Mount Washington State Forest Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Alander Mountain

545 East St., Mount Washington, MA

About Alander Mountain

This trailhead will bring visitors to an extensive hiking area in the southwestern corner of Western Massachusetts. The main trail heads to the top of Alander Mountain, where visitors can access a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.

Leaving the parking lot, hikers will head up a wide trail through a small meadow and dense hemlock forests. Blue blazes will lead hikers up the Alander Mountain Trail, though some paths branch away and head in other directions through the woods. The Charcoal Pit Trail, for example, will lead hikers alongside old charcoal remains. Eventually, hikers will arrive at a campsite between the Ashley Hill Trail and the Alander Mountain Trail. This camping area features tent sites with picnic tables, bear boxes, and privies.

As the Mountain Trail continues through the park, it gradually narrows and becomes muddier. Then, near the top of the trail, hikers will pass by an old shelter and scramble onto a rocky ridgeline. This ridgeline opens onto the summit of Alander Mountain, where visitors can access magnificent views of the Berkshires. Hikers can then follow the ridgeline and expand their perspective toward the south.

Once at the top of the mountain, the trail connects to the South Taconic Trail. 

There is a large parking lot for the trail off east road, behind the state forest headquarters.