Robert Frost Trail
The Robert Frost Trail covers 47 miles through the low hills and forests of west-central Massachusetts. This is quintessential New England hiking with exceptional views from the Holyoke Range and Mount Toby as the highlights. The trail could easily be done as a series of day kids, as road crossings abound.
Don’t be fooled by the low elevation of the Holyoke Range. The seven peaks along the way (known as the Seven Sisters) provide a healthy workout. (The Robert Frost Trail is actually routed across the lower flank of the range, but it is poorly marked. You are better off taking the trail across the top of the range.)
From the Holyoke Range going north, the trail travels through woods, fields and a few suburban settlements before ascending Mount Toby, then dropping down for its last woodland push to its terminus at Wendell State Forest.
Trip Planning
The 2004 trail guide, published by the Amherst Conservation Department and Amherst Area Trail Committee, is still accurate and available online. I also found it helpful to use my GAIA GPS app. If you’d like to explore other trails in the Amherst area, the Kestrel Land Trust has a series of downloadable maps.
To give a flavor for the trail, I created this start to finish video.