Upcoming Chapter Activities

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Washington Mtn Marsh in October Mtn State Forest

This picturesque hike, which begins at October Mountain Reservior, is a loop trail around Washington Mountain Marsh in Berkshire County. It features beaver lodges, fern and root covered trails, boardwalks, moose tracks, and 5 shallow stream crossings. With a side hike and walk to an old cemetery from the 1800, we will traverse about 4.3 miles.

[20s/30s] Captivating Cheshire Cobble Climb!

Join other folks in their 20s and 30s on a 1.6-mile hike up the Cheshire Cobbles! We will climb around 600 feet and hike along a segment of the Appalachian Trail to some gorgeous panoramic views of Cheshire Reservoir, Mount Greylock, and the surrounding Taconics.

Park, Practice and Play at T-Ville

Join us for an evening of friendly, low-pressure whitewater skill-building on the Farmington River, based at Mill Wave (Tariffville section). This is a "park & play" style session, meaning we'll stay in the same area to practice moves repeatedly, get feedback if you want it, and build confidence and muscle memory. No shuttling cars will be necessary.

Turners Falls - Northfield Bike Ride

This is a moderately challenging, 24-mile ride over rolling terrain beginning in downtown Turners Falls. Total elevation gain will be about 1300 feet. All roads are paved. When we reach Northfield (the northern most point on our route), we'll stop at Mim's Market and the Northfield Creamery for lunch. We'll return via beautiful rural roads before descending back into Turners Falls.

[20s/30s] Evening Hike on North Sugarloaf

Join folks in their 20s and 30s on a hike up North Sugarloaf and along the Pocumtuck Ridge Trail! This hike will be approximately 3 miles with around 650 feet of elevation gain. We are aiming to complete this hike in two hours, so we will be maintaining a steady pace with water breaks and stops at notable vistas.

Robert Frost Trail Section 1

We will be hiking Section #1 of the Robert Frost Trail from the Taylor's Notch Trail Head in Skinner State Park to Notch Visitors Center in Mount Holyoke State Park. The hike is about 5 miles with an elevation gain of roughly 1200 feet. This is a moderate to strenuous hike due to elevation changes and rocky terrain.

[LGBTQ+] River Trip

Join LGBTQ+ people to enjoy the Deerfield River (lower Fife Brook/Shunpike/Zoar Take out section, class 1-2) for a late afternoon Friday river trip. We're calling this TGIF! — Thank Gays It's Fife! Float down the river in your preferred vessel: kayak, standup paddleboard, inner tube, canoe, inflatable rainbow unicorn, or whatever your heart desires. No prior training required!

AT Hike Series 2026 Section 12

Section 12: Cheshire Ashuwillticook Rail Trail to Greylock Summit (8.5 miles). Elevation change: 2500 ft. Rain date: August 2. The journey begins on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, following Church Street and School Street, passing landmarks such as the Father Tom Campsite and the Big Cheese Monument before crossing Rte 8 and Outlook Ave. From here, the trail takes on a strenuous and steady climb up Mt Greylock, the tallest peak in MA at 3,491 feet.

[20s/30s] Greenfield Gravel Grinder

Join the AMC Western MA 20s/30s group for a gravel ride up one of Greenfield's best dirt roads around! We will head north from Greenfield along the Green River, cross the border into VT, relax at a covered bridge and have a picnic lunch before turning around. If you've been interested in gravel cycling but haven't tried it before, this is a perfect intro to it, with some climbing, dirt roads, and beautiful views!

Mt Tom Historical Hike via NET - Evening

Join AMC Staff on a hike up to Mt Tom via the New England Trail! We will talk about the history of Mt Tom and take a look at the site of the old Summit House! This will be a ~4 mile out-and-back hike from the Mt Tom Upper Pavilion, with about 1200 ft of total elevation gain.

Harvey Mountain and Pinnacle Point Loop

Hike is 4.8 miles with 1010 feet of elevation gain. Hiking in Harvey Mountain State Forest is defined by dense woodlands, historic stone walls, and summit viewpoints. We start with a steady climb of about 2.3 miles to the open summit, where you will enjoy views south of the southern Taconic range. There's even a wooden bench where we can enjoy the views, grab a snack or some lunch. From there, it's a short 0.1 mile side trail walk to the actual summit and the border of MA and NY. We will continue the loop for another 1.4 miles of ups and downs to Pinnacle Point and then descend 1.1 mile through lush woods back to our car.

