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Scenic Drives Massachusetts
Berkshires Region
Williamstown, Mohawk Trail and Savoy State Forest Loop ---------- (55 miles)
-- Via Williamstown, North Adams, Charlemont, Shelburne Falls, Greenfield, Drury, Savoy Center, Adams, North Adams, Williamstown
■ Williamstown is the starting place for a tour of the northern section of Berkshire County. Starting from Williamstown, proceed east on Route 2 into and through North Adams. Natural Bridge State Park is located east of North Adams off Route 2 and 8. This natural bridge of white marble was created by the waters of Hudson Brook.
■ East of North Adams, Route 2 is also named the Mohawk Trail. The road follows the old trail Native Americans of the Five Nations used to pass between the Connecticut and Hudson Valleys. First point of interest on the trail is the Hairpin Turn, where the trail rises sharply to the Western Summit. There is an observation point to view the mountains of southern Vermont and northwestern Massachusetts, including Mount Greylock, Mount Prospect, and Mount Williams.
■ Continuing on Route 2 / Mohawk Trail, the next stop is Whitcomb Summit, the top of the trail, with an elevation of 2,173 feet.
■ Further along, the trail crosses a bridge and turns sharply to the left. Another road leads to the right. Here the visitor has a choice of three routes.
■ The first is to continue along the Mohawk Trail to Charlemont, Shelburne Falls, and Greenfield.
■ The second is to retrace the route back to North Adams.
■ The third is to turn into Savoy Mountain State Forest for a visit to Tannery Falls. To reach Tannery Falls, pass through Drury on Route 2, then turn right on Black Brook Road, right on Adams Road, and left on Bannis Road into Savoy Center.
■ From Savoy Center, proceed west on Route 116 to Adams. Pass through Adams and head northbound on Route 8 to North Adams.
■ Also, East Road, which runs parallel to Route 8 from Adams to North Adams, gives a commanding view of Greylock Mountain, towering over Adams, a charming Victorian town with an elegantly restored Main Street.
■ To complete the tour, turn west on Route 2 when leaving North Adams and return to Williamstown.
Nearby Points of Interest:
♦ Williamstown -- Williams College Museum of Art, 15 Lawrence Hall Drive, 413-597-2429
♦ North Adams -- MASS MoCA, 1040 Mass MoCA Way, 413-MoCA-111
♦ North Adams -- Western Gateway Heritage State Park, 115 State Street, 413 663-6312
Jacob's Ladder Trail From Westfield to Lee (Route 20) ---------- (33. miles)
-- The Jacob's Ladder Trail originated centuries ago when people from the Mohican and Woronoake tribes walked between Connecticut and the Hudson River Valleys. Extending through the Berkshire Hills, it is one of the most beautiful roads in the United States.
■ Travel Route 20 from Westfield to Russell, Huntington, Chester, West Beckett, ending at Lee
Nearby Points of Interest:
♦ Westfield -- Stanley Park , 400 Western Avenue, 413-568-9312
♦ Lee -- October Mountain State Forest, 317 Woodland Road, 877-422-6762
Boston Region
Boston Revolutionary History Trail ---------- 125 miles
-- This drive in eastern Massachusetts starting in Boston and traveling west and then northwest, takes visitors through sites of the American Revolution at Boston, Cambridge, Lexington, and Concord, and scenes of the American industrial revolution, at mills along Merrimack River at Lowell and Lawrence.
