Mount Greylock State Reservation
Managed by Division of State Parks and Recreation
2,849 acres19.6 mi of trail
Bellows Pipe TrailAppalachian TrailCheshire Harbor TrailGould Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Adams
48% of Adams’ land is conserved: 7,009 acres
4,180 acres are parks and preserves, 518 per 1,000 residents. 50 miles of mapped trail cross Adams, 2.2 per square mile of land. 91% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #49 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
48%
7,009 acres · of 22.9 sq mi of land
Trails
50 mi
2.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,180 ac
518 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
91%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.7 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 3.5 mi paths
Highest peak
3,488 ft
Mount Greylock
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Adams?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild48% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Room to roam518 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 94% of U.S. towns.History along the way16 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Adams have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Adams is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #49 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Adams’ overall grade.
Conserved land48% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (50 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land518 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,180 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home91% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 83%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Adams’ 48% is ahead of 97% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 57% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Mount Greylock State Reservation, with 19.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Greylock Glen
Nature preserve
891 acres17.8 mi of trail
Glen Meadow LoopGould TrailBellows Pipe TrailMoser Farm Loop East+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Savoy Mountain State Forest
Nature preserve
768 acres3 mi of trail
Florida TrailBlackburnian Loop
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Adams Fire District Watershed Land
Nature preserve
338 acres2.8 mi of trail
Logging TrailRed Gate TrailSilver Fox Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Notch Reservoir
Nature preserve
225 acres0.6 mi of trail
Bellows Pipe TrailAppalachian Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 14 parks & preserves
Mount Greylock State Reservation2,849 acres · 19.6 mi of trail · Division of State Parks and Recreation
DirectionsGreylock Glen891 acres · 17.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSavoy Mountain State Forest768 acres · 3 mi of trail
Adams Fire District Watershed Land338 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNotch Reservoir225 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Valley Street Field11 acres
George Bowe Park10 acres
Renfrew Park7 acres
DirectionsRussell Field6 acres
DirectionsQuality Street Field2 acres
Liberty Street Field2 acres
Memorial Park1 acres
Albert Reid Field1 acres
DirectionsTown Common1 acres
Who protects it
7,009 conserved acres
48% of Adams’ land. Who manages Adams’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,585 ac
State parks446 ac
State conservation227 ac
Town or city48 ac
Not recorded5,937 ac
State Park · 2,660 acState Resource Management Area · 1,731 acAgricultural Easement · 1,585 acState Other or Unknown · 1,068 acWatershed Protection Area · 557 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,021 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 60 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Greylock State Reservation State Resource Management Area | State parks | 2,878 | Open |
| Savoy Mountain State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,512 | Open |
| Greylock Glen State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1,063 | Open |
| Fire District Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 344 | Open |
| Notch Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 212 | Open |
| Bellevue Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 58 | Open |
| Forest Park Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 49 | Restricted |
| Maple Street Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 16 | Open |
| George Bowe Field Playground Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Valley Street Field Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 12 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Adams
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Adams
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Adams
Lower Peck's FallsIn Greylock Glen
DirectionsPeck's FallsIn Greylock Glen
DirectionsSilver Fox FallsIn Mount Greylock State Reservation
DirectionsPlus 12 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Adams
Adams OverlookIn Mount Greylock State Reservation
DirectionsFitch OverlookIn Mount Greylock State Reservation
DirectionsRagged MountainIn Mount Greylock State Reservation
DirectionsRobinson's PointIn Mount Greylock State Reservation
DirectionsPlus 4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Adams
Mount Greylock3,488 ft elevation · In Mount Greylock State Reservation
DirectionsMount Fitch3,100 ft elevation · In Mount Greylock State Reservation
DirectionsHales Hill1,404 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Pinnacle1,266 ft elevation
DirectionsBurnettIn Savoy Mountain State Forest
DirectionsPicnic areas in Adams
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.5 miUnpaved · 23.9 mi
Bellows Pipe Trail3.9 mi
Gould Trail3.0 mi
Appalachian Trail2.1 mi
Cheshire Harbor Trail2.1 mi
Thunderbolt Ski Trail1.6 mi
Glen Meadow Loop1.5 mi
Silver Fox Trail1.1 mi
Ragged mtn path1.1 mi
Moser Farm Loop East1.0 mi
Snowmobile Trail0.9 mi
15 more trails
Moser Farm Loop West
0.8 miLogging Trail
0.8 miOverlook Trail
0.8 miMoonwart
0.8 miLittle Dragon Tail
0.7 miFlorida Trail
0.6 miHemlock Hollow
0.6 miSouth Side Connector
0.5 miRed Gate Trail
0.5 miGrashopper Loop
0.5 miBrookside Trail
0.5 miRaven Rocks path
0.5 miHidden Meadow Trail
0.4 miBirch Meadow Trail
0.4 miGould Trail Connetor
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
3.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
4Baseball
2Tennis
2Basketball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →16 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Quaker MeetinghouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itPark Street FirehouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itArmory BlockBuilding · listed 1982
About itBerkshie Mill No. 1Building · listed 1982
About itJones BlockBuilding · listed 1982
About itMausert BlockBuilding · listed 1982
About itP. J. Barrett BlockBuilding · listed 1982
About itPittsfield & North Adams Passenger Station and Baggage & Express HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itSimmons BlockBuilding · listed 1982
About itPhillips Woolen MillBuilding · listed 1982
About itRenfrew Mill No. 2Building · listed 1982
About itAnthony HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About it4 more on the History page.
When to get out
May is the best month for walking in Adams
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Adams →
Next door
Adams and its neighbors
Adams has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 48% | 2.2 | 518 | 91% | A+ |
| North Adams | 37% | 1.7 | 251 | 94% | A+ |
| New Ashford | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Williamstown | 36% | 2.3 | 990 | 96% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Adams
Where can I hike in Adams?
The longest trail networks: Mount Greylock State Reservation, 19.6 miles; Greylock Glen, 17.8 miles; Savoy Mountain State Forest, 3 miles; Adams Fire District Watershed Land, 2.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Adams is conserved land?
48% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Adams’ trails?
Mount Greylock State Reservation and Greylock Glen don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Adams?
3.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes and 3.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Adams?
110,164 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Adams or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,921 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Adams have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #49 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Adams neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →