A Short History of Mt. Greylock and Greylock Glen





    Mt. Greylock stands in the northwest corner of Massachusetts, at a height of 3,491 feet above sea level. From the mountain's summit on a clear day there's a view of five states. The mountain's height and beauty earned it the honor of becoming Massachusetts' first state reservation, in 1898. Over the years, the Mount Greylock State Reservation has grown to over 12,000 acres in size.

    The eastern side of the mountain drops off in a very steep cliff, followed by a series of foothills that run down into the town of Adams. In those hills, there is an area referred to as the Glen. The Glen sits well above the town, offering incredible scenic views for miles. This land, much of which used to be farmland, has grown back over the last several decades into a mix of fields, forests, and wetlands.

    In the 1980s, the state of Massachusetts purchased the Glen, placing it under the supervision of the Department of Environmental Management (DEM). At the same time, the state legislature passed an act ordering the DEM to develop the Glen into an economic development program that would utilize the area's recreational potential to aid the weak economy of northern Berkshire county.

    DEM's first proposal was a residential project that would have built 1300 houses on the Glen. This proposal was rejected in the face of strong opposition.

    The current proposal, called the Greylock Center project, has been slowly modified over the past several years. It features an 18-hole golf course, a hotel and conference center, and 300 vacation homes.