Fall is approaching and with it the start of New England’s brilliant foliage season! Here’s a chance to get your blood flowing and enjoy a “peak” experience in a conservation area here in the Valley.

Join us for the third in our annual Hiking for Health series: vigorous small-group hikes led by Kestrel staff members to local peaks. On Saturday, September 24, from 9 am to 12 pm, the route will include the new Mount Tom North Trailhead, Easthampton’s first secure public access to the Mount Tom State Reservation and the New England Scenic Trail, created in a partnership between the City and Kestrel. A short accessible trail in the new park provides a view over the Oxbow and the foothills of the Berkshires. Kestrel’s Conservation Director, Mark Wamsley, who worked with the City on this project, will be your guide for this special hike.

The hike will be approximately 3 miles round trip to the Eyrie House Ruins on Mount Nonotuck (elevation is 827 feet) in Holyoke. Mount Nonotuck is the northernmost peak of the Mount Tom Range and part of the larger Metacomet Ridge, which stretches from Long Island Sound nearly to the Vermont border.

Please NOTE:

• This is a challenging hike: Participants must be able to climb steep slopes and navigate uneven ground.
• For the safety of our community, all participants are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
  
• Registration is limited to 12 participants. Sliding-scale donation.