South Taconic Trail

Hike Name: South Taconic Trail Location: southwest MA Length: 12 Submitted by: Todd Lewis Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more Massachusetts trail reviews Massachusetts national parks Massachusetts state parks
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Description
A great hike in Southwest Massachusetts, Eastern New York and Northwest Connecticut is the south part of the Taconic Crest Trail. I like to begin At Bash Bish Falls in Mt. Washington, MA. I park in the lower lot for the falls (which is actually in NY). It's just off Hwy 344 in the Taconic State Park in Copake Falls, NY. From there you pick up the white markers and hike up to the top of Bash Bish Mountain. There's a little side trail (blue markers), only a couple hundred feet long off the main trail just before you get to the top of Bash Bish Mountain. It's a great view, the first of many for the day. Once your'e on top of Bash Bish Mountain you'll hike along the crest of the moountain about 3 1/2 miles to Alander Mountain. I reccomend following the white markered Taconic Trail to the lookout area on Alander mountain but then doubling back a few hundred yards to the Alander Loop trial (blue markers and sign posted) and taking the Alander loop trail until it hooks back up again with the South Taconic Trail. It's more senic than the STT coming off Alander Mountain. From there it's 3.9 miles south to Brace Mountain in New York. From Brace Mountain I pick up the blue markered Mount Frissel Trail. As it dips down between Brace mountain and Mt. Frissel you'll see the stone marker where MA, CN, & NY meet. Then you'll go to the top of Mt. Frissel in MA (be sure to sign the log book at the top) and then down and up Round Mtn. in Conn. All three mountains Brace, Frissel and Round Mtn. have great views but the views from Brace Mtn & Round mtn are 360 degrees. Round Mountain is my favorite. From it you can see north to Mt. Greylock, Massachusetts' highest peak 40 miles north in Adams, MA. From Round Mtn it's about a 15 minute hike to East Street in Mt. Washington, MA. It's about a two hour hike by road back to Bash Bish Falls so I reccomend leaving a car at the base of Round Mountain. An EXCELLANT map of the South Taconic Trails is available for $5 from the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Inc. G.P.O. Box 2250 New York, NY 10116. It's #14. I highly reccomend getting the map. It includes part of the Appalachian Trail as well. An excellant hike I'll review in the near future.

Directions to Hike
Very easy to find if you get to Copake Falls, NY. To leave a car at the end you can use the map I highly reccomend getting from the NY-NJ Trails Conference

Contact Information
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Inc.
G.P.O. Box 2250 New York, NY 10116.

Mount Washington State Forest
Mount Washington, MA

Taconic State Park
Copake Falls, NY

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