As autumn ushers in cooler, crisper weather, here’s a chance to get out for a vigorous small-group hike led by a Kestrel staff member to a local peak on a trail that may be new to you.

Join us for our fourth and final Hiking for Health event of 2022 to get your blood flowing and enjoy a “peak” experience in a conservation area close to home. This 3-hour trek will head up to the summit of Bare Mountain (elevation 1,014 feet) in Amherst on Saturday, December 10 from 9 am to noon.

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 a 3-mile out-and-back hike along the New England Trail, historically known as the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, and now designated as a National Scenic Trail.

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

Registration required. Sliding-scale donation. For the safety of our community, all participants are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.