Seven Sisters Traverse

“…a union of the picturesque, the sublime, and the magnificent.” - Thomas Cole

The Mount Holyoke Range is part of the Metacomet Ridge that extends from the Long Island Sound through Connecticut and Massachusetts up to the Vermont border.  It's unique in that is one of the few mountain ranges in the United States that runs east-west.

A hike along the ridge line is a great introduction to your explorations of the Connecticut River Valley. Cliff top viewpoints provide excellent spots to relax and soak in the abundance of open space and greenery in the valley. The scenery was the inspiration for Thomas Cole’s 1836 painting “The Oxbow,” which hangs in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.

The eight-mile hike starts at the Kestrel Land Trust Headquarters. We will climb two miles from the base of the valley, ascending 900 feet, to arrive at the peak of Bare Mountain. Following the ridgeline and passing over Mt Hitchcock, we will continue over the Seven Sisters. Here, we’ll stop for a picnic lunch along the way before passing by the historic Skinner House, one of the first mountain top hotels in New England. We will descend back into the valley ending our hike at Route 47 near the Connecticut River where we will have a shuttle waiting to bring us back to our cars at Kestrel.