Park, Practice and Play at T-Ville

Join us for an evening of friendly, low-pressure whitewater skill-building on the Farmington River, based at Mill Wave (Tariffville section). This is a "park & play" style session, meaning we'll stay in the same area to practice moves repeatedly, get feedback if you want it, and build confidence and muscle memory. No shuttling cars will be necessary.

Rose Ledge Crag Day

Join us for a day of outdoor climbing at Rose Ledges, a classic Western MA climbing area known for its accessible top-rope routes, traditional climbing opportunities, and beautiful gneiss cliff line. This outing is designed to be a fun, supportive day at the crag for climbers of varying experience levels.

[20s/30s] Tour de Ponds Backpacking Trip (Rescheduled)

Join AMC Western MA 20s/30s for a late summer backpacking trip in the Green Mountain National Forest! Over two days, we'll hike around 15 miles over some rolling hills, "tour" some secluded ponds, and climb up Stratton Mountain, where we will find views of the valley below.

[Women+] Connecting Women, Connecting With Nature

Women, please join the AMC Western MA Chapter's 5^th annual Connecting Women, Connecting with Nature, women's only, weekend retreat at Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation in Russell, MA. (on the Russell Pond not far from Noble View). We have scheduled a variety of traditional and non-traditional outdoor pursuits in the hope of attracting women to the joy and rejuvenation of the outdoors.

Crystal Mountain Campsite Privy Work

We will be converting the privy at the Crystal Mountain campsite from a pit privy to a moldering type. This involves constructing a ~2ft tall "crib" of stacked lumber on the ground to hold the waste, rather than it being deposited into a pit. Contained above the ground, the waste can decompose (moulder) relatively quickly; in a pit, it would linger for years, even decades. Using a moldering privy keeps the environment cleaner, smells less and doesn’t require a new pit to be dug every three to four years. Nearly all privies on the A.T. are of this type.

[20s/30s] Leisurely Walk at Ashley Reservoir

Join other folks in their 20s/30s for an easy evening walk along Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke. The trail is flat gravel; we'll meander 2-3 miles along the water, through some wooded stretches, and across the causeways that divide the ponds.

[20s/30s] Monroe State Forest Backpacking Trip

Join AMC Western MA 20s/30s for an early fall backpacking trip in Monroe State Forest! Over two days, we'll hike around 9 miles over some rolling hills, along some babbling streams, and up Spruce Mountain, where we will find views of the valley below.

Complete Crystal Mountain Privy Work

We will be completing the work begun on September 23. Most, if not all, of the materials have been moved to the site. We'll complete the construction and mount the privy onto the crib. Work involves simple construction with basic hand tools. A brief period of heavy lifting by everyone is required to move the privy onto the new crib - this requires a minimum of 4 people.

Wildlife Transect, County Rd to Finerty Pond Area

On this occasion, we'll be checking what the wild residents of our Appalachian Trail lands are up to in the County Rd to Finerty Pond area of October Mtn SF. This area has an interesting mix of forests of various types, open and wooded wetlands and of course Finerty Pond. Thus we are apt to find a wide variety of wildlife sign.

[20s/30s] Wessels Series: Monument Mountain

Join other folks in their 20s and 30s on a hike to Monument Mountain, learning about the chestnut blight, pillows and cradles, old growth trees, a historic cave, pine weevils, and signs of past agriculture along the way. Starting at the Monument Mountain Trailhead on Stockbridge Rd, we will take the Hickey Trail at a slow pace, allowing for education and discussion about the interesting ecological aspects of this hike. We will then take Peeskawso Peak Trail along the ridge, stopping at the peak for water, snacks, and views. We will continue south and join up with the Mohican-Monument Trail to return to our cars, learning more ecology on the way.

Trail Stewardship Day on the NET

Join us for a hands-on stewardship day of trail work on the New England National Scenic Trail! With this project, we will be constructing a rock staircase to improve trail sustainability. This event offers a welcoming introduction to the community while giving you a chance to get outside and make a direct impact on the trails you’ll come back to again and again.

Ride the Actual Farm Roads in Hatfield

Ride on gravel and dirt roads (hard packed, loose dirt, a little sandy) through the farm fields of Hatfield. ABOUT HALF OF THIS 15-mile RIDE IS ON DIRT AND GRAVEL. This ride will have a special opportunity for a nice lunch in a wonderful setting at Black Birch Vineyard after the ride.

Western MA Volunteer/Leader Social

Join other AMC Western MA activity leaders and volunteers for an evening social at Powder Hollow Brewery in South Deerfield. Whether you've been leading trips for years, just completed your first, thinking about getting started, or contributing in other ways — maintaining trails, helping with the website, staffing events — come hang out, meet your fellow volunteers, and dream up new trips and other ways to strengthen this wonderful community!

