HIKING: Overlook(ed) Oasis

Long western views of mount greylock and the taconic range, just minutes from downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts, only sound too good to be true. As hikes go, Warner Hill is low-hanging fruit: one can enjoy a sunset picnic at this beautiful site in Dalton, Massachusetts, and still make it to the Beacon Cinema in time for the late show.

 

Despite its location on the renowned Appalachian Trail, little ink has been spilled touting Warner Hill. It’s not as idiosyncratic as other cherry-picked AT gems like Jug End, Tyringham Cobble, or Cheshire Cobble, but for an easy jaunt to a mountain chill zone, Warner Hill is tough to beat.
It’s also a bit obscure. From downtown Pittsfield, drive east on East Street, then bear right on Elm Street. At the intersection with Williams Street turn left, then head straight for about a quarter-mile, past the intersection with Dalton Division Road, bearing left onto Kirchner Road. Proceed three miles on Kirchner (which will, without fanfare, turn into Blotz Road) and park at the graveled pull-off on the left (north) side of the road. The site is marked only by a sign featuring the interlocked AT logo of the Appalachian Trail.

 

From here, it’s all uphill—but barely. Over the course of thirty minutes and less than a mile, the trail winds gently up some two hundred and fifty feet of elevation, climbing first through a spacious spruce stand and then through a wind- and ice-battered hardwood forest carpeted in diverse vegetation.

 

A glimpse of a stone wall off to the right signals that the summit is near. By the time the hiker crosses this ancient fence, the 2,050-foot summit is just steps away.

 

Hay-scented fern spikes through grass-like sedges on the summit and highbush blueberries abound. Mount Greylock lies some fifteen miles to the northwest, and the wind turbines on Brodie Mountain and Jiminy Peak are clearly visible in good weather. Pittsfield’s urban cluster is down there too, mostly obscured by the intervening forest. Break out the blanket, wine, and cheese; watch the sun sink slowly; and let the evening make its plans for you.  [JULY 2010]

 

Tad Ames is president of Berkshire Natural Resources Council.