Mount Norwottuck, Amherst MA

• 4-star hikes
• 3 to 5 mile options
• Moderate | Gain 730 to 1040 feet
• Amherst & Granby, MA | Western Region
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A person with curly blonde hair viewed from behind stands on a rocky overlook, taking in a panoramic view of a dense green forest under a clear blue sky dotted with scattered white clouds. The hiker wears a black tank top, dark shorts, sandals, and holds a water bottle in their hand. On the right, an evergreen tree frame the scenic vista of rolling hills extending to the horizon.

Views towards Long Mt, from Rattlesnake Knob.

Mount Norwottuck rises in Mount Holyoke Range State Park, nestled between the towns of Amherst and Granby, Massachusetts. Standing at 1,106 feet, it is the highest peak in the Holyoke Range. Hikers can choose between a direct out-and-back route to the summit or a loop that includes the Horse Caves. An optional out-and-back spur to Rattlesnake Knob adds variety and ends at another scenic viewpoint.

All trail options begin at the Notch Visitor Center, which offers ample free parking. The grounds feature a picnic area alongside a visitor building equipped with drinking water and clean, flushing restrooms.

Trail Options Expand KMZ · Google Earth ·

⬤ 4★ Mt Norwottuck 3.4 mi loop, moderate, gain 730 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions GPX?

⬤ 4★ Mt Norwottuck & Rattlesnake Knob 5.2 mi loop, moderate, gain 1,040 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

⬤ 4★ Mt Norwottuck Out & Back 2.7 mi out & back, moderate, gain 730 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

P Free parking

The 2.7-mile out-and-back trail to Mount Norwottuck's summit is moderately easy, featuring mostly dirt and gravel paths with wooden steps along the steepest section of its 730-foot elevation gain. Navigation can be tricky near the start due to sparse trail signage, so carrying a GPS map is recommended.

Taking the 3.4-mile loop counterclockwise (which also covers 730 feet of elevation gain) introduces rockier terrain beyond the summit, including a short rock scramble before reaching the Horse Caves.

A hiker in a red shirt and dark pants stands on a rocky mountain summit, overlooking a wide green valley beneath a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. Trees and foliage frame the foreground.

Northward views from Mt Norwottuck's summit.

Despite their name, the Horse Caves are actually a series of overhanging rock ledges. They were formed as soft sedimentary rock eroded underneath the ridge's basalt cap, creating hollows deep enough to shelter a horse and rider. Local lore suggests Daniel Shays and his followers hid here during Shays' Rebellion in the winter of 1786–87, when western Massachusetts farmers protested high taxes and debt enforcement following the Revolutionary War. While historical evidence is limited, the name stuck. Descending from the summit to the caves requires some light scrambling.

Near the Horse Caves, an out-and-back spur to Rattlesnake Knob adds 1.8 miles and 310 feet of elevation gain to the loop. Continuing just past the knob's true summit leads to a lookout with views stretching toward Long Mountain at the eastern end of the Holyoke Range.

A split-panel image of a wooded rocky landscape. On the left, a hiker in a red shirt squeezes between large moss- and lichen-covered boulders beneath dense forest canopy. On the right, a large overhanging sandstone rock formation with reddish and greenish surfaces sits among trees, roots, and leaf litter.

Scrambling down between boulders to Horse Caves.

A scenic view from a mountain summit overlooking a forested valley and the distant town of Amherst, Massachusetts. A large tree trunk frames the right side, while leafy branches frame the left. Blue-green mountain ridges stretch across the horizon beneath a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Views of Amherst from Mt Norwottuck.

A weathered warning sign in a dense forest reads 'DANGER — NO TRESPASSING,' with additional prohibitions on hunting, motorcycles, and ATVs. The sign stands among trees, rocks, and leaf-covered ground.

Leave behind the loud quarry noises near the trailhead.

External links:
Mount Holyoke Range State Park website

Trailspotting nearby:
4★ Long Mountain (2 mi)
4★ Mount Toby & Fire Tower (3 mi)
4★ Provin Mountain (3 mi)
Show Area Map

Hiker standing on a rock looking out at the landscape

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