The Mohawk Trail is the western end of Massachusetts Route 2, and the part worth riding is the roughly 35 miles between Greenfield and Williamstown. The broadest definition of the trail runs 75 miles (121 km) from Athol west to the New York line, but east of Greenfield it is mostly four-lane freeway. The riding starts where the road crosses the Connecticut River on the French King Bridge, climbs the Hoosac Range to Whitcomb Summit at 2,272 feet, and drops through a genuine hairpin turn into North Adams. It is a half-day out and back, or the spine of a full day if you add Mount Greylock.
Where the Mohawk Trail actually starts
Nobody agrees, and that matters when you are planning a day. The trail began as a Native American trade route linking Atlantic tribes with tribes in upstate New York, following the Millers and Deerfield rivers over the Hoosac Range. Today it survives as parts of Routes 2 and 2A, and its endpoints are not officially defined. The widest reading takes it 75 miles from Athol through Orange, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Shelburne, Buckland, Charlemont, Savoy, Florida and North Adams to Williamstown. Narrower readings put the eastern end at Millers Falls, Greenfield or even Charlemont.
For a rider the honest answer is Greenfield. East of there Route 2 spends long stretches as a two-lane and four-lane freeway with interchanges, which is efficient and dull. West of Greenfield it becomes the road the tourist brochures mean: river valley, then climb, then ridge, then a hairpin. Start at Greenfield and you skip nothing worth having.
Route at a glance
| Start | Greenfield, Massachusetts, at the Route 2 and I-91 interchange |
|---|---|
| Finish | Williamstown, at the New York state line |
| Length | About 35 miles of the good part; up to 75 miles (121 km) on the broadest Athol-to-Williamstown definition |
| High point | Whitcomb Summit, 2,272 feet, in the town of Florida |
| Signature feature | The hairpin turn west of the summit, with a lookout over North Adams and the Taconic Mountains |
| Road type | Two-lane surface road with steep sustained grades on both sides of the summit |
| Time | Half a day out and back; a full day if you add Mount Greylock or the Route 112 loop |
| Season | Ridden year-round but realistically late April to early November; the summit gets weather the valley does not |
Push the route to your phone or head unit with this Greenfield to Williamstown directions link, and drag the line onto Route 2 if the app tries to route you south onto the turnpike.
Greenfield to Charlemont along the Deerfield
The first landmark is the French King Bridge, carrying Route 2 across the Connecticut River 140 feet above the water between Gill and Erving. It is worth the pull-off, and it is also the point where the road stops being an errand and starts being a ride.
West of Greenfield the trail follows the Deerfield River for several miles through Shelburne and Buckland. Shelburne Falls is the stop most riders make, for the Bridge of Flowers, an old trolley bridge planted as a garden, and for the glacial potholes in the riverbed below the village. Parking in the village is tight in summer; there is more room on the Buckland side.
Charlemont is the last real town before the climb and the sensible fuel stop. It is also the gateway to Mohawk Trail State Forest on Cold River Road, 6,000 acres of ridges and gorges with 53 wooded campsites and six log cabins. Camping runs mid-May through mid-October, with tent sites at 17 dollars a night for Massachusetts residents and 54 dollars for non-residents; cabins run from 50 to 170 dollars depending on size and residency, and reservations are required. It is the obvious base if you want two days in the Berkshires without paying North Adams hotel rates in foliage season.
The climb, Whitcomb Summit and the hairpin
West of Charlemont the road leaves the Deerfield, picks up the Cold River, and climbs the Hoosac Range. This eastern ascent is the longer of the two and the one that catches people out on the way back down: it descends steeply from Whitcomb Summit following the Cold River, and includes the corner known locally as Dead Man's Curve. On a loaded bike, and especially two-up, this is an engine-braking descent, not a coasting one. Pick a gear at the top and stay in it.
Whitcomb Summit at 2,272 feet is the high point of the whole route. The overlook there faces east down the Deerfield River valley. A few miles west is the feature the road is famous for: a full 180-degree switchback with a lookout that takes in the city of North Adams below and the Taconic Mountains beyond. It has been a stopping point since the earliest days of motor touring, and it is still the photograph everyone takes.