■ Start in Boston and take Route 3 across the Charles River in the adjacent city of Cambridge
■ Leaving Cambridge, follow Massachusetts Avenue (Route 2A) into Arlington
■ From Arlington, continue on Route 2A into Lexington
■ From Lexington, take Route 2A into Concord
■ Leaving Concord, take Route 126 south to Wayland
■ In Wayland, pick up Route 20 (the Mohawk Trail) headed west
■ About five miles west of Wayland, take the turnoff to the Wayside Inn
■ Backtrack to Wayland along Route 20 and take Route 27 north to Sudbury and Maynard
■At Maynard, head west on Route 117 toward Stow and Bolton
■At Bolton, take the Harvard/Bolton Road into the town of Harvard
■ From Harvard, follow Littleton Road and King Street into Littleton
■ From Littleton, follow Route 110 northeast through Chelmsford to Lowell
■ Leaving Lowell, follow Route 110 east along the Merrimack River to Lawrence
Nearby Points of Interest:
♦ Boston Freedom Trail , The Boston Common, 617-357-8300
♦ Boston Faneuil Hall, 1 Faneuil Hall Square, 617-635-3105
♦ Charlestown -- U.S.S. Constitution, Charlestown Navy Yard, 617-426-1812
♦ Cambridge -- Harvard Square , Brattle Street, 617-491-3434
♦ Lexington -- Minute Man National Historical Park, 174 Liberty Street, 978-369-6993
♦ Concord -- North Bridge
♦ Concord Walden Pond, 915 Walden Street, 978-369-3254
♦ Sudbury -- Wayside Inn , 72 Wayside Inn Road, 978-443-1776
♦ Harvard -- Fruitlands Museums , 102 Prospect Hill Road, 978-456-3924
♦ Lowell -- Lowell National Historical Park , 67 Kirk Street, 978-970-5000
♦ Lawrence -- Lawrence Heritage State Park, 1 Jackson Street, 978-794-1655
Cape Cod Region
Old King's Highway (Route 6A) through Cape Cod ----- 34 miles
-- Travelers on Old King's Highway, Route 6A can see hundreds of historic sites. These range from sea captain houses, to pilgrim churches, to other historic buildings. Other points of interest include cranberry bogs, salt marshes, and preserved farmlands. The present day byway was once an Indian trade route, traveled on for thousands of years. When the pilgrims arrived, they used it for their carts and wagons, which widened the path. This byway is also well suited for bicyclists. It often follows along the coast.
■ From the Sagamore Bridge, take Route 6A, the Old King's Highway, which winds through the historic villages of Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster and Orleans.
Nearby Points of Interest:
♦ Sandwich -- Heritage Museums & Gardens , 67 Grove Street at Pine and Grove Streets, 508-888-3300
♦ Sandwich -- Sandwich Glass Museum, 129 Main Street, 508-888-0251
♦ Brewster -- Nickerson State Park, 3488 Main Street / Route 6A, 877-422-6762
♦ Brewster -- Cape Cod Museum of Natural History , 869 Route 6A, 800-479-3867
♦ Eastham -- Nauset Light Beach (Cape Cod National Seashore), Ocean View Drive, 508-349-3785
♦ Dennis -- Cape Cod Museum of Art, Route 6A, 508-385-4477
♦ Eastham -- Nauset Light , Ocean View Drive, 508-240-2612
Central Massachusetts Region
Route 128 to Quabbin Reservoir through Apple Country
-- Enjoy superb color at a relaxed pace when you drive along the less frequently traveled routes to the Quabbin Reservoir. This route begins near the town of Waltham on Route 128, the right road that surrounds Boston and its western suburbs. The route travels westward through farm and orchard country to the Quabbin Reservoir in the heart of Central Massachusetts via Waltham, Stow, Hudson, Berlin, Clinton, Sterling, Princeton, North Rutland, Barre, Barre Plains, Hardwick, Templeton, Gardner, Ashburnham, Ashby, Townsend, Littleton.
■ Starting on Route 128 near the town of Waltham, follow Route 117 to Stow.
■ Take Route 62 in a southwesterly direction through the towns of Hudson, Berlin, Clinton, and Sterling, arriving in Princeton
■ Turn north on Mountain Road to Wachusett Mountain Reservation. There you can drive, hike or take a skyride (check on scheduling) to the summit for a sweeping view of the countryside
■ Return to Route 62 and head west through North Rutland to Barre
■ From Barre, take South Street through the town of Barre Plains, to Barre Road to the town of Hardwick
■ Turn north on Route 32A, which runs along the Quabbin Reservoir to Petersham.
