| Mount Everett State Reservation | |
|---|---|
 Mount Everett | |
  Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Mount Everett State Reservation (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Mount Washington andSheffield,Massachusetts, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°06′07″N73°25′57″W / 42.1019559°N 73.4325076°W /42.1019559; -73.4325076[1] |
| Area | 2,492 acres (10.08 km2)[2] |
| Elevation | 2,602 ft (793 m)[1] |
| Established | 1908 |
| Administrator | Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| Website | Official website |
Mount Everett State Reservation is a public recreation area in thetowns ofMount Washington andSheffield,Massachusetts, that offers panoramic views of Massachusetts,Connecticut, andNew York from the summit of 2,624-foot (800 m)Mount Everett.[3] The reservation abutsJug End State Reservation and Wildlife Management Area;Bash Bish Falls State Park andMount Washington State Forest lie to the west. All are managed by theMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Thestate legislature established the Mount Everett Reservation Commission in 1908. The commission was provided a fund of $5000 to purchase land in the towns of Mount Washington and Sheffield that would become the Mount Everett State Reservation.[4] By 1912, a little over half of the appropriation had been used to purchase 815 acres.[5] The commission was abolished in 1975 when management of the reservation was transferred to the Department of Natural Resources.[6]
The reservation has about 530 acres (210 ha) ofold-growth forest, most of which is found on the east side of Mount Everett. The forest containseastern hemlock,eastern white pine, and hardwoods such assugar andred maple,white andnorthern red oak,American beech, andsweet andyellow birch. Old-growth forest with a similar composition occurs around Guilder Pond. Mount Everett's summit supports a dwarf forest ofpitch pine andbear oak that, aside from clearing for a fire tower and trails, has not been disturbed for centuries.[7][8]
TheAppalachian Trail traverses the entire length of the reservation from south to north, crossing the summit of Mount Everett as it does. Additional trails are available for hiking and cross-country skiing. Picnicking and canoeing are found at Guilder Pond.[3]
