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Mount Greylock is the highest natural point in
Massachusetts at 3,491 feet (1,064 m). Its peak is located in the northwest corner of the state in the western part of the town of
Adams (near its border with
Williamstown) in
Berkshire County. Although geologically part of the
Taconic Mountains, Mount Greylock is commonly associated with the abutting
Berkshire Hills to the east. The mountain is known for its expansive views encompassing five states and the only
taiga-
boreal forest in the state. A seasonal automobile road (open annually from late May through November 1) climbs to the summit, where stands the iconic 93-foot-high (28 m) lighthouse-like Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower. A network of
hiking trails traverse the mountain, including the 2,179-mile (3,507 km)
Appalachian Trail.
Mount Greylock State Reservation was created in 1898 as Massachusetts' first public land for the purpose of forest preservation.***