■ At Petersham follow Route 101 East through Templeton, Gardner and Ashburnham to the junction with Route 119
■. Head east on Route 119 through the Willard Brook State Forest in Ashby and Townsend
■ Follow route 119 back to I 495 near Littleton
Nearby Points of Interest:
♦ Princeton -- Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, Mountain Road, 978-464-2987
♦ Belchertown Quabbin Reservoir and Visitor Center, 485 Ware Road (Route 9), 413-323-7221
North of Boston Region
Essex National Heritage Area Scenic Byway ---------- (24 miles)
-- The 24-mile Essex National Heritage Area Scenic Byway is a showcase for New Englands historic seaports, Colonial era farms, village centers, and period architecture. Set against the backdrop of The Great Marsh, New England's largest salt marsh, the byway traverses six communities and is anchored at each end by the cities of Gloucester, a large active fishing community founded in 1623, and Newburyport, a historic shipbuilding and trade port. Along the way the route passes through Essex, a small community with extensive farmland, woodlots, marsh views, and a thriving antiques trade.
■ Start in the city of Gloucester at the intersection of Routes 127 and 133. Travel northerly along Route 133 through the town of Essex and into the town of Ipswich
■ Merge with Massachusetts Route 1A. Follow Route 1A northerly through the towns of Ipswich, Rowley, and Newbury, and into the city of Newburyport, terminating on High Street and the Newburyport downtown loop.
Nearby Points of Interest:
♦ Gloucester -- Maritime Heritage Center, 23 Harbor Loop, 978-281-0470
♦ Gloucester -- Annisquam Light, Wigwam Point, 978-281-8865
♦ Essex -- Essex Shipbuilding Museum, 66 Main Street, 978-768-7541
♦ Ipswich -- Castle Hill, 290 Argilla Road, 978-356-4351
♦ Newburyport -- Custom House Maritime Museum, 25 Water Street, 978-462-8681
♦ Newburyport Parker River Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island, 978-465-5753
South of Boston Region
South Shore from Quincy to Fall River ---------- (100 miles)
-- This drive coasts along Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay, passing by the historic town of Plymouth and through cranberry farming country and lots of whaling and seafaring history. Via Quincy, Cohasset, Scituate, Marshfield, Duxbury, Plymouth, Wareham, New Bedford, and Fall River.
■ Starting from the town of Quincy, travel south on Route 3A, a road from Colonial times that hugs the shore past or through the towns of Cohasset, Scituate, Marshfield, Duxbury, and Plymouth
■ Leaving Plymouth, the drive continues in a southwesterly direction via Route 44 to Route 58 and Route 28 to Wareham, on Buzzards Bay
■ Follow Route 6 south and west along Buzzards Bay through Marion, Mattapoisett and Fairhaven to New Bedford
■ continue on Route 6 to the city of Fall River
Nearby Points of Interest:
♦ Quincy -- Adams National Historic Site, 1250 Hancock Street, 617- 770- 1175
♦ Plymouth -- Cranberry World Visitor Center, 225 Water Street, 508- 747-2350
♦ Plymouth -- Plymouth Rock, Water Street, 508-830-1620
♦ Plymouth -- Plimoth Plantation, Plimoth Plantation Hwy, 508-746-1622
♦ New Bedford -- New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, 508-997-0046
♦ Fall River Battleship Cove, 5 Water Street, 508-678-1100
New Bedford to Plymouth through Cranberry Country
-- Via New Bedford, Rochester, Lakeville, Bridgewater, Kingston, Plymouth, Halifax, Carver, Wareham.
■ Leaving New Bedford and driving east on I-195, take the exit for Route 105.
■ Travel north through Rochester, past the Quittacas ponds, Long Pond and Assawompset Pond to Lakeville.
■ Leave Lakeville by going north on Routes 28 / 18 to Bridgewater.
■ In Bridgewater pick up Route 104 to Route 106 going east. You can take this all the way to the shoreline town of Kingston, just north of historic Plymouth.
■ Or just before Halifax turn right on to Route 58 South, which will take you through Carver and to I-495 just outside of Wareham.
Nearby Points of Interest:
♦ New Bedford -- New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, 508-997-0046
♦ Carver -- Flax Pond Farms, Pond Street, 508-866-3654.
♦ Plymouth -- Cranberry World Visitor Center, 225 Water Street, 508- 747-2350
♦ Plymouth -- Plimoth Plantation, Plimoth Plantation Hwy, 508-746-1622
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Foliage Drives in Massachusetts
