Straddling the Massachusetts/Vermont border, this inviting mix of forest and field, wetland and wildflower meadow, draws both novice hikers and serious naturalists.

What makes Mountain Meadow Preserve a special place?
We think it’s the scenic trail from Massachusetts to Vermont – just a mile to the Green Mountain State! – along which you can gaze across a serene meadow, peek through a forested ridge, and enjoy mountain vistas. Follow the property’s four miles of trails and gather your own special memories: of watching a butterfly light on a wildflower or catching the cry of a red-tailed hawk as it soars overhead.

This preserve of multiple natural habitats and rich ecological values is home to bears, coyotes, bobcats, fox, and deer as well as wetland amphibians and numerous small mammals and reptiles. The meadow’s mix of flowers and grasses, including aster, little bluestem, and fringed gentian, attracts a variety of butterflies. The Trustees maintain the field to keep it from reverting to forest and to nurture habitat for such species as Monarch butterflies, bluebirds, and goldenrod.

Although modest in size, the 180-acre reservation rises in elevation from 690 feet at the Williamstown parking lot to more than 1,100 feet across much of the preserve’s Vermont landscape. From the broad meadow a few hundred yards beyond the parking lot, enjoy a view of the Hoosac Valley that includes both Williamstown church spires and Mount Greylock. Climb a half-mile loop trail to a hilltop, from where you can also continue your hike into the Pownal, Vermont side of the reservation. If you prefer your vistas without the uphill walk, enter the reservation from the Pownal parking lot. Meander along a network of flat trails to a woods road leading to a scenic overlook at the ruins of Mausert’s Camp, a rustic family getaway that burned down in the 1970s.

Trails
Four miles of easy-to-moderate hiking on woods roads and footpaths.

When to Visit
Open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1 hour.

Regulations & Advisories

• Mountain biking is prohibited.
  
  
• Dogs must be kept on leash at all times.

Directions

Mason Street, Williamstown, MA 01267
Benedict Road, Pownal, VT 05261
Telephone: 413.298.3239
E-mail: westregion@ttor.org

Latitude: 42.738
Longitude: -73.207

Get directions on Google Maps.

Williamstown, MA parking area: From the intersection of Rts. 2 and 7 in Williamstown, take Rt. 7 north for 1.7 mi. Bear right onto Mason St. (steep dirt road uphill) and follow to entrance and parking (10 cars).
Pownal, VT parking area: From the intersection of Rts. 2 and 7 in Williamstown, follow Rt. 7 north 1.7 mi., turn right onto Sand Spring Rd., then bear right onto Bridges Rd. Follow for 0.3 mi., turn left onto White Oaks Rd., and follow for 1.1 mi. when road becomes dirt. Continue for 0.4 mi., bear left at fork onto Benedict Rd., and continue 0.1 mi. to entrance and parking (8 cars) on left.

Admission

When to Visit
Open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of one hour.

Admission
Free to all

Property History

It is assumed that Native Americans, while making use of hot springs in the area, were at one time dependent on what is now Mountain Meadow Preserve for hunting, migration, and living space. Due in part to its remote, mountainous location and regional violence related to the French and Indian War (1754–63) this corner of the state was not settled by colonists until relatively late – the mid- to latter part of the 1700s.

The lower slopes were cleared for farming while land higher up was reserved for timber operations. Agriculture was a primary land use for more than 200 years. In the mid-1900s, a gravel mine also operated here.

Victorian-era botanist Grace Greylock Niles (who adopted as her middle name that of  Massachusetts’ highest peak) made her home within this ruggedly beautiful environment and spent years wandering the wetlands and forests of this area. Her 1904 book, Bog Trotting for Orchids, enhanced interest in the unique plant life and landforms found here in the Hoosac Valley.

Property Acquisition History
Gift of Pamela B. Weatherbee in 1998, with endowment. Additional lands were purchased in 2000.

Programs

Tours
Natural history walks and an annual tribute to Victorian-era botanist Grace Greylock Niles, a native of this region, are among the reservation’s programs. Search our events calendar for more programs and activities at Mountain Meadow Preserve and other Berkshires reservations.

Volunteer Opportunities

Work Parties

Maps and Resources

A printed trail map is available for free at the bulletin board in the parking area. Please understand that supplies somestimes run out. We recommend that you download a trail map before you visit. 

Planning Your Visit

Travel Links
Mohawk Trail

Before You Go
We encourage you to visit as many Trustees properties as you can.

Wherever your travels take you, please observe all posted regulations, follow special instructions from property staff, and keep in mind the Stewardship Code:

• Protect wildlife and plants.
• Guard against all risk of fire.
• Help keep air and water clean.
• Carry out what you carry in.
• Use marked footpaths and bridle paths.
• Leave livestock, crops, and machinery alone.
• Respect the privacy of neighboring land.
• Enjoy and share the landscape with others.

Click on links below for further visitor information:

Before Setting Out

Enjoying Trustees Reservations

Safety

About Hunting on Trustees of Reservations Land

Tell Us What You Think

We’d love to hear about your visit. Click here to take our visitor survey. If you have a question for us about this reservation, you can use this form to send it to us, too.

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