Getting Outside
This page presents some tips for getting outside and tricks that might help make the spring in isolation just a little more enjoyable.
The routes listed below can of course be converted to running routes. For reference, I find that running times are often approximately half of the walking times. I've separated these into short (less than about 45 minutes), medium (more than 45 minutes but less than 2 hours), and long (a half- or full-day excursion).
Let me know at jrs7 (at) williams (dot) edu if there's anything you would like to see up here.
If you're getting out into the woods, remember that tick season is upon us. After you've been in the woods or places with long grass, take a shower and make sure you've carefully checked by your ankles and legs, and in your hair. Ticks around here can transmit disease, and some of those diseases (like Lyme disease) are really nasty.
If you find a tick crawling on you, squish it under a rock or flush it down the drain, and don't worry. If the tick has fastened to you, follow these guidelines. Pull it off with a tweezers, and put it into a plastic ziploc bag. If it is a deer tick (see pictures here), call the health center, and ask whether it makes sense to prescribe you a booster dose of doxycyclin.
Bike Routes
As the weather warms up and you have bikes on campus, getting outside to smell the roses can help burn off some steam and allow you to get out of the room to enjoy the sunshine safely.
Note that Williamstown is located in the Purple Valley. Those mountains all around us mean that, in order to get anywhere, there's usually some uphill. The reward, however, is usually a terrific view!
Try them out, and let me know what you think!
Short Rides
This is a good loop to take if you want to go get a nice rush going downhill.
First, ride down Mission Hill to Cole Field. Google Maps thinks this road doesn't go through, but there's a wide enough opening at the gate at the end of this first map that you can get through
This map takes you along some of the areas that have the least strenuous uphills coming on your way back. You can also cut through the parking lot behind the library.
You can take Northwest Hill Road for as far as your heart desires - I've shown on this map going all the way out to Pownal, VT. There's some uphill on Bulkley Street, or Main Street, as you're heading out. Then as you turn past Hopkins Forest on NW Hill Road, you'll have another stretch uphill, and then as you keep going north, north, north, you'll have some ups and downs.
It's a somewhat strenuous bike ride, although you could also get off and walk at the steep parts. The view out there is gorgeous, but most of Northwest Hill Road is gravel, so make sure you take a bike with the right tires!
There's a nice little spot to sit by the river, and maybe take a walk back into the cemetary if you want. You'll the bridge that's nearby Hot Tomatoes on Water Street. Turn onto the bridge, and you can leave your bike locked against a tree or the fence. There are picnic benches by the river, if you want to bring a book and sit outside for a while. Once the weather gets warmer, the water around here is pretty deep, so you can go swimming in the river.
Otherwise, it's a nice little loop you can do if you've got a little bit of time, but it doesn't have a lot of hills, so this is an easier ride.
Medium Rides
You can take this either way, but I usually go down (on this map) first, and take the loop around that way. The view from the point that says 818 Stratton Road is amazing, but the way to get up there has some serious uphill.
Once you're at Stratton Road, though, the ride back from Stratton to Main Street has a lovely downhill through a gravel road (so don't take this with a bike with too thin of tires!).
You can take Northwest Hill Road for as far as your heart desires - I've shown on this map going all the way out to Pownal, VT. There's some uphill on Bulkley Street, or Main Street, as you're heading out. Then as you turn past Hopkins Forest on NW Hill Road, you'll have another stretch uphill, and then as you keep going north, north, north, you'll have some ups and downs.
It's a somewhat strenuous bike ride, although you could also get off and walk at the steep parts. The view out there is gorgeous, but most of Northwest Hill Road is gravel, so make sure you take a bike with the right tires!
You could either take this as a bike ride, or a bike+walk. If you take this as a bike ride, the way up will be mostly uphill, but the views will be great. You can also leave your bike at the bike rack by the mailboxes in Pine Cobble neighborhood, and then walk the Pine Cobble loop. The road here is mostly lined by houses, so don't be surprised if you see a prof with their family out for a stroll.
The total route time if you bike it is probably about 50 minutes, at a moderate pace.
First bike out to Coles Grove Road. The map looks like it doesn't go through, but you can keep walking or biking (it's a short, steep hill, so you might want to walk it) along Coles Grove Road.
