Greylock Glen hosts multiple events each year. Visitors from near and far enjoy hikes, races, and festivals that showcase the Glen’s natural beauty and unique character.
People from all over the northeast travel to the Berkshires in October to enjoy the spectacular fall foliage. The traditional peak foliage time is Columbus Day weekend. Since 1967, 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.
The Greylock Ramble takes place on the Cheshire Harbor Trail which is the gentlest path to the summit. However, 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, 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. 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.
For more information on the Greylock Ramble and the associated RambleFest in downtown Adams, please visit the Explore Adams website.
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. 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.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. 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.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. 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.
Modern racers compete in seven categories: Alpine, Telemark, Snowboard, Women’s Overall, The Ascent, and both King and Queen of the Mountain for fastest overall combined time up and down the mountain. The tradition continues today thanks to the Thunderbolt Ski Runners, a group of backcountry ski enthusiasts who restored both the trail and the annual race.
For more information about the Thunderbolt Ski Race visit the Thunderbolt Ski Runners’ website.
In June of 2016, J. K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame published a new story: Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In this story she placed the North American version of Hogwarts at the summit of Mount Greylock in Adams, Massachusetts. As a result, “Potterheads” from Adams and surrounding towns banded together to create M.A.G.I.Con (Mischievous Appreciation of Greylock & Ilvermorny Convention). About 1,000 fans of the wizarding world gathered together for the first annual M.A.G.I.Con at Greylock Glen in June of 2017. The 2018 edition expanded to include multiple musical acts, such as Harry & the Potters, and “magical” educational programs including the lore, history and natural history of Mount Greylock. For more information about M.A.G.I.Con, please visit Magical Greylock.
