Appalachain Trail Corridor Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Appalachian Trail - Webster Road

Webster Road, Tyringham, MA

About Appalachian Trail - Webster Road

This obscure trailhead has parking for 3 vehicles.  It is not plowed in the winter. Northbound hikers can spot a 2nd car at Goose Pond Road in Tyringham for a short 2.3 mile hike.  Southbound hikers can similarly spot a car at Main Road Tyringham for an even shorter 1.8 mile hike.  

The A.T. crosses Webster Road just east of the parking area. Northbound hikers descend left through a grove of red pine, then follow Merry Brook down to a trail bridge that crosses the stream near Knee Deep Pond. The pond is off-trail to the left and is slowly being filled in by the encroaching forest.  The Trail then climbs on a rocky route to height of land, before starting to descend, passing a spring on the left, before descending through some stone walls before reaching Goose Pond Road.

Southbound hikers from Webster Road parking area cross the road and climb briefly and moderately to the top of Baldy Mountain.  Like many relatively short hills with similar names in the Berkshires, it has returned to forest after being cleared for grazing or agriculture in the 18th and 19th centuries.  There are a few high bush blueberry plants remaining near the Trail on this section.  Descending, the trail crosses several stone walls into a flatter area of relatively open woods before climbing briefly into a grove of white pine before a long descent to Main Road.  

 The Appalachian Trail (or A.T.), is a 2100 mile footpath stretching from Maine to Georgia.  90 miles of the Trail are in Massachusetts, traversing the Berkshires.  Local volunteers manage and maintain the footpath and the surrounding trail corridor in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the National Park Service Appalachian Trail Park (NPS-APPA).  While popular with both day hikers and backpackers, the A.T. is managed as a primitive backcountry trail with limited amenities.  Visitors should dress for the range of expected weather, wear sturdy shoes, and carry the Ten Essentials on their hike.   Bicycles and motorized vehicles are not permitted on the A.T.  For more on the Appalachian Trail, visit the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s website.