- Taconic Skyline Trail
Infobox Hiking trail
Name= Taconic Skyline Trail
Photo=
Caption=
Location=Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Designation=
Length= convert|12.1|mi|km
Use= Multi-use; primarily motorized
ElevChange=
HighPoint=Jiminy Peak convert|2392|ft|m
LowPoint=U.S. Route 20 convert|1400|ft|m
Difficulty= Moderately difficult
Season= variable, depending on use
Months=
Sights=
Hazards= deer ticks,poison ivy , weatherThe Taconic Skyline Trail is a convert|12.1|mi|km|abbr=on multi-use trail in the
Taconic Mountains ofBerkshire County, Massachusetts . The trail extends fromU.S. Route 20 inHancock, Massachusetts , less than convert|1|mi|km|abbr=on east of theNew York border, north along the ridgecrest of the Taconic Range withinPittsfield State Forest and officially ending at Brodie Mountain Road on the Hancock/ Lanesborough town line.Originally built as a hiking trail, the Taconic Skyline Trail sees heavy use by
all-terrain vehicles andsnowmobiles and is now officially maintained for primarily motorized use. The trail is used less frequently formountain biking but is no longer recommended for hikers, who are encouraged to use the parallel, non-motorizedTaconic Crest Trail . However, the trail is still open to hikers. Recent grants through the Massachusetts DCR'sCommonwealth Connections project have provided 40,000 dollars to ATV clubs for trail surface rehabilitation.Forest types the Taconic Skyline Trail are mixed
oak-hickory forest andnorthern hardwood forest withalkaline -loving plant communities, andred spruce /balsam fir stands on the higher summits. The geology isthrust fault edmetamorphic rock over youngersedimentary rock .Trail details
The Taconic Skyline Trail was blazed in the 1930s by the
Civilian Conservation Corps as ahiking trail, convert|25|mi|km long, extending fromMassachusetts Route 41 in Richmond to the northern end ofBrodie Mountain in Williamstown. In the 1970's the trail over the northern 1/3 of Brodie Mountain fell into disuse and was soon obscured, shortening the trail to convert|21|mi|km. In the late 1990s, the southern section from Route 41 to Route 20 was officially closed, as was the northern section over the remaining 2/3 of Brodie Mountain. Unsanctioned use of these sections still occurs, however. At the same time, the Taconic Skyline Trail in Pittsfield State Forest was separated into two parallel trails: one retained the name Taconic Skyline and was designated a motorized and multi-use recreation trail by the Department of Conservation and Recreation; the other trail was added on to the southern end of the non-motorizedTaconic Crest Trail , extending it by convert|6|mi|km.Features along the trail include the highland Cranberry Pond and Twin Ponds,
Doll Mountain , Smith Mountain,Tower Mountain , Berry Pond, convert|2150|ft|m (reputed the highest pond in Massachusetts), Poppy Mountain, Jiminy Peak, and Widow White's Peak. A state campground is located at Berry Pond.ee also
*The
Appalachian Trail
*Taconic Trails References
*"Massachusetts Trail Guide" (2004). Boston:
Appalachian Mountain Club .
* [http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/greenway/pdfs/connections.pdf Commonwealth Connections proposal PDF download] . Retrieved March 2, 2008.
*"AMC Massachusetts and Rhode Island Trail Guide" (1989). Boston:Appalachian Mountain Club .
* [http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/greenway/index.htm "Greenways and Trails"] Massachusetts DCR. Retrieved February 22, 2008.External links
* [http://www.mass.info/images/parks/pittsfield_state_forest_summer_use.gifPittsfield State Forest map]
* [http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/pitt.htm Pittsfield State Forest] . Massachusetts DCR.
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