You can either walk this loop, which takes about a half an hour, or bike it. There's some serious uphill, so it might take about 20 minutes to bike. Then refer to the first map picture and come back the same way.
This is a really pretty ride, which can also be done as a run. If you want, you can keep going further north along White Oak Road, until you get all the way to Vermont!
There are some big ups and downs in this ride, but there are some great views, too!
Long Rides
This route is amazing if you have some time. Luce Road leads into Pattison, which takes you up past a series of farms and then up to the water reservoir. The views out here are fantastic.
If you still have energy, you can leave your bike at the end point, and then explore around a little bit the foot of the Mount Greylock Trailhead, or if you're feeling like exploring walk into there a ways. If you're wanting a day trip, bring out some extra water with you, and try to make it up the first hill, Mount Prospect! (Not for the out-of-shape).
Walking Routes
Short Walks
You can make a loop out of walking to Stone Hill if you walk around Sabin. Start off taking the super-secret backway behind the CDE residence hall to Sabin Drive. Once you get to the end of this first path, keep going straight. There's a gate, but a path to the left of the gate that you can take to go around it and get into the parking lot of the Clark Art Museum.
Then once you're in the parking lot, you can keep going straight, and you'll see the path that leads straight up Stone Hill. If you want to extend this walk, you can walk up Stone Hill, check out the Crystal, take some pictures of the view, and then come back down. Or you can explore the trail systems that are behind Stone Hill. An easy way not to get lost up there is to walk straight up Stone Hill, and then take one of the paths into the woods off to the left. Your goal as you're in the woods is just to keep going downhill, and eventually you'll find your way back!
Here's a link to the Stone Hill Map if you want to download it and explore for yourself.
Then, to switch it up, you can return home along South Street, or walk back the same way you came.
The Knolls is a road with a little hill that leads over to the end of Spring Street. It's a nice place to walk, and there's a little bit of a view over the town as you're looking from Williams Inn.
Medium Walks
This is a nice walk that goes down through campus, down by the river, and then loops you back around up Syndicate Road.
Once you get to the end of this first map part, you should see a trailhead off to your left. That's a little trail that gives you about 15 minutes of walking along the river. Keep following it straight along, and when you see the fork with a sign that says "Syndicate Road," follow the direction to Syndicate Road. When you've walked out of the trail, you'll be on Syndicate Road, where you'll want to turn LEFT, and that's where the next map will pick up.
Follow Syndicate Road up, and you'll eventually end up walking along the side of Mission Park dining hall. Keep walking uphill, and you'll get to the main part of campus and be able to find your way back to the CDE
Long Walks
This is a route that's terrific if you're looking for a full-afternoon walk, or if you're looking for a decent-length run.
First, you need to get yourself to Stone Hill. One good way is this way, taking the back route through Sabin Drive:
Start off taking the super-secret backway behind the CDE residence hall to Sabin Drive. Once you get to the end of this first path, keep going straight. There's a gate, but a path to the left of the gate that you can take to go around it and get into the parking lot of the Clark Art Museum.
Then once you're in the parking lot, you can keep going straight, either around the pond, or you can cut through the grass around the back, or you can walk the trail along the right that leads straight up Stone Hill. Once you've gotten into the Stone Hill area, your goal here is to get on the RED trail on this map.
If you've been in the Stone Hill woods before, and know how to get to the stone bench, then get to the stone bench. Once you're at the stone bench, you'll see a board with a map. You want to get on that long red trail that leads all the way out to Scott Hill Road. That's the path that leads south, AWAY from campus. This path will be pretty flat, and pretty wide, so if you're going up and down terrain that is steep, you're probably going the wrong direction.
After you've gone through the Stone Hill woods, you keep going straight along that path, you'll come out of the woods, and there will be farmland to your left and right, and signs that tell you not to trespass on either side of the trail. Keep going straight. The path ahead of you will have some thorns on the bushes growing on the side of it, so if you get scratched, you know you're on the right path. That leads out onto a mud/dirt road, that goes a little uphill, and then turns into gravel. Now you'll see some houses on both your left and right, and you'll start walking downhill. Once you come out of that, you'll get a view of the hills to either side.
