November 2022
This historic trail provided the impetus for our one-week trip––to enjoy the dazzling fall leaf colors of the Berkshire forests’ deciduous trees. Red maples, red oaks, sugar maples, sweetgums, sassafras trees, and ashes are among the most colorful October show-offs. The 69-mile Mohawk Trail now Route 2, winds its way from the New York border in northwestern Massachusetts east to Millers Falls on the Connecticut River. Indeed, originally the trail was a major east/west footpath for the Mohawk and other Native American tribes. Of course, a sad history befell the native locals, as Whites settled the region and used the Trail for wheeled commercial and travel use.
We traveled 56 of those miles from Williamstown to Greenfield, all the way stunned by colorful valleys, hillsides, and along roads. The website also provides descriptions of small side trips off the main route that includes historic sites, towns, and viewpoints. You can’t miss Hairpin Turn; it’s on the way. Pull into the parking lot, get out your camera, and snap away. Natural Bridge State Park has a pretty waterfall. The Bissell Covered Bridge reminded me of another similar bridge several miles from my childhood house that I loved traveling through with my dad behind the wheel. Small towns and villages along the way provide places to stop and rest. Watch for the gigantic wooden “cigar store Indian” in full headdress in front of one shop. The statue felt awkwardly inappropriate considering today’s sensibilities.
Though billed as a cultural highway for all seasons, fall proved to be a spectacular time to visit. Learn more at mohawktrail.com.
This post is one of a series from our Hudson Valley and Berkshires trip. Stay tuned for more highlight experiences, presented over the next few weeks.
