The 8 Most Amazing Peaks around Northampton

Mount Holyoke is a 935 foot mountain near the town of Northampton, Massachusetts. Cycling up Mount Holyoke, Massachusetts, is a rewarding, but challenging experience. The auto road is open to cyclists in the spring, summer, and early fall, and great views of the Pioneer Valley and the Connecticut River as you climb. At the top, there are overlooks with benches, and several picnic tables with panoramic views for you to rest and relax at before beginning your descent. There are also bathrooms as well as the historic Summit House, which used to be a hotel.

Mount Nonotuck is 827 feet tall and is the northernmost peak of the Mount Tom Range. You get fantastic views of "the Oxbow," a dramatic bend in the Connecticut River below. At the open summit of Mount Nonotuck is the ruins of the Eyrie House, a small hotel built in 1861. The successful establishment burnt down in 1901 when the owner lost control of a fire when attempting to cremate two horses. All that was left was the cellar holes and the walls of the stone understory, which you can still see today.

Deadtop stands at 1,115 feet above sea level. From this rocky, exposed summit you get fantastic views of Easthampton, the Connecticut River Valley, and the entire Mount Tom Range. You also can see the unique trapprock and basalt rock that make the mountains here.

Mount Tom is a steep, traprock summit, which stands at 1,202 feet. This popular summit is accessible by road and trails, the most notable of which is the 110-mile Metacomet-Monadnock Trail. It is the southernmost and highest peak of the Mount Tom Range and has dramatic views across the range and of the Connecticut River Valley.

Bare Mountain stands at 1,014 feet above sea level and is part of the greater Metacomet Ridge and the Holyoke Range. This steep mountain is popular with students from the many elite colleges in the nearby towns. From the summit you get great views of the surrounding valleys to the north and south, views to Mount Norwottuck and the eastern peaks of the Holyoke Range, and of the campuses of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Hampshire College. Bare Mountain also is home to a bunker that was used as the command center for U.S. forces during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Here you are standing on the westernmost peak of the Holyoke Range: Mount Holyoke. The approximately 285 meter high mountain is located in the Connecticut River Valley in western Massachusetts and is the namesake of nearby Mount Holyoke College. Enjoy the picturesque views from here. But don't forget to pay a visit to the historic summit house.

Bring water and a snack.

Beautiful views all along this ridge.