| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Todd Mountain, Clark Mountain, Spruce Hill, MA |
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 | Trails: |
Mahican-Mohawk Trail, Indian Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 11, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Ample, free parking during the off-season at Mohawk Trail State Forest off Route 2. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Cold River crossing near the halfway point required wading- about knee-deep on the way out, and about calf -deep on the way back. I suspect it's only a rock hop at particularly low water levels. Everything else was either bridged or a minor rock hop. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Overall, this was a very pleasant, clearly less-traveled trail once getting further from the Mohawk Trail State Forest headquarters, and the Savoy Campground. About a mile of trail near the summit of Clark Mountain had portions where rhododendrons were attempting to take over the trail corridor, and obscured the footway in sections. In the morning when the plants were still wet, this was a lower-body car wash. Blowdowns were surprisingly well managed; there weren't as many as expected, and most were easy stepovers or duck-unders. Blazing was sparse on some sections, and the only sure way to know you were on trail was that the ground was more compacted compared to its surroundings. This might be easier without leaf litter, or later in the season. Complete lack of trail markings during (short) road walks is a potential problem. I wandered around the area of the Savoy Campground for quite some time before finding the continuation of the intended trail the incorrect way. At least this was an out-and-back, so navigation was easy on the return route! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one off-leash near Bog Pond that did an excellent job startling me. With that said, these trails would be excellent for dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
Maybe a couple flying around, but nothing that threatened to bite on this cool, breezy day. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The intended route- taking the Mahican-Mohawk Trail toward the west from Mohawk Trail State Forest headquarters, making the side trip to Todd Mountain, following the Mahican-Mohawk Trail out to the Spruce Hill Vista, and then retracing my steps before taking the shorter Indian Trail back to the parking lot- was about 34 miles. I ended up covering 36 due to creative (read: incorrect) navigation. Still, this was an interesting and diverse hike, with very few other hikers seen, even on a Saturday. Much of the trail was completely dry. There were sections of unavoidable mud on the forest road walks between the Cold River crossing and Savoy Campground. Parts of the Blackburnian Loop and North Pond Loop had muddy areas as well- but it's April. There were even a couple of small patches of remaining, refrozen snow (largely between the Route 2 intersection in Drury and the Cold River crossing), one of which stretched entirely across the trail. Traction was definitely NOT necessary, and any snow from Saturday probably no longer exists. Though full details of the route are posted on Unnecessary Climb, the easiest place to lose the trail (heading north/west) was after reaching N Florida Rd., and then turning left into the Savoy Mountain campground. Turn right at the sign for "Cabins / Nature Trail", continue straight on this path (bypassing the cabins), and you will soon find welcome signage for the Mahican-Mohawk Trail. |
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 | Name: |
Jason |
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 | E-Mail: |
kurlando7@hotmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-04-15 |
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 | Link: |
 https://unnecessaryclimb.wordpress.com/mahican-mohawk-trail/ |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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