Art On The NET - Hiking and Creating

Create art of nature with AMC Staff and the New England Trail's artist-in-residence, Alex Salsberg! Join us for a peaceful ~3 mile out-and-back hike through the hemlock forests of Northfield Mountain to a scenic overlook on the Erving Ledges. We will be drawing our surroundings; the plants, animals, views, and whatever else you may see on the trail!

Wildlife Transect, Cady Brook Area

It will be a bit over a year since we last looked in this area, but a check is in order because of prior history. This area has been inactively used by wildlife for a number of years, after years of activity by beaver, moose, otter, etc. So, we'd like to keep an eye on this area more frequently than we typically do.

[20s/30s] Wessels Series: Elders’ Grove

Join other folks in their 20s and 30s on a hike to Elders' Grove in Mohawk Trail State Forest, learning about basal fire scars, stump sprouts, spring ephemerals, and exceptionally tall trees along the way. Starting at the Zoar Picnic Area, we will take the Elders' Grove Trail along the river at a slow pace, allowing for education and discussion about the interesting ecological aspects of this hike.

[20s/30s] Wessels Series: Vernon Town Forest

Join other folks in their 20s and 30s on a hike to the black gum swamps in the Vernon Town Forest, learning about the chestnut blight, the great New England hurricane of 1938, and some very old black gum trees along the way. Starting at the Basin Rd Trailhead, we will take a meandering and rolling route through the Vernon Town Forest. We will visit several old growth black gum swamps throughout our hike.

Wildlife Transect - Mass Pike / AT Bridges Area

We've been studying how wildlife are using our trail lands in the Mass Pike / AT Bridges area for a couple of years now with periodic wildlife transects and trailcam monitoring. But it's time to redo our wildlife transect in the area to get an updated picture of how wildlife are using the area. So if this is an aspect of conservation you're interested in, please join in the effort.

[20s/30s] Wessels Series: Pisgah State Forest

Join other folks in their 20s and 30s on a hike in Pisgah State Forest, learning about grafting, the great New England hurricane of 1938, old growth forest, and pillows and cradles along the way. Starting at the Kilburn Pond Trailhead, we will take a route up to Mount Pisgah, before looping along the Pisgah Ridge and Town Forest Trail.

Wildlife Transect - Jug End Ridge, West Side

At this point we're well into fall and the wild residents of our trail lands are preparing for winter. With that in mind we'll be looking for fresh signs of that activity as well as older durable sign from earlier in the year. We've not done a transect in this area so could be some interesting stuff.

Wildlife Transect - Beartown SF, Wilcox North Area

Getting to be winter time and most if not all the leaves are down making a fresh pallet on the forest floor on which to view and interpret tracks and sign. This can be a bit challenging but also rewarding as older tracks and sign are covered up so what we see is relatively fresh. This time we'll check on the activities of our wild residents in the Wilcox North shelter area.

Wildlife Transect - AT June Mtn Area

Last of the year chance to get out and see what the residents of our trail lands are up to on the first day of winter. Our transect area will be in one of the more remote areas of our trail lands with a wide variety of terrain and habitat so we're apt to see a wide variety of sign of different wildlife.

Chapter Conservation Chair

Are you passionate about conservation issues and the outdoors? Come help support the AMC and Western MA Chapter's conservation mission and goals as chair of the Conservation Committee. The Conservation Chair is a member of the Western MA Executive Committee responsible for organizing and directing the Conservation Committee, coordinating conservation events, managing related budgets and supplies, and serving as the liaison to the Chapter Executive Committee.

Chapter Chair, Family Programs

The AMC Western MA Chapter is looking for a Volunteer Family Programs Chair to join our Executive Committee! We're an active, welcoming chapter, and this role is a great opportunity to support family-friendly outdoor adventures across western MA.

AMC 150th Anniversary Challenge

Are you up for a challenge? The Western MA Chapter wants YOU! To help celebrate AMC's 150th anniversary in 2026, we challenge you to participate in 150 miles "worth" of activities between January 1 and October 31, 2026. Those who meet the challenge will receive a special commemorative patch and a shout-out at our Fall Social and Annual Meeting.

Outdoor Leader Fundamentals

Interested in becoming an AMC Outdoor Leader? This on-demand virtual, self-paced course provides core information and application activities on fundamental topics such as participant review, leadership and interpersonal skills, conservation, and emergency management. It's intended to convey our expectations about the responsibilities and essential interpersonal and judgment skills of being an Outdoor Leader and prepare you for additional training and guided practice. By the end, you will have planned your first activity as an AMC Leader in Training.