Mount Tom

some of the trails that just get you up to the summit. And it offers great views—one for sunrise and one for sunset— and you’ll pass by a poignant World War II memorial.

To get started, park in the lower lot at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Look across Route 141 to locate where the guardrail comes to an end and cross there.

Head up the trail, and after the first ascent, bear left and keep left until the path dumps you onto the main trail, where you take a left. A few moments later, you’ll come to a crossroads, and you can go either the long way, to the left, or the more direct route straight through a narrow, rocky and somewhat wooded area; if you choose that route, take a hard right back onto the trail when you emerge from that passage in less than a tenth of a mile.

It’s worth noting here that it’s difficult to get lost on Mount Tom. The trails are well-worn, and you often have views of the towers or the wind turbine at the summit, so when all else fails, climb to higher ground, get those objects in sight and head toward them.

Continue on the main trail, bearing right and heading east and uphill at about four tenths of a mile. At the top of this section, about three quarters of a mile in, look for a path that heads off to the right and follow it for views of both the Connecticut River and Whiting Reservoir. This is a great spot to view the sunrise in the morning.

Once you are back on the trail, you’ll cross a stream just before the 1-mile marker, and shortly after, you’ll come to the old Mount Tom Railroad bed, which once took visitors to a summit house that no longer exists. Cross over this now-paved pathway and follow the stone path on the other side up to the memorial.

This marker honors 25 servicemen, mostly from the U.S. Coast Guard, who were flying home after the end of World War II, on July 9, 1946, and were killed instantly when their B-17 crashed into the mountain. I like to take a few moments here to read the names and pay homage to this tragic loss of life and the painful irony that these men survived the war but not what was supposed to be a joyous flight home.

To pick up the trail again, face the marker, noticing the flat stone to its left. Use it as a step, and veer left, where you should notice the worn path. A tenth of a mile later, you’ll cross a cement retaining wall that is mossy and slippery, so choose your footing carefully. I’ve been told this retention pond was used for making snow when Mount Tom was still a ski resort.

At a mile and a quarter, you’ll come out at the summit. I suggest you take a right and travel along the steep and rocky summit trail, heading back when you must. When you are back to the point where you ascended initially, continue straight, or if you don’t choose the longer route, simply turn left onto the trail at the 1.25-mile mark.

Look for a steep wall of boulders with a narrow path of jagged stone cut through the middle; that’s the trail; climb up, noticing the cell tower to the southeast and following white blazes. You will climb up another stone face about a tenth of a mile