Tour the Make Western Massachusetts your go-to getaway! Take in spectacular views, discover American history first-hand, and be inspired by world- class arts and culture as you travel the scenic byways of Western Massachusetts. You’ll find adventure at every turn on seven designated scenic byways. Find many more ideas, activities, maps and links to trip-planning resources at bywayswestmass.com. MAPSMAPS AND ACTIVITIESACTIVITIES INSIDE Slow roads lead to great adventures along the seven scenic byways of Western Massachusetts here’s nothing more American than a Ski, snowshoe or snowmobile. Don’t T road trip. forget to pack the fishing rods, the Put aside the schoolbooks, the schedules and the cycling helmets and a picnic basket. Connecticut River • Jacob’s Ladder Trail office headaches, and open your eyes to the splendors Set out for a weekend adventure. Mohawk Trail • Mount Greylock of quintessential New England — found in abundance Be spontaneous or use the byway Route 112 • Route 116 • Route 122 along the seven scenic byways of Western Massachusetts. map and website to help you plan Consider an auto or bicycling tour. Relax, reconnect your excursion. with loved ones, and marvel at the gorgeous views. To learn more about points of interest in You’ll find something around every bend. A vintage this brochure, visit bywayswestmass.com. Prepared in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of bowling alley, a drive-in movie theater, world-class art Transportation (MassDOT), Office of Transportation Planning, and the Cover: Connecticut River as seen from Mount Sugarloaf; United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. museums, outdoor dance performances, pick-your- MASS MoCA; Mohawk Trail Byway near North Adams; Memorial Tower on Mount Greylock. own berry farms, and more. Zipline as fast or as slow Back Cover: Connecticut River Byway; Sterling and Francine as you choose. Raft, cycle or swim. Clark Art Institute; Rail Trail over Connecticut River. Above: Westfield River. Ruth Schneider photography. BYWAY-Brochure-FNL.indd 1 6/6/13 11:34 AM COnneCTiCUT RiveR Connecticut River Family farms, historic town centers, panoramic views of rolling hills, forests and pastures dominate the The STaTS Massachusetts stretch of the Length: 38 miles in THe MOnTAGUe MiLL Massachusetts; the Connecticut River national Scenic With a bookstore, a café, artist galleries, antique shops and entire nationally concerts all within a 19th-century gristmill, this is a great place designated scenic Byway. Hikers, paddlers, anglers, byway that extends to get lost for a few hours. A DRive-in THeATeR into New Hampshire THAT’S in TWO PLACeS history buff s and art lovers will all fi nd MOUnT TOBy and Vermont totals AT OnCe 498 miles. The three-mile hike to the top of Mount Toby rewards you with The Northfi eld Drive-in Movie Theater plenty of reasons to get out of the car some of the best views around the Connecticut River Valley. For is one of the last drive-in movie Link it up: The an interesting detour, fi nd the spur trail leading to the ruins of and explore, or stretch this leisurely theaters in Massachusetts, but half of Connecticut River a cabin that was part of an Irish settlement around 1850. it is actually in Winchester, New Scenic Byway crosses the Mohawk afternoon drive into a longer road trip. PORTeR-PHeLPS-HUnTinGTOn MUSeUM Hampshire. Trail Scenic Byway in This historic site tells the story of six generations of a prosper- A TRee OLDeR THAn eveRyOne Erving, and inter- ous 18th-century farm. Guided tours glimpse the lives of three in THe CAR, COMBineD sects with the Route centuries of family, artisans, slaves and servants. 116 Scenic Byway in VERMONT The “Buttonball Tree” in Sunderland is Sunderland. Williamstown NEW HAMPSHIRE neW enGLAnD nATiOnAL SCeniC TRAiL a huge sycamore that is estimated to North Adams 112 J.A. Skinner State Park in Hadley off ers access to the New be as old as the U.S. Constitution that Northfield was signed in 1787. Colrain England National Scenic Trail, a 215-mile hiking trail with 2 91 63 8 sections in Massachusetts and Connecticut. NEW YORK Mt. Greylock Summit A MOUnTAinTOP HOTeL Shelburne Falls Adams Orange Athol LOCAL AGRiCULTURe Look for the white building on top of Deerfield River 2 2 Greenfield 7 Erving 2A Stop at one of the many farm stands, corn mazes, creameries, Mount Holyoke, called the Summit Gardner To BOSTON Mt. Greylock 112 2 Scenic Byway 116 sugar shacks and bakeries along the byway. Changing seasons House. This was a popular hotel in the Ashfield DiD yOu CT River Scenic Byway bring changing produce, from maple syrup and eggs to lettuce 1800s, when Mount Holyoke was a 9 knOW? Lanesborough 116 122 tourist destination on par with Niagara 47 and spinach to eggplant and squash. 