Mt. Grace via Round-the-Mountain Trail and NET (Mt. Grace State Forest)
Hike Type: Loop
Distance: 5.85 miles
Elevation: 1,581 feet
Time: 2 hours, 23 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes moving)
Hiking Challenges: Massachusetts Fire Tower Challenge, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge
The Hike
Another hike on a wedding weekend! Two of my best friends Jess and Bae were getting married in South Deerfield at the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory, so I drove out early in the morning and decided I'd explore Mt. Grace in Mt. Grace State Forest - an area I had not been to before. I decided on Mt. Grace one becuase it was new, two because it had a fire tower I had not yet visited, and three becuase it had a USGS disc I hadn't seen yet! I left at 6am, christened the Leominster Cumberland Farms at 7am, and made it to the trailhead just before 8am! I didn't sleep well, was still feeling a little sick, but I was excited to get out and do some exploring. The AllTrails and DCR maps didn't line up, and other peoples' recordings on AllTrails didn't match either, so I figured I'd just explore the best I could and see what happens!
It was a beautiful morning in the low 60s, and I was off! The hike starts on a nice open field with a shelter and picnic table before dipping into the woods in the furthest lefthand corner onto the Round-the-Mountain Trail, blazed with blue triangles.
The trail in the woods was on wonderfully soft road grade that had some dried-up lady slippers on either side. The trail came to a split and I followed the "To Summit" side on the right, and at another split soon after I continued straight, which was not on the AllTrails map, but was on the DCR map. Here, the trail was briefly wet but soon dried out and began to climb steeply as the blue blazing continued. My bug spray went on and I continued to climb, moderately now, to the Fire Tower Road.
Following the DCR map, I turned left onto the Fire Tower Road, noticing the New England Trail a few feet away in a grassy patch, and then descending along the gravel road. I wasn't fully confident that I'd find the trail I wanted, but I knew worst case scenario would be that I land on a real road and find the NET trailhead. I got my first and only mosquito bite, but was rewarded just after when I found the trail I wanted!
This trail, still marked with blue blazes (less, though), followed more road grade with a few rutted, wet spots. The trail followed the contour line and then descended for a while before turning and following a lower contour line. I noticed deer tracks in a few wet spots, but no actual sightings of large mammals.
I rose through a bit of nastier wet spot, but it was line with blooming mountain laural, so I can't really ocmplain! There was one problematic blowdown that I had to bushwahck around, but I was soon at the junction with the New England Trail, which was clearly signed and blazed.
The New England Trail climbed up the ridge to Little Mt. Grace through some beautiful forest on a narrower footpath. The woods here looked almost gladed for skiing, I wonder? The trail climbed steeper through a blowdown patch that revealed some blue skies above, which was exciting! I also saw an eft in this area!
The outdated DCR map didn't show this stretch of trail as a part of the NET, but I am glad that it is now! The trail traverses the little plateau of Little Mt. Grace, with some tree views on the left, the best of which is just past the height-of-land in an open area.
Descending to the col between the two peaks, the trail skirted above and around a few flowbowns while staying near the impressive drop-off on the left. I made it to the col and heard the sound of a larger mammal doing who know's what, but I never caught a glimpse. Most likely a deer. The NET climbed steeply out of a col, past a boulder and some fighting squirrels, and descends slightly near that grassy patch at the Fire Tower Road I saw earlier.
From here, the New England Trail follows a steeper road grade (possibly the old fire tower access road?), sometimes with and sometimes without power lines. I got cat-called by a red squirrel on this last climb and could soon see the tower! The final final push was through some more tall grass, which wasn't great, but was truly fine. I made it!
I found two USGS discs and then climbed up the tower, which had nice hazy/humid views in all directions. Mt. Monadnock was the star of the show, with the rest of the Wapack Range on the right, and then Mt. Wachusett after. I could make out the northern forks of the Quabbin Reservoir after that. Behind, I could just barely make out Stratton Mountain through the haze. I called the hotel I was staying at from the top of the tower, but sadly they said my room was not ready yet (which is so far, it was just after 9am).
I was partially dreading the long return trip, but I was manifesting lovely trails on the return (spoiler alert: it worked!). I followed the Fire Tower Road for just a quick moment before turning left into the woods and starting the long (feeling) descent. The trail was medium-steep and eroded, but never al problem.
A little ways down, the trail splits. The right fork goes over another sub-peak while the New England Trail continued left, which I continued to follow. The trail continued to be eroded and unproblematic, but it seemed like a few more good rain storms could impact the trail a bit more severely. The trail entered a wonderfully fragrant area near a stream and continued to descend past a blaze someone had turned into a smiley face and then through a partially rerouted stretch.
The Round-the-Mountain Trail joins on the left and then the two trails coincide for a bit, skirting the state land boundary, crossing a stream on a bridge (unnecessarily), and cominng to a shelter. The trail that split higher up termianted just after the shelter at a culvert crossing and the New England Trail became more wet as it continued to descend.
The trail became a bit grassier as it neared the road and eventually to where the Round-the-Mountain Trail turns right. I followed the NET to the road just for funsies and the possibility of finding a fun sign (I did not, but on the opposite side of the street had the final section sign). Now continuing on my last stretch of the hike on the Round-the-Mountain Trail, I hiked along more old road grade with good footing and no spiderwebs (I had collected at least 500 webs on the hike so far), paralleling a stream and the road.
I came up what appeared to be a very intact rope tow engine, which was super cool! I stopped for photos, but was swarmed with bugs almost immediately, so I continued on. The trail rises and falls occasionally, but never too aggressively. The trail does trend upward near the end, with a few steep pushes followed by flats, and then slowly arrives at the field and parking area!
Only issue - there was a bridge over a flooded patch on the field, but the field was pretty grown-in, and it was WET. There was zero chance of escaping dry, so after my first horrible wet step, I just charged ahead to my car. There were three other cars in the lot, but I didn't see a single human! I had a wonderuflly scenic drive to the Taco Bell in Hadley, picked up some Legos at Walmart, and made my way to Northampton for the beautiful wedding festivities!
Step-by-Step
- Start hike on Round-the-Mountain Trail on left from main parking area (blue blazes).
- At perceived terminus on Fire Tower Road, turn left.
- Descend, turn right onto Round-the-Mountain Trail (blue blazes).
- At signed jct., turn right onto New England Trail (white blazes).
- Follow New England Trail up and over Little Mt. Grace and Mt. Grace.
- Descend via New England Trail.
- At MA-78, turn right onto Round-the-Mountain Trail (blue blazes).
- Return to car.
