As the longer days of summer encourage time and activity in the great outdoors, here’s a chance to experience a vigorous small-group hike to a local peak close to home.

Get your blood flowing and enjoy this “peak” experience on Saturday, July 8 from 9 am to noon. This 3-hour trek will take you to the summit of Bare Mountain (elevation: 1,014 feet) and Mount Hitchcock (elevation: 1,002 feet) in Amherst. Bare Mountain is a prominent peak of the Mount Holyoke Range, and part of the greater Metacomet Ridge that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Rising steeply from the Connecticut River Valley, its bald summit offers sweeping views.

Kestrel Land Trust’s Community Engagement Manager, Marilyn Castriotta, will lead the 3-mile loop hike that includes a newly improved section of the Robert Frost Trail as well as the New England Trail (historically known as the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, and now designated as a National Scenic Trail).

Our 2023 Hiking for Health series features four sections of the 42-mile Robert Frost Trail (RFT) that winds through the heart of Kestrel Land Trust’s service area east of the Connecticut River. Kestrel’s team is partnering with the Appalachian Mountain Club, the MA Department Conservation & Recreation, and other community members to improve and maintain this beloved regional long-distance trail.

IMPORTANT: Participants must be able to climb steep slopes and navigate uneven ground.