Both sides of the summit are steep, and the western descent through the hairpin drops fast into North Adams. Ridden westbound you arrive at the turn already carrying speed downhill, which is exactly why it deserves a conservative entry. Ridden eastbound it is a climbing hairpin and considerably easier.
North Adams, Williamstown and where to go next
Route 2 runs from North Adams into Williamstown, past the Williams College area, and on to the New York line where it continues as New York State Route 2. That is the western end of the Mohawk Trail proper.
The obvious add-on is Mount Greylock. Notch Road climbs to the summit from the North Adams side and Rockwell Road from Lanesborough in the south, and the Mount Greylock State Reservation puts you on the highest point in Massachusetts at 3,491 feet. The auto roads are seasonal, opening in mid-May and closing at the end of October, so check before you plan the day around them. Our Berkshires loop guide covers that climb and the southern Berkshire roads in detail.
The other add-on is a loop rather than an out-and-back. Route 8A and Route 112 drop south from the trail into the hill towns, and Route 116 over the Hoosac Range gives an alternative way back east. These are narrower, rougher and much emptier than Route 2.
Fuel, weather and the foliage problem
Fuel exists in Greenfield, Shelburne Falls, Charlemont and North Adams. There is nothing between Charlemont and North Adams, which is the climb, the summit and the descent. That is not far, but it is the section where you least want to be thinking about range.
Weather on the ridge is not the weather in the valley. The summit sits nearly 2,000 feet above Greenfield and can be in cloud with clear skies below, and it holds frost later into spring and earlier into autumn. Road surface after a wet night is the real hazard on the descents. This is also a road with a documented history of storm damage: a six-mile section was severely damaged by Hurricane Irene in August 2011, and repair work along the corridor recurs. Check MassDOT's Mass511 travel information for construction and closures before setting out.
Then there is October. Foliage traffic on the Mohawk Trail is genuinely heavy on weekends from late September through mid-October, and the hairpin lookout becomes a parking problem rather than a viewpoint. Weekdays in that window are still excellent. Weekends are a queue.
Gear notes for the Mohawk Trail
Two things matter more here than on flatter rides. The first is a brake and tire check before the descent, because both sides of the summit are sustained grades and this is not the road to discover a soft lever on. Work through a pre-ride inspection in the parking lot rather than at the top of the hill.
The second is navigation you can read at a glance while the road is doing something. A bar-mounted riding system display keeps turn prompts and the map where your eyes already are, and the JADO S6 riding system handles the Route 2 to Route 8 to Notch Road sequence without a phone in a clamp. If the plan includes camping in the state forest, a 100W bi-directional fast charger covers the evening when there is no outlet at the site. A camera is also worth thinking about on a road with this much tourist traffic pulling out of overlooks without checking.
For how this road sits alongside the rest of the region, see the New England four-road guide and the Boston day rides overview.
FAQ
How long is the Mohawk Trail?
Up to 75 miles (121 km) on the broadest definition, from Athol west to the New York border at Williamstown. Other sources place the eastern end at Millers Falls, Greenfield or Charlemont. The section riders care about is the roughly 35 miles from Greenfield west.
Where is the hairpin turn on the Mohawk Trail?
Just west of Whitcomb Summit, on the descent toward North Adams. It is a 180-degree switchback with a lookout over the city and the Taconic Mountains, and it has been a motoring stop since the early automobile era.
Is the Mohawk Trail open in winter?
Route 2 is a state highway and stays open and plowed year-round, unlike the seasonal Mount Greylock auto roads. That does not make it a winter motorcycle route: the summit holds ice and snow long after the valley is clear.
Can you ride the Mohawk Trail from Boston in a day?
Yes, though most of the outbound leg is Route 2 freeway or the turnpike. Boston to Greenfield is highway mileage, then the trail itself is about 35 miles each way. It is a long day, and staying in Charlemont or North Adams makes it a much better one.
What is the best direction to ride it?
Westbound gives you the classic sequence, river valley then climb then the hairpin descent into North Adams. Eastbound turns the hairpin into a climbing corner and makes the Cold River side a descent instead. If you are riding two-up or loaded, eastbound is the easier direction on the brakes.
