MA Appalachian Trail - Section 10 - Guilder Pond Picnic Area to Jug End

November 18, 2012
Distance: 5.6 miles
Time: 3:32 hours
Map: South Taconic Trails or Mount Everett State Reservation

Parking: Take Route 344 (very narrow!) to end. Turn right on West Street. Turn left on Cross Road. Turn Left onto East Street. Turn right onto dirt road at sign for Mount Everett Reservation. Go through gate (closes at 8pm). Pass a small picnic area for Guilder Pond. There is room for 3-4 cars to park here. Continue to a larger parking area where there is a sign for the AT. Park here. There is room for a lot more cars here. There was a second gate here (shut), for a gravel road leading to Mt. Everett.
Restrooms: In parking lot, also a privy at the shelter on the trail.
Post Hike Dinner: Aroma Bar and Grill (Indian restaurant) Greater Barrington, MA

Mt Bushnell and Jug End, Mount Everett Reservation

Directions: We had hoped to do the Guilder Pond Loop trail, but the trail was closed, presumably due to Hurricane damage. From our parking area, we turned left (north) onto the AT (which is also labeled part of the closed Guilder Pond Loop trail). Shortly after that, the AT heads to the right and the Guilder Pond Loop trail leaves to the left. The pond was very scenic - we hope to visit again when that trail is open. Continue on the AT, passing blue blazed side trails to the Hemlocks shelter & Glen Brook shelter. Pass the blue blazed Elbow Trail, which leaves to the right and ends at the Berkshire School. We looked into starting on the Elbow Trail once, but weren't sure where we could legally park. Continue on towards Mount Bushnell. The trail is along a ridge, and it isn't obvious when you reach the summit. We used our GPS to tell. The summit isn't marked. Continue on towards Jug End. A cairn marks Jug End, and there are views just past it. Retrace steps back to parking lot.

Year to Date Miles: 366.6

Parking area. Not marked as a parking area on the NYNJTC map.

Pass trail to one of the shelters

Pass the Elbow trail, which leads to a private school.

Along the ridge, there are several views.

Even though hunting isn't  allowed in MA on Sundays, we decided to play it safe. Dogs in blaze orange.

Trek at Jug End cairn

Continuing past cairn to get views.

Lots of green for November!

Sign for a shelter on the way back.