Hikes with a Tyke: Poet’s Seat at Rocky Mountain Park

Date: 5/28/2021

Editor’s note: This series focuses on local hiking and nature trails visited by the author with his wife, 3-year-old daughter and the family dog to showcase outdoor excursions that are family-friendly and/or comfortable options for someone who identifies as a novice hiker.

One of the great things about Western Massachusetts is you can try a million hikes and still find something new.

While my wife and I have always enjoyed the Mount Holyoke Range, Mount Tom, and some of the smaller conservation areas in Hampden and Hampshire County, and even the occasional trip to Mount Greylock, we haven’t ventured into Franklin County much at all. Recently, we decided to change that.

It didn’t take very much internet searching to find the trails at Rocky Mountain Park in Greenfield, the home of the Poet’s Seat and the Poet’s Seat Tower.

The Poet’s Seat is the highest point in Greenfield and said to be the spot where poet Frederick Goddard Tuckerman gained inspiration for his nature poetry. The stone lookout tower, which replaced the original wood tower that burned down in 1911, bears a plaque commemorating Tuckerman as a “gifted solitary poet much admired by Emerson, Hawthorne and Tennyson” who “wrote verse and studied nature in Greenfield.”

Historical and literary significance aside, the Poet’s Seat – essentially a natural stone shelf overlooking Greenfield – offers a stunning largely unobstructed view of the city and the landscape beyond. The height of the tower, which is accessible to the public with multiple levels accessible via stairs, adds more perspective.

Given the heat of the day – in the mid-80s – we were looking for something that would provide enough to get the heart rate up without overexertion and a 2 ½ mile loop around the park provided just that.

We started off on the trailhead at the parking area at the Park’s entrance on Mountain Road and followed red blazes along a well-established trail that initially led down and away from the tower toward the Connecticut River before running parallel to it for just under ¾ of a mile before moving inland. Along the way, you can peak through the trees and see the water, and a cleared area near an old electrical wire installation provides a somewhat unobstructed view.

After moving away from the river, the red blazes are met by blue blazes, forming a somewhat confusing junction, but one that was still easy enough to navigate. That path takes you along a path close to the ridgeline, which provides a number of smaller lookouts and photo spots as you gradually but steadily move upwards until the Poet’s Seat opens up in front of you. It’s an impressive payoff for what could be considered a fairly easy

There is a path that will lead you back to the wooded trail, but the 3-year-old had had enough riding and wanted to walk, so we followed the paved road the half mile back to the car.

The path itself is clear, though a bit narrow in some areas and overall the blazes were easily identifiable.

For warmer days, the canopy provides ample coverage, providing shady comfort throughout the hike. The dog did not accompany us on this particular hike as we took on this adventure after church (I’m pretty sure our priest would simultaneously frown upon and find hilarity in our dog in a pew), but this area does allow furry friends on leash and most would have no problem with the terrain. It is a carry-in, carry-out area, so remember to bring a bag just in case.

For those who are not as adventurous and just want a nice view, the road is very walkable for those of most ages, or you could drive to the tower, where there is parking as well.

And, of course, an ice cream reward is always something we seek out as part of our hiking adventures. While Ice Cream Alley in Greenfield was recommended, our schedule meant looking elsewhere and we were able to find J. M. Pasiecnik Farm Stand & 5J Creamery on River Road in South Deerfield – just a stone’s throw from another great hiking spot in Mount Sugarloaf.

Serving soft serve and Gifford’s hard ice cream, it certainly hit the spot.