ability, it is just a pretty fall walk around a tree dense area. Great if you are already in the area, not worth going to just for the destination. $2 car entrance fee. Playgrounds. Visitor center, lots of parking.

Mt Tom offers loads of trails starting and ending in Easthampton, Holyoke and Northampton. It is my favorite portion of the M&M trail which extends from CT to NH, due to the beautiful views from the cliffs looking out over Easthampton. There are several tourist points to visit including the site of the old Summit House, the WWII B17 crash site and monument and the ruins of the old Eyrie House. The mountain offers hiking for all skill levels from beginner to difficult. I often use it as a major source of cardio exercise, hiking appx. 2.5 miles with a 700 foot elevation gain and decline loop since I am only 10 minutes from the mountain. No better reward during exercise than beautiful views. Only negative is that unfortunately derelicts have defaced much of the mountain cliffs along the summit which retracts from it's natural beauty, but when you venture past this popular area the defacing decreases considerably.

There are several trails and all are interesting and not too difficult.There were three of us - one 80 yo, and two 60 yo. We took the rim trail, then went down service road from cell antennas to quarry, and then went up quarry trail back up to rim trail and back to ranger station. All together probably at least six miles. We were tired, but enjoyed it. We saw a large black bear and a beautiful big owl. Next time we will go on a cooler day. Don't go in flip-flops! I picked up a small backpack of empty plastic bottles along the trails - not cool!

I grew up with mt. Tom being in my back yard and have never gotten sick of climbing the trails. If you go up the powerline trail on the back side of the mountain, it's one hell of a burn! The cliff is 900' straight down as the mountain has a rocky face that has wild blueberries on top during July. Look for them. So many different access roads and styles of hiking, be sure to get a map.

I parked at the lower lot by the pond and hiked up to the tower through the woods. I enjoyed hiking and sitting by the pond watching the Canada Geese.

This park offers hiking trails, scenic picnic areas next to beautiful lakes, playground for children and look out points. I really enjoyed going here and I wish it were open later all year around!

We live about an hour away but had never gone up to Mt Tom. We loved it. At the visitors center the man who works at the park spent a lot of time describing the park, trails, animals etc. We walked for hours, climbing the observation tower and looking for birds etc. Great day.

Nice place to view the Connecticut river valley from. Try to include the Mt Holyoke Visitor center which complements Mt Tom very nicely. Also you can stop in DSouth hadley and get a nice latte or coffee in the town center. very very pleasant.

Nothing overly exciting, but a nice quiet place to get some hiking in, plus there are a few spots with some nice views of the Connecticut River valley. And there are some ruins on top of Goat Peak to check out. You can picnic in several spots, including near Bray Lake. There are snapping turtles in there, best left alone.:-)

This is a great place for the whole family. Usually weekdays are free and weekends are about $2. There are picnic sites and grills that are free and two large gazebos for rent. A big lake for fishing(not swimming) and plenty of trails to keep you busy. They also have a look out tower and benches at the top of the mountain with spectacular views, you can drive your car to. Dogs are allowed on a leash. They do have a few swings and a slide but the rest is up to you!

Spectacular views of the Connecticut river valley & the Berkshires from the road along the western edge, entered from route 141. Striking volcanic rock formations for the geologist. Excellent walking trails. And the reservation is not much used, so no crowds. Oh, Mt. Tom is the last surviving habitat, I'm told, of the north-eastern timber rattlesnake--but a visitor is very unlikely to see one. In spring and fall the valley is a major route for migrating hawks, and there are bald eagles to be seen.There's a small entrance/parking fee on weekends.

My mother in law and our two dogs (and me) had a blast here.We didn't see any hawks or wildlife, but the scenery was stunning. I could easily imagine myself plopping on one of the meadows by the lakes with a good book and some snacks! And since it's so big people disperse nicely so it never feels like there's too many humans :)