The mountains to your left are Mt. Greylock and Mt. Prospect. The ones to your right are the Taconic Crest - beyond those is New York state! Keep going straight until the road (Stone Hill Road) ends, and you'll see "Scott Hill Road." That's where the map below picks up.
Turn right on Scott Hill, cross the highway (route 2), and keep going straight until you see Oblong Road. The views out here are marvelous, and you can see there are some small farms. The horses are out sometimes. Turn right on Oblong, and go straight all the way until the road ends (if you pass by the ponds here in the evening or the early morning, you can often hear the frogs croaking).
Once the road ends, turn left. After a little over a kilometer, this map ends, and you can see that on your right there's "Bee Hill Road." This is an old frontage road, so it's more like a trail now than a road. Turn right onto this "road/trail," and you'll take it uphill for about 15-20 minutes walking. After that, you'll hit Route 2 again. Cross Route 2, and you'll get to the gravel road that is Bee Hill Road. That's where the next map starts up:
Once you've walked up that 15-20-minute dirt road/trail, here's where the map picks up again (Google Maps didn't recognize that trail as an actual trail, so it wouldn't let me create a map based off it). Start walking down Bee Hill (make sure to look right at the lookout points and take pictures! The view from up here is amazing!). At the bottom where the gravel ends, you'll hit Route 2 again. You have two choices to go: if you don't have much energy left and want to risk the cars, continue along Route 2 until you hit the roundabout, and then you'll see that you're back at the CDE. If you have a little more energy and want to avoid the cars, you can turn left from Bee Hill road and continue along Route 2 for only a couple hundred meters. Then you can turn off to the first intersection to your left: Thornliebank Road. If you take this road, you'll see a lot of nice houses, go a little uphill, and then once you turn right onto Main Street it will be mostly downhill back to the roundabout. I usually take this route, and it's the one that's listed below, because the cars drive really fast on Route 2, and it's hard to see pedestrians on that stretch of road just before the roundabout.
If you like running on roads or walking and checking out the houses, the White Oak loop is a road-run that leads you into some pretty neighborhoods and has some nice views, without having to worry about the mud or being too far away from civilization.
Hybrid Routes
These routes would be especially nice if you bike to the destination, and then walk around a little (usually in the woods) when you're there.
Short
Medium
If you leave from the CDE in the direction of Bulkley Street, you'll have an easier ride up to Hopkins Forest (Bulkley Street to Hopkins is uphill). If you leave from the CDE in the direction of Main Street, though, you'll have a really big hill uphill, but when you come back on Bulkley Street, you'll be able to enjoy a really beautiful view coming back downhill.
If you want to turn this into a longer excursion, you can ride out to Hopkins Memorial Forest, and then start walking around Hopkins Forest. There are bike racks next to the house (ride in past the parking area, and then up to the house), so you can leave your bike there and then explore around. There's a map at a stand just by where you leave your bike.
The trail in Hopkins Forest is shaped like a figure-eight, so you can start on the first loop (takes about forty-five minutes walking), and then if you're feeling good can keep going on the second loop. The entire figure-eight takes about an hour and a half.
Pine Cobble is a beautiful trail that's uphill to a great view. You can bike up to the base of the Pine Cobble neighborhood, where there's a bike rack by the mailboxes. Then you can walk downhill a little ways , and the trailhead will be on your left.
Pine Cobble is a pretty popular trail with the local denizens (some of whom include your professors!), so the trail is pretty well marked. The main rule is: keep going up! Then when you get to the top, make sure to take a RIGHT. There are two lookout spots, one that looks out over the campus, and one that looks out over North Adams. Explore around a little bit, and you'll be sure to find them.
Pine Cobble Trail takes about 2-2.5 hours round trip, so if you're going to go all the way up, make sure you've got enough time.
Coles Grove Road isn't a through road to cars, but if you have a bike or are walking, you can just walk around the gate. The bike rack is just a little further uphill than where this first map stops.
The Pine Cobble Road stop is where you want to leave your bike. You'll see the black circular bike rack just next to a little shed that holds the mailboxes. Then turn right and walk downhill to the Pine Cobble Trailhead. The trialhead will be on your left. If you get to where the cars park, you've walked too far. The trailhead can be a little tough to spot, so just be on the lookout.
