Mount Greylock Summit
Berkshires, Massachusetts · 3,493 ft
The Veterans War Memorial Tower stands on open summit lawn with the Taconics and the Hopper cirque dropping away on all sides. Color here runs about a week ahead of the valley floor, so a single trip can cover both stages.
Typical peak
Sep 27 – Oct 5
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Drive Rockwell Road from MA 7 in Lanesborough to the summit lot; the road gates closed for the season in early November.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- yellow birch
- american beech
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 1Typical color progression for Mount Greylock Summit. No change from Aug 24 to Sep 10. First color from Sep 10 to Sep 19. Approaching peak from Sep 19 to Sep 27. Peak from Sep 27 to Oct 5. Past peak from Oct 5 to Oct 15. Bare from Oct 15 to Oct 29.
Color starts around Sep 10.
Light at peak
Mount Greylock Summit on October 1, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:21 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 93° | 6:49 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light | 7:27 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:42 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset | 5:57 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 266° | 6:35 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:03 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 45m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.