Winter Camping / Platforms in Mass

[miehoff]

Hello.

In a few weeks I hope to get out for a couple of nights in Massachusetts. Being winter and with COVID in mind, I am hoping to get some ideas as to where I could camp and enjoy some basecamp hiking. A platform is nice for sure, but it could be a pad. No shelters please.

Look forward to any information.

Thanks.

 

[bcborder]

There are several designated tenting areas along the Appalachian Trail in the Mount Everett State Reservation. I don't remember any platforms but you will have at least an outhouse. As you are in Massachusetts you will mostly be in the woods but there are nice views along the ridge, in particular, I remember Mount Everett being pretty good and the Race Brook Trail is a nice access point.

 

[jniehof]

I haven't seen any updates that the Mass closure of AT tentsites has been lifted, although since winter usage isn't heavy they may have decided not to say anything one way or the other.

 

[JoshandBaron]

I've been out on the AT in MA nearly every weekend this winter. The Goose Pond site and the Shaker site are not on the closure list as they are not on state controlled land. That said, I haven't seen anyone at any of the other sites I have used this winter. Some of the closure signs say "for the 2020 hiking season" some say "until further notice." The Mt Race section has been my favorite so far but I haven't made it up to Greylock yet. I would highly recommend something over Mt Race. It's about as extended of a ridge walk as you can get in MA with awesome views of the Catskills. Sages Ravine has a bunch of private sites, many with platforms. Laurel Ridge might give you some more privacy due to lower usage and there are a couple platforms there. Race Brook has some platforms but the site was heavily impacted and I decided to move on instead of stay there. Crystal Mountain has some pads and you could do a hike up to the Cobbles one day but it's right next to a power cut. Race Brook Falls to Sages Ravine would take you past 4 waterfalls and an amazing ridge walk, you could head over to CT and do Bear Mountain for a dayhike, though I'm not sure if that's a worthwhile endeavor given my limited experience in the area. Should be noted that fires are not allowed at Laurel Ridge or Sages Ravine, though they are allowed at Race Brook.

This was posted at Mt Wilcox South. Signage is inconsistent.

 

[Mike P.]

The Race ridge walk is the best section of AT south of NH as far as views. Race Brook has a platform. there may be some between Sages and Race Brook and also north of Everett. I've not looked for platforms in Greylock but they have shelters north and south of the summit on the AT and one at Sperry Campground in one of the sites. I only recall ground, not platforms otherwise at Sperry. Maybe whiteblaze would have more info on the AT My limited walking in the Holyokes did not go past any platforms either.

 

[Mike P.]

Question? When is the 2020 Hiking Season? Most of us don't recognize an end or beginning of a season. I'm thinking we are between the 2020 and 2021 season. I'm not thinking it's open, you might be able to talk your way out of a fine though if caught.

 

[DayTrip]

I've been out on the AT in MA nearly every weekend this winter. The Goose Pond site and the Shaker site are not on the closure list as they are not on state controlled land. That said, I haven't seen anyone at any of the other sites I have used this winter. Some of the closure signs say "for the 2020 hiking season" some say "until further notice." The Mt Race section has been my favorite so far but I haven't made it up to Greylock yet. I would highly recommend something over Mt Race. It's about as extended of a ridge walk as you can get in MA with awesome views of the Catskills. Sages Ravine has a bunch of private sites, many with platforms. Laurel Ridge might give you some more privacy due to lower usage and there are a couple platforms there. Race Brook has some platforms but the site was heavily impacted and I decided to move on instead of stay there. Crystal Mountain has some pads and you could do a hike up to the Cobbles one day but it's right next to a power cut. Race Brook Falls to Sages Ravine would take you past 4 waterfalls and an amazing ridge walk, you could head over to CT and do Bear Mountain for a dayhike, though I'm not sure if that's a worthwhile endeavor given my limited experience in the area. Should be noted that fires are not allowed at Laurel Ridge or Sages Ravine, though they are allowed at Race Brook.

