Mount Tom State Reservation Day Trip
Welcome to Mount Tom State Reservation in Western, MA
Massachusetts offers a tremendous variety of hiking spots, and Mount Tom State Reservation (Mt. Tom Reservation) is a standout location. In the heart of the Connecticut River Valley region of Western Massachusetts (MA), or Pioneer Valley, visiting Mt. Tom State Reservation is a must do MA day trip for nature and landscape lovers as well as outdoor/fit lifestyle folks.
Mt. Tom Reservation is renowned for its stunning vistas, so it is definitely worth a visit even if you are not psyched to hike or just want to stop and look out over the vast surrounding landscape.
Note during our visit, there were at least a couple of signs indicating the park closes at 4pm.
Mt. Tom State Reservation Location | Directions
How to get to Mount Tom State Reservation (Holyoke, MA)
Driving on the Massachusetts Turnpike (East or West), take exit four to head onto I-91 North to Holyoke. Then, take exit 17A to merge onto MA-141 E/Easthampton Rd toward Holyoke and, after almost a half mile, take a left onto Northampton Street and turn left onto to Reservation Road.
Continue onto the main entrance at 125 Reservation Rd.
What to see at Mount Tom State Reservation
Once you drive into the reservation, you can stop and park by Bray Lake for a picnic or easy hiking on the Bray Loop trail, which takes you by the lake. During our visit, we drove up to the Visitor’s Center and parked across from a playground and picnic area.
Tip: If you are visiting for the first time or bringing folks who haven’t been here, use this mass.gov cheat sheet to pick a trail.
One of the main attractions is seeing the stellar Pioneer Valley views by going to the top of Lookout Tower, which you can get to by taking a quick, paved and slightly uphill walk from the Visitor Center. Simply follow the sign behind the visitor center to Bray Tower. This path is suitable for strollers and folks who may have some physical limitations.
The lookout tower is three stories of stairs. It’s generally comfortable going up but coming down can seem a bit off-putting at first. You’ll have to let others come down the stairs first because they are not wide and wear your mask.
Tip: There also are a few parking spots right near the Bray lookout tower if needed.
Tip: There are benches by the base of the overlook to stop and take in the view. At many of the vistas, we saw folks with stadium or tailgating chairs. Just pop them out, sit and enjoy the view.
After checking out the view from the tower, there are multiple options for viewing the landscapes by hiking or driving.
Keep in mind that some trails have noticeable declines/inclines and uneven, cracked pavement, and these are not suitable for strollers or folks that have physical limitations.
One way to get amazing views is to drive on Christopher Clark Road by turning left off of Reservation Road at the Visitor Center. There are four spots to safely pull off, and sometimes you’ll have the spot all to yourself.
Also, you can head right from the Visitor Center on a paved trail up to Goat Peak where there is an overlook and a (second) Lookout Tower with great views of the town and surrounding landscape. Though the trail distance to Goat Peak is short, it is an uphill hike.
There are so many parts of the reservation to explore with different trails and spots to see beautiful vistas, so check out this trail map to help plan your visit.
Tip: If you like taking Komorebi (i.e., sun flare/light peeking through trees) pictures, Mt. Tom Reservation is a great destination.
Tip: During our visit, the Visitor Center and facilities were closed.
