Greylock Glen hosts multiple events and programs throughout the year. Visitors from near and far enjoy hikes, races, educational programs, live music, and festivals that showcase the Glen’s natural beauty and unique character as well as the cultural richness and diversity of the Berkshires. Please subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive updates on events, programs, and activities at Greylock Glen.
The Glen Center and Greylock Glen has become a year-round destination for breathtaking special events with a view like no other in the Berkshires. Whether you’re planning a private dinner, celebration of life, corporate gathering, or community program we have flexible spaces inside and out for weddings, parties, and events of all kinds. See below our three primary event spaces inside the Center.
The Glen Center also offers classroom spaces on the North and South wings of the building that are perfect for smaller gatherings, workshops, and meetings as well as a variety of outside areas throughout the property available for your special program or event. Click the link below for our Facility Use Agreement or email us at info@greylockglenresort.com to inquire about a particular date or learn more about private rentals at the Glen.
Access a Facility Use Request form for rates and information about rental requirements.
Outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world and throughout the northeast travel to the Berkshires in October to enjoy the spectacular fall foliage. The traditional peak foliage time is Columbus Day weekend. Since 1965, Adams has organized the annual Greylock Ramble on Columbus Day. Thousands of hikers trek up the Cheshire Harbor Trail, from Greylock Glen to the summit of Mt. Greylock, the state’s highest peak.
RambleFest kicks off the weekend with a street party in downtown Adams at the Adams Visitors Center. Admission is free. There will be live musical, local craft beer, great food, produce, outdoor recreation, artists and craft exhibitors, and more. Kids look forward to the community campfire with marshmallows and pumpkin decorating. Historic Train Rides by Berkshire Scenic Railway will also be available, right across Hoosac Street at Adams Station.
The Greylock Ramble takes place on Columbus Day on the Cheshire Harbor Trail which is the gentlest path to the summit, though more seasoned hikers are welcome to take other routes up. From the Cheshire Harbor Trail the round trip is 6.6 miles, moderately strenuous and takes about five hours. There are refreshments and souvenirs available for purchase at the top at Bascom Lodge, but the hike itself and the spectacular views are free!
Free shuttles bring hikers from downtown Adams to the trailhead at the end of West Mountain Road and to the Greylock Glen Center. The first 2,000 hikers receive certificates of accomplishment and awards are given to the first to the top, the youngest, the oldest, and the hiker who traveled the greatest distance to participate.
Historically, the Berkshires boast some of the best skiing in the state both nordic and alpine. While there are dozens of trails at the Glen for cross-country ski enthusiasts to enjoy, alpine skiing is backcountry but majestic.
Each year in March, Adams highlights its winter recreational opportunities through the annual ThunderFest celebration. Held outdoors at the Adams Visitor Center at 3 Hoosac Street, admission is free and also includes live music, local food, regional vendors, and craft beer … and, of course, a campfire and marshmallows downtown. Historic Train Rides by Berkshire Scenic Railway will also be available, right across Hoosac Street at Adams Station.
The Thunderbolt Ski Run was originally cleared down the precipitous eastern slope of Mount Greylock in the 1930s as a public works project of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). With its Expert Class A rating, a vertical of 2,050 feet, a racing length of 1.6 miles and a grade of as much as 35 degrees, the trail earned the name “Thunderbolt” due to its thrilling similarity to the Thunderbolt roller coaster at Revere Beach in Massachusetts and the jagged pattern it carves down the side of the mountain. It quickly became known for its world-class races that attracted top skiers from across the United States and Europe. The fastest known time down the trail is 2 minutes, 8.6 seconds, set by Norwegian Olympian Per Klippgen in 1948.
In 1998, a movie about the trail was made by local school teacher and historian, Blair Mahar. His film won an award in the 1999 New England Film Festival, First Place, Documentary Category. The title of the movie is Purple Mountain Majesty, A History of the Thunderbolt Ski Run.
Following the film, a local effort focused on bringing races back to the Thunderbolt and formed a new club called The Thunderbolt Ski Runners. They started clearing and maintaining the Thunderbolt Ski Trail each year and brought it back to its original state. In recent years, they have hosted several classic races on the trail along with the Thunderbolt Ski Patrol, with the Thunderbolt once again becoming a popular backcountry destination for skiers. While still focused on maintaining and highlighting the Thunderbolt, TSR has expanded its efforts to work on other trails and supports additional recreational opportunities on the mountain from hiking and running, to mountain biking and climbing. For more information on backcountry skiing in the Berkshires check out the Western MA Backcountry Alliance.
Be sure to visit the Glen Center’s Exhibit Hall for more information about the Thunderbolt Ski Race and Greylock Ramble. For a deeper dive take a short drive downtown Adams to the Visitor’s Center to tour the Thunderbolt Ski Museum. For more information on Ramblefest or Thunderfest, please visit the Explore Adams website.