Here's the Pine Cobble Trail map
The trailhead starts at the big P in the bottom left corner. Take the trail that goes relatively straight - don't go off onto the '98 or the Chestnut Road trails unless you want a much longer hike (I really enjoy running these, but the first time you go, you might want to take it a little easier on yourself!).
The general rule of thumb for the Pine Cobble trail is, go up! If you're walking uphill, you're probably going in the right direction. Once you get to the top, there are two lookouts that you can get to by turning right and walking about 300 meters. The one lookout looks over Williamstown, and the other looks out over North Adams.
Long
To get to the snowhole, first you need to get to Hopkins forest. This is a long haul, so you might want to bike out to Hopkins forest and then walk once you're in the forest.
If you leave from the CDE in the direction of Bulkley Street, you'll have an easier ride up to Hopkins Forest (Bulkley Street to Hopkins is uphill). If you leave from the CDE in the direction of Main Street, though, you'll have a really big hill uphill, but when you come back on Bulkley Street, you'll be able to enjoy a really beautiful view coming back downhill.
Leave your bike at the bike rack outside the main house at the entrance of Hopkins Forest. Take whichever trail you want into the forest, and walk about 20 minutes until you get to the middle of the figure "8."
Here's the Hopkins Memorial Forest map.
Once you're at the center point of the figure "8" you want to take the right-most (northern-most) trail of the "Upper Loop (UL)," which is bright blue in the map above. It's the direction that has a slight downhill, but then within your line of vision starts going uphill again.
After about 25 minutes on this trail, you'll see on your right a branching off, which is the "BB" trail, the "Birch Brook" trail (RED on the map above). Take that trail up (be ready with plenty of water, since this is a lot of uphill! It's really soggy and muddy in the early spring, but that makes it also a lot of fun). Once you've made it to the top, you'll see that you've hit the "crest" of the hills, and you'll meet up with a trail called the "Taconic Crest" (DARK GREEN on the map above)
Take this trail to the right. You should see signs for the Snowhole. Keep going straight on this trail. This part of the trail is fairly flat. Keep an eye out for lookout spots, since the views from up here are fantastic. For the most part, you'll be looking out into New York State!
Once you get to the snow hole, you can climb in (be careful, it can get a little slippery). There's usually ice, and sometimes snow, that stays there throughout even the warmest summer months.
Once you've gotten to the snow hole, you can keep taking these trails, but this is where I usually turn around and start the trek back exactly the way I came.
The route back to the CDE goes a lot faster than the way out, since there's a lot more downhill!
Pine Cobble is a beautiful trail that's uphill to a great view. You can bike up to the base of the Pine Cobble neighborhood, where there's a bike rack by the mailboxes. Then you can walk downhill a little ways , and the trailhead will be on your left.
Pine Cobble is a pretty popular trail with the local denizens (some of whom include your professors!), so the trail is pretty well marked. The main rule is: keep going up! Then when you get to the top, make sure to take a RIGHT. There are two lookout spots, one that looks out over the campus, and one that looks out over North Adams. Explore around a little bit, and you'll be sure to find them.
Pine Cobble Trail takes about 2-2.5 hours round trip, so if you're going to go all the way up, make sure you've got enough time.
Coles Grove Road isn't a through road to cars, but if you have a bike or are walking, you can just walk around the gate. The bike rack is just a little further uphill than where this first map stops.
The Pine Cobble Road stop is where you want to leave your bike. You'll see the black circular bike rack just next to a little shed that holds the mailboxes. Then turn right and walk downhill to the Pine Cobble Trailhead. The trialhead will be on your left. If you get to where the cars park, you've walked too far. The trailhead can be a little tough to spot, so just be on the lookout.
Here's the Pine Cobble Trail map
The trailhead starts at the big P in the bottom left corner. Take the trail that goes relatively straight - don't go off onto the '98 or the Chestnut Road trails unless you want a much longer hike (I really enjoy running these, but the first time you go, you might want to take it a little easier on yourself!).
The general rule of thumb for the Pine Cobble trail is, go up! If you're walking uphill, you're probably going in the right direction. Once you get to the top, there are two lookouts that you can get to by turning right and walking about 300 meters. The one lookout looks over Williamstown, and the other looks out over North Adams.