This was posted at Mt Wilcox South. Signage is inconsistent.
View attachment 6590

Bear Mtn is pretty cool and has a lot of decent views. I forget the name of the trailhead but there is a relatively convenient parking area there and its fairly close to Bear Mtn from a SE approach which is pretty enjoyable. From Bear Mt to Race Mtn is a surprisingly nice hike for the area, particularly the cliffs on the South part of Race and I would definitely second that recommendation. Sage Ravine the last time I was there (early March?) was shockingly icy though so keep that in mind.

 

[JoshandBaron]

Question? When is the 2020 Hiking Season? Most of us don't recognize an end or beginning of a season. I'm thinking we are between the 2020 and 2021 season. I'm not thinking it's open, you might be able to talk your way out of a fine though if caught.

I would be shocked if there was any enforcement. No one wants to walk to a campsite in the middle of the night in the cold to hand out tickets. There has been no indication of enforcement in any of the camp logs south of the pike, either.

 

[JoshandBaron]

Bear Mtn is pretty cool and has a lot of decent views. I forget the name of the trailhead but there is a relatively convenient parking area there and its fairly close to Bear Mtn from a SE approach which is pretty enjoyable. From Bear Mt to Race Mtn is a surprisingly nice hike for the area, particularly the cliffs on the South part of Race and I would definitely second that recommendation. Sage Ravine the last time I was there (early March?) was shockingly icy though so keep that in mind.

Sages was very icy last weekend, too. The stream crossing on the AT had also come up overnight but hadn't yet totally frozen so that was a bit of an adventure.

 

[DayTrip]

Sages was very icy last weekend, too. The stream crossing on the AT had also come up overnight but hadn't yet totally frozen so that was a bit of an adventure.

The day I was in there I was shocked at how sketchy it was. I would have used crampons if I'd had them. The section along the river with all those side sloping sections was like a luge track. Thick ice blanketed everything. Had to go off trail in many spots and use the trees as "steps" to get up and down. On my way back I actually bushwhacked over to a dirt road at the start of the ravine that took me out a mile North of the trail head and I did the road walk back to the car because I didn't want to go back through that area. If I remember right I don't even think I had microspikes because Winter was "over".

 

[miehoff]

Great info. Much appreciated!
I am very much interested in avoiding the crowds.

 

[JoshandBaron]

Great info. Much appreciated!
I am very much interested in avoiding the crowds.

I've done 5 trips out there this year on weekends. I've only seen people on Sundays on my hikes out. It's usually families out for a Sunday stroll. No other backpackers. Weather really seems to keep people in. If you don't have your heart set on having a fire (though the rule has obviously been ignored) Laurel Ridge is probably your best bet in the Mt Race area for solitude. There's an unmarked waterfall about 500 feet from camp that has really nice views.

 

[Mike P.]

DT was referring to the Undermountain Trail and parking area off of Route 41. Safes doesn't get much sun, and the water splashes a bit even in tiny droplets that freeze. I've been there late in the fall and in April early in the morning and it's sketchy without traction. The north side of Bear down to crossing the brook and entering MA through Sages Ravine is probably the hardest winter terrain in that area. (I'm not sure I'd want to get too close to the brook going up to South Brace on the other side of the plateau either in winter, although it gets more daylight.)

 

[DayTrip]

DT was referring to the Undermountain Trail and parking area off of Route 41. Safes doesn't get much sun, and the water splashes a bit even in tiny droplets that freeze. I've been there late in the fall and in April early in the morning and it's sketchy without traction. The north side of Bear down to crossing the brook and entering MA through Sages Ravine is probably the hardest winter terrain in that area. (I'm not sure I'd want to get too close to the brook going up to South Brace on the other side of the plateau either in winter, although it gets more daylight.)

Yah it was definitely a Northern exposure thing. As soon as I crossed the brook and started toward Race it was bare, dry ground. Was a really incredible difference from one side of the river to the other.

 

[psyculman]

The Mid State Trail has wood shelters at reasonable distances all the way from the NH to CT border. Their web site is not really usable for navigation. If their book is still available, it has great details on parking, water sources, and very good maps. When I hiked the Mid State a few years ago, New home owners adjacent to the route were doing their best to obscure and erase the trail and blaze markers. So if using the trail, one would want to look at the Google earth images to see where people block and remove it.