Monument Mountain Reservation (1 Day / 12km)

A good way to dip your toes into the Berkshires, I think.

The Cover:

My favourite shots that are 'cover-worthy' for this little story.

Rating:

A surprise gem for us Canadians travelling to Massachusetts to visit family for the Thanksgiving long weekend. We were planning on throwing in a day hike of course, but the location and timing was completely unknown. On the best weather day however, we rolled the dice and decided on the Monument Mountain Reservation. And oh, what a decision well made! The views over the Housatonic River Valley were absolutely gorgeous, especially with the recent fall weather. The colours were just starting to explode in a wave or red, yellow, and orange. The scenery made us wish that we lived just a little closer to the mountains. One day!

I Want to Live Here Rating: 3/5

People-Meter: 4/5

Anxiety Scale: 1/5

Pain Train: 1/5

10/10 Recommend: 3/5

The Prologue:

The Monument Mountain Reservation is located in western Massachusetts and is home to some epic views of the Berkshires. The Monument itself rises above the surrounding valley with its exposed granite. The views don't end there - a network of trails snake around the peak, offering different perspectives over the Housatonic River Valley. There's something for everyone, whether you're looking for a forested walk or rocky scramble. Just perfect for a day hike!

Here's our trip report!

The Story:

Day Hike:

Flag Rock, Monument Mountain, Peeskawso Peak, and the Devil's Pulpit

Rain was chasing us all the way from Ontario. The day before we were pelted with rain, fog, and a near constant drizzle. We were a little worried that the weather wouldn't hold up and actually allow us to hike as planned. We went to bed a little concerned, but woke up pleasantly surprised. There was sunshine, lovely fall colours - even a little mist to decorate the surrounding mountains. We could see views! It seemed like Mother Nature was setting us up for a perfect day of hiking!

At 9:30AM we all climbed into the Ultra Van (our parent's lovely Dodge Caravan) and started the hour long trek to the Monument Mountain Reserve. We decided last minute upon the advice of our cousins that this was to be our destination for the day. Along the way we were greeted with some sneaky mountain views, in addition to some small town scenery that was decorated with bits of fall. Pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks, all of the true fall staples were happily strewn about. Made for a view that was reminiscent of Stars Hallow from Gilmore Girls.

In terms of accessing the Mounument Mountain Reservation, we decided to hit up the main parking lot on Stockbridge Road. We were fortunate to have hit the road fairly early. With the fall colours well underway parking was a bit of a challenge. We just managed to procure a spot before both the parking lot and sides of the road filled up. It was slightly chaotic. We were successful in the end though! We pulled in, geared up, and hit the trail, heading toward the viewpoint at Flag Rock via the Mohican Monument Trail.

The beginning of the trail is wide and well-walked - and I mean well-walked. Parts of the trail feel very similar to a trench. You walk deep in a rut that has been eroded away, layer upon layer of soil carved away by footfall, rain, and snow. Eventually this almost cavernous path gives way to more level terrain dominated by maples. Just as quickly as it arrives, however, it disappears. Then bam! You come into contact with the next trail intersection heading up to the Flag Rock viewpoint, the Cross Over Trail.

This trail isn't a particular game-changer, much the same overall. There is a nice little bridge over a baby ravine, which we found somewhat entertaining. We snapped a quick family photo before continuing on our merry way. Shortly afterwards, we hit the Flag Rock Trail, heading to the summit proper. We could definitely tell that this was the path that was going to really get us to the top. There was a definite elevation change. Things became more rocky and for a split second I almost wished that I had hiking poles. This didn't last for too long though - soon enough the terrain levelled out again and we found ourselves in a clearing with a lovely view overlooking Risingdale. At this point, we figured it was time to stop for lunch. Who doesn't enjoy a nice meal and snacks with mountains just starring at you right in the face? The highlight of lunch was trying some weird snacks that we picked up in a grocery store the night before. This time round, it was lemon flavoured oreos and freeze dried strawberries. The oreos were a hit but the strawberries - we weren't too impressed. The styrofoam-like texture was off-putting, and the flavour...ah, very synthetic? It was like a Lucky Charms marshmallow gone bad.

As we all munched away, we discussed our remaining hiking plans for the afternoon. It was decided that we would retrace our steps until we reached the Mohican Monument Trail again. At that point, we'd take a right instead of a left and head up to the remaining viewpoints. Monument Mountain, Peeskawso Peak, and the Devil's Pulpit, respectively.

Now these viewpoints were absolute bangers. It is worth noting that the hike up to these spots is a touch more aggressive. While the walk along the Mohican Monument Trail is fairly gradual, as soon as you make the turn onto the Peeskawo Peak trail, buckle up. For a more beginner or relaxed hiker, this would be considered as steep and somewhat cliff-like situation? You definitely need to be more mindful of your feet placement. Plenty of rocks to scuttle over, but this comes with some excellent views. Probably our favourites so far? The fall colours on this side of the 'summit' were far more obvious. With the addition of the exposed rock - ah, perfection.

If you're a seasoned hiker however, this will be a fun walk in the park. Personally, I was bouncing around muttering 'parkour' every time I hopped from one rock to the next like the child that I am.

I will say that these viewpoints were also increasingly more busy, which is perhaps the other reason why I recommend mindfulness on the trail, especially with leaves on the ground. Rocks can get pretty slippery this time of year (all those leaves get oh so polished)! If you're not in the mood to share views, I'd recommend visiting these viewpoints earlier in the day. Otherwise, be prepared for the increase in foot-traffic during this particular time of the year.

Shout out to the very kind hiker that snapped a couple of shots of our family in front of the Devil's Pulpit viewpoint - you did an excellent job!

With care and some sadness (it's always depressing when you need to leave the mountains), we began the decent back towards the parking lot. Again, the trail wasn't much different than what we experienced before. The initial down-climb was somewhat steep, but things quickly levelled out, mostly becoming gradual yet again. We successfully managed to exit the parking lot (everyone pretty much cleared out by the time we made it to the van), and returned to eating the lemon flavoured oreos. They were rather tasty!

The Appendix: