US-MA-Mount+Tom


 * =Birding in Massachusetts=

Hampden County
=Mount Tom= 125 Reservation Road Holyoke, Massachusetts 01040 Mount Tom State Reservation webpage Mount Tom Recommended Hikes brochure Mount Tom map

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Mt. Tom
Coordinates: 42.266666, -72.633331 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Mt. Tom State Reservation
Coordinates: 42.2613033, -72.6391983 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Mt. Tom State Reservation--Abandoned Quarry
Coordinates: 42.253334, -72.6333621 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Tips on birding Mount Tom
Getting There: Leave I-91 at Exit 17 and turn onto MA-141 north (left from south and right from north). Go 3.5 miles to top of ridge and entrance on right to Mt. Tom State Reservation (gates usually open at 8 am).

Timing and Species: Spring, summer and fall for resident and migrant songbirds, notably Worm-eating Warblers. Spring and fall for migrants, especially raptors.

Birding Plan: Drive slowly north on Christopher Clark Road along the wooded western side of ridge, listening for bird song and stopping at intervals to walk roadside or look out from turnoffs into the valley. After four miles, you will reach headquarters area where there are open picnic areas and a tower that offers a view of the western valley. Watch for breeding hawks circling or migrating hawks gliding past and overhead, especially in spring. To reach the Goat Peak lookout where migrating hawks are seen in the fall, continue straight on Christopher Clark Road (the ridge road) for half a mile and park in the lot. Climb road/trail for a quarter-mile to upper lot with an overlook to the west. Walk up trail to peak where there is a taller tower that gives a complete view of the horizon. A nearby ledge will provide views of migrating hawks as they approach from the north. Return to headquarters area and turn left (east) following steep descent on Smiths Ferry Road and Reservation Road. Stop where convenient to look and listen for birds until you reach the bottom, where you can park and bird the area next to Bray Lake. From Allen Bird Club Birding Spots

About Mount Tom
Mount Tom boasts an unparalleled view of the Connecticut Valley north and south, the Berkshire mountains to the west and the Pelham hills to the east. This 2,161-acre facility offers 22 miles of hiking and walking trails, picnicking, fishing on Lake Bray, and cross-country skiing and ice skating in the winter. Mount Tom also offers a children's play area.

Lake Bray is a small waterbody consisting of less than 10 acres. The Oxbow located 2 miles North of the US-5 entrance would be an alternative site for boating enthusiasts.

Today the Reservation includes about 47 of the 80 tree species found naturally in Hampshire County. Mount Tom is one of the premier hawk watching spots in New England. Each fall, thousands of hawks and other birds fly past the mountain. From Mount Tom State Reservation webpage

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