Knox Trail Otis narrated by Tom Ragusa
April 29, 2023 @ 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
#hikethehilltowns with us!
April 29th, 2023
Knox Trail Otis 10:00 am to 2:30 pm
GPS 42.17402 -73.02689 Hike Start and Parking
corner of Algerie and East Otis Road in Blandford on the town line, parking in the triangle
We will start at the town line of Blandford and Otis and hike on the Knox Trail to Route 8 in Otis where we will carpool back to the starting point. Hike Rating: Easy to Moderate, approximately 3.7 miles one way
Narrated by Mr. Tom Ragusa, local historian and retired DCR, 3.7 miles one way on the infamous “Ye Trodden Path” we will hike that same route as the 1764 Survey where Colonel Henry Knox in the winter of 1775-1776 transported from Ticonderoga, NY to Cambridge, MA ordnance-59 cannons, for the use of Washington’s Army.
In 1758 this route was traveled by General Amherst, a time where Blandford was then Glasgow with 20 families, mostly Irish. The Hilltowns of Russell, Blandford, Otis, Sandisfield, Monterey…..were crossed by hearty men and oxen. We will start at the Black Oak Staddle at Station #1, past the 65 miles to Albany stone marker and visit all the waypoints along the way to Route 8 and the General Wadsworth Campsite. The Hilltown Hikers traveled this route and also through Sandisfield with Mr. Ragusa several times in order to document and waypoint the history in order to apply for it’s National Historic Designation.
Please Register per carload on https://westernmasshilltownhikers.ticketleap.com Hike is free and volunteer lead; suggested donation is $5.00. Maps and bottled water provided. Well behaved dogs are allowed. Please bring hiking poles and a snack. We hike rain or shine. More details are on www.hilltownhikers.com. Be prepared for muddy conditions, some road walking, and deep woods. We will carpool back to the start.
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See all our events, maps, blog and photos at www.hilltownhikers.com For more hike information email: westernmasshilltownhikers@aol.com or call/text 413-302-0312. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Meetup, YouTube, TikTok Pinterest and Twitter. Search our hashtags #westernmasshilltownhikers #hilltownhikers and #hikethehilltowns Please keep our beautiful places clean and carry in and carry out. We are a non-profit 501C(3) organization incorporated in the State of Massachusetts. Tax ID #86-2532249.
Tees, hoodies, hats, window stickers, patches and photos will be for sale at the hike, the complete free catalog of printed hiking maps will be there too. See all our events, maps, blog and photos at www.hilltownhikers.com
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Mission Statement: Western Mass Hilltown Hikers, Inc. is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes to engage in all legal activities relating to the development, maintenance and operation of recreational hiking and outdoor adventure in Western Massachusetts. We are a non-profit 501C(3) organization incorporated in the State of Massachusetts. Tax ID #86-2532249
