South Taconic Trail
Description
The South Taconic Trail passes through the New York towns of Millerton and Copake and the Massachusetts towns of Mount Washington and Egremont. it passes through Taconic State Park, Mount Washington State Forest, and Bash Bish Falls State Park. The trail, marked with white blazes, follows a series of high, open summits and ridgeline overlooking the Hudson River Valley to the west. Overnight camping is allowed on the trail at designated locations on Alander Mountain and at the Copake Falls Campground in Taconic State Park. The trail is maintained by the Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club, the mid-Hudson chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club, the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference, and the Sierra Club.
Forest types of the South Taconic Trail are mixed oak-hickory forest and northern hardwood forest with microclimate summit balds and alkaline-loving plant communities. The geology is thrust faulted metamorphic rock over younger sedimentary rock.
Features along the route include the summits of Brace Mountain, Alander Mountain, Sunset Rocks, Mount Fray, and perhaps Massachusetts' most famous waterfall, Bash Bish Falls.
In 2015, the South Taconic Trail Extension was completed, a six-mile section of trail that connects Brace Mountain to Rudd Pond State Park to the South.
See also
References
- ^ "South Taconic Trail Extension". 21 October 2016.
- Massachusetts Trail Guide (2004). Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club.
- Commonwealth Connections proposal PDF download. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
External links
- South Taconic Range trail map.
- Mount Washington State Forest. Massachusetts DCR.
- Mount Washington State Forest map
- Taconic State Park New York DEC.
- Bash Bish Falls State Park. Massachusetts DCR.
- Catamount Ski Area
- Berkshire Natural Resource Council
- Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club
- Mid-Hudson chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club
- The Sierra Club
- New York - New Jersey Trail Conference