20 Falls; it is now a visitor center. The byway traverses Sunderland A nATiOnAL SCeniC ByWAy Pittsfield the bottom of Lake 20 112 Westfield River The Connecticut River Scenic Byway is One-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSe Hitchcock, an ancient Connecticut River Barre National Scenic Byway the only nationally designated byway in the glacial lake that at 8 Just north of the entrance to J.A. 7 one time extended Amherst Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Skinner State Park, see if you can fi nd 90 To ALBANY Housatonic River The byway extends into New Hampshire the brick one-room schoolhouse. 200 miles from Hadley central Connecticut Lee and Vermont to the Canadian line. Northampton 112 HOW HiGH CAn iT GeT? through Massachu- Stockbridge 47 It straddles both sides of the New 32 122 Hampshire –Vermont border until it In the Hockanum Meadows of Hadley setts to northern 20 Quabbin Reservoir Ware South Hadley Vermont. The glacial Worcester look for the post along the road that 91 reaches Massachusetts in Northfi eld, and continues to South Huntington lake deposits have Connecticut River shows how high the fl oodwaters of the Hadley. To make this trip a long loop, start in South Hadley and resulted in the Con- Russell drive north, choosing either the New Hampshire or Vermont Connecticut River have risen in 90 90 necticut River Valley side of the byway. When you get to the border with Canada, the past. 90 Palmer having some of the return south on the opposite side of the river. Allow at least 14 best agricultural soil 20 To BOSTON Photos: Tobacco barn; cyclist crossing the 20 hours to drive the entire byway along both sides of the river. Connecticut River. in the world. Springfield To HARTFORD 84 BYWAY-Brochure-FNL.indd 2 6/6/13 11:34 AM CONNECTICUT JACOB’S LADDeR TRAiL Jacob’s Ladder Trail Take a drive across “the fi rst of the great mountain crossovers” and feel transported back to a slower and The STaTS simpler time. Length: 35 miles keySTOne ARCH BRiDGeS Link it up: The These 70-foot-high, mid-19th-century bridges in Middlefi eld, Jacob’s Ladder Trail The Jacob’s Ladder Trail Scenic Byway Becket and Chester are the oldest of their kind in the U.S. built VERMONT 112 Scenic Byway inter- Connecticut River for railroad use, and they’re still used today. Walk the 2.5-mile National Scenic Byway A DeeR in DiSGUiSe sects with the Route traversesWilliamstown unspoiled and historic NEW HAMPSHIRE North Adams trail to see these engineering marvels built without mortar or Near the crest of the hill at Fred 112 Scenic Byway in steel reinforcements. Snow Road, this local character is often Huntington. rural landscapes, anchored by Tekoa Northfield dressed in sunglasses and other kooky 2 Colrain 91 WATeRWAyS 8 63 costumes. Mountain in the east and Laurel Find great fi shing and paddling in the Westfi eld and Housa- NEW YORK Mt. Greylock Summit Lake in the west. Shelburne Falls tonic Rivers, where native trout still swim freely, or visit novelist A HiSTORiC ROCk MOnUMenT Adams Deerfield River Orange Athol Edith Wharton’s estate located on Laurel Lake’s western shore. 2 2 When the Jacob’s Ladder Trail opened 7 Greenfield 2A in 1910, people built a stone cairn —a Erving JACOB’S PiLLOW DAnCe FeSTivAL Gardner To BOSTON pile of rocks — at the summit to mark 112 2 Every summer, the historic Carter Farm becomes one of the 116 the occasion. Ashfield country’s best places to see indoor and outdoor performances by dance troupes from around the world. MULTiCOLOReD iCiCLeS Lanesborough 9 116 122 47 Amazing icicles form on the rock cliffs 20 BOULDeR PARk TRAiL in CHeSTeR-BLAnDFORD Sunderland STATe FOReST near Route 23. Residents sometimes Pittsfield dye them with food coloring, continu- 20 This easy, interpretive forest trail winds past massive boulders that were dropped by glaciers up to 18,000 years ago. ing a tradition started by paper mills Westfield Connecticut River Barre more than 100 years ago. River National Scenic Byway DiD yOu 7 8 TALLeST WOODen STeePLe knOW? 112 Amherst OLD CHeSTeR JAiL 90 Housatonic River The wooden-frame steeple of the First Congregational Church Quabbin Resevoir of Lee can be seen for miles and is reputed to be the tallest in This tiny 1840 jailhouse is now a muse- Jacob’s Well and Hadley New England. Its Seth Thomas clock system, which is wound um about Chester’s railroad history and Jacob’s Spring, near Lee 32 the Morey Hill Sum- Jacob’s Ladder Trail Scenic Byway Northampton weekly by hand, tolls every hour. includes a jail cell built to incarcerate mit, were important 47 incorrigible railroad workers. Limited Stockbridge 122 stops for motorists in operating hours. 20 Ware the early 20th South Hadley Worcester century. Back then, TekOA MOUnTAin Huntington Connecticut River cars often overheat- This mountain rises above the Westfi eld 91 ed climbing the hills National Wild and Scenic River and is Russell of the Jacob’s Ladder 90 90 identifi ed by its bare rock and ledges Trail, so visitors 90 Palmer where vegetation isn’t able to take stopped here to cool hold.