Mount Norwottuck

The trails are clearly marked on the white trail on the way up until you get close to the top, but you can easily follow the trail to the summit. If you continue down the white trail, following the loop rather than turning back, the markings almost disappear. The trail is still easy to follow but it's much smaller. Once you reach the Orange trail the markings are great.

Nice trail. We went up white and down orange to avoid a long steep downhill. Nice lookout at the peak and nearby. You can climb around the tight squeeze on the way down. Then it is a lovely walk in the woods.

Amazing view, the way down is at first a bit steep, but then levels out (and is a bit boring).

Trail is dog friendly but there's a rod and gun club nearby with a range. You can easily hear the gun shots from the rec hunters and if your dog is skittish from thunder or fireworks, it may take some work to get your pup on the trails. Good hike overall though.

Parking lot at the Notch Visitor Center fills up quickly, got there about 9:30 am and was already almost full. Did the hike with my 11 year old lab, who scrambled a little on some of the last stretch up. Definitely a well trafficked trail so if you are looking for more solo quiet time maybe not the best choice. Agree with some other reviews that it's not super well marked, many markers have faded and not been renewed for a while. I got a little sidetracked on the way down, but always set my GPS when I start a hike so wasn't too difficult to get back on right trail. A decent Sunday morning workout!

Loved the view, but the directions were a little unclear

When we were on the actual trail, it was super nice. Kids didn't complain. Then, about 2 miles into it, we somehow got off the trail. Between the 4 of us, we still aren't sure how it happened because we were clearly following the markings until we weren't. There are quite a few marked trails out there that we could not locate on the map so it was a bit of a pain to find our way back. We hiked an extra 1.1 miles due to all of this. Not sure I would venture out this way again just due to poor markings.

Awesome quick hike to a nice view. Strenuous at some points but fairly easy. When you get to the top veer off to side path to see awesome views from cliffs. Check out the trail log!

Great workout. beautiful views.

Beautiful view of the Pioneer Valley. Nice and quiet on our Monday AM trip.

The hike itself is nice but I think overrated given what else there is in the area. Good views at the top, we walked down to the horse 'caves' which were a cool rock formation. The 3 star rating is due to the horrible trail markings and map. There exist a significant number of trails that arent listed on the map, and the intersections arent clearly marked. For such a popular hike, they could put some effort in on a decent map and trail marking system. Only saving grace were the numbered location markers at some trail intersections, which are actually on the map.

Great day hike from Boston

Really enjoyed this hike. We took the white marked trail to the summit and down to the horse caves, then the orange trail back to the visitor center. The views are awesome and it's a good workout.

good moderate challenge..stunning view, cant wait to do rest of the range eventually

Good season starter moderate hike with a moderate amount of elevation gain spread out over a couple miles. Trails are marked pretty well, however look around you as the marking may be behind you. As always be prepared, saw a few different groups of people who did not have enough water.

It is a great trail but views aren't as great as some other mountains close by (mount tom, even sugarloaf) and finding your way can be very confusing. I have climbed it several times and still occasionally get lost.

My Grandson & I enjoyed this pet friendly hike that traversed Mt. Norwottuck, the Horse Caves & Rattlesnake Knob. Although this hike is registered under Mt. Norwottuck, it extended well beyond that covering many unnamed trails. (See Recording) DCR has Location Signs(see uploaded photos) at all intersections that make it easy for you to identify your position. Matching the Location Number on the available maps (available at Notch Visitor Center)make navigating the many intersecting trails simple.

This moderate hike will have you huffing on your way to the top of Mt. Norwottuck. A little cardio workout but moderate at best. No scrambling on this hike.

I would highly recommend bug repellent for hikers. The mosquitoes were horrendous. Normally we pick a spot midway through the hike to stop and have lunch. Not on this hike though. The minute you stopped moving, the mosquitoes attacked. It was a great incentive to finish the hike early.

A moderate hike in the amherst area with a variety of views

Great thanksgiving day morning hike! Great views from the top and horse caves very cool. Dogs were challenged to slip through the cave area. Now to some turkey!

Great trail. the only reason I didn't give it a five star is because it can get confusing if it's your first time. The blazing can be done better. I didn't run into major issues but I can see that being one for inexperienced hikers.

Overall great hike, with beautiful views. Well marked. White trail gave an aerobic up with fairly easy bouldering, orange portion of the trail was nice and easy.

Beautiful views, but be careful and keep your eye on the trail markers. We got off track and had to call 911 for assistance. They were extremely helpful, but we wish we hadn't had to trouble them.

I used to hike this every day. it's a great hike.

more than expected as far as the view.

Great hike. We took our daughter and her 2 friends along with our dog and had a great time. I found the hike quite easy. The views were amazing

Was such a great workout for me and my dogs, there's so much incline! The struggle to the top was worth it, the view is breath taking!

Beautiful hike!

Great! Happy to see the horse caves along this trail.

Love this trail. I am not an incredibly experienced hiker but not a total newbie either. I've followed the M-M trail through Mt Norwottuck and Long Mountain previously. It's a fairly rigorous hike but not too crazy, and there are lots of different side trails you can follow.

Today I followed to white blazes to the top of Mt Norwottuck, took about 40 minutes at an easy pace. Had a nice lunch there then continued to the horse caves. Detoured to the Rattlesnake Knob (low elevation vista with a nice view of surroundings) before heading back on the Robert Frost trail (orange blazes). All in all the trip took 2 hours and 40 minutes, with several breaks and stops to take in the view and surrounding area. Definitely recommend this route, the way back is fairly easy and a welcome respite from the ups and downs of the way up. Be sure to grab a map from the visitors center - there is much to explore and can get easy to get lost without one. There is some loose rock and steep inclines in places so would refrain from taking small children.

A predawn hike to watch the sunrise from the top is a great and recommended journey.