Six hundred million years ago, this area was under a warm shallow ocean. As the underlying tectonic plates shifted, their continents collided, pushing the land upward into a great range of mountains. The ocean sediments were compressed with tremendous pressure and heat, forming the quartzite, marble, and schist of Mount Greylock. Three hundred million years of continual erosion by wind and rain have created the landscape we see. Today, this site is part of the 12,500-acre Mount Greylock State Reservation. The Appalachian Trail, on its way from Georgia to Maine, crosses this summit. Mount Greylock inspires writers and artists, challenges hikers and skiers, and provided a home for flora and fauna not found anywhere else in Massachusetts.

Photo: Michael Herrick

Photo: Michael Herrick