Loading...

Distance:
4.1 Miles / 6.6 km
Type:
Loop
Difficulty:
Hard
Time to Hike:
2 hours, ~5 minutes
Features:
Surface Type:
Dirt
Park:
Tekoa Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Town:
Westfield, Massachusetts
Directions:
42.157881, -72.796417
Added:
October 21, 2019
Updated:
January 16, 2024

The Grace A. Robson Sanctuary Trail is located on Reservoir Rd in Westfield, Massachusetts and is a difficult 4.1-mile loop hike that features a beautiful vista atop Tekoa Mountain.

The trailhead is located roughly a half-mile from the gate on Reservoir Rd; however, this recording includes the out-and-back trail that leads from the parking area to the main loop and the main trailhead. There is a bridge leading over Moose Meadow Brook to where the official trailhead is located. By the trailhead there is a small reservoir with a dam that is under construction as of October 2019. Hikers should note that trail markings, signs, and blazes are few and far between so having a physical trail map, offline maps, or cell service to check MyHikes can be useful here.

Tekoa Mountain - Easy Ascent
The longer, but less steep ascent, is located by taking a right-hand turn at the main loop and heads north along an access road that follows Moose Meadow Brook. This access road lasts for roughly 0.4-miles and at this point the access road continues on, but there will be a left-hand turn just before an old bridge - follow trail to the left here. This is one section that is marked with a mix of yellow and red/pink blazes. The trail keeps to the side of the brook as it starts to head up Tekoa Mountain. It also shifts from a wide access road to a small path as it cuts through the hillside. After about a half mile, there will be a waterfall on your right - there does not seem to be any access from this side of the brook, but is easily accessible by bushwhacking. After the waterfall, the trail continues on northward and heads further up the mountain for roughly 0.4-miles before reaching what looks like another access road. It should be noted that in this section, there is a marked trail (white blazes) that turns right down toward the brook again. After looking a several maps, I was unable to get any information on this trail. When ascending Tekoa Mountain from this route, the trail can be easily missed, but if you choose to come back this direction, it can be very confusing. Once on the new access road, turn left and start heading south up the mountain. The summit and lookouts are roughly 0.6 miles ahead. After visiting the lookout points, the trail continues to head southeast and then finally north, making a complete loop back to the trailhead. Hiking back to parking from here is as simple as following the Reservoir Rd trail to the gate.

Tekoa Mountain - Difficult Ascent
For those looking for a shorter hike and a challenge, the ascent from the south is what you're looking for. Beyond the bridge by the reservoir and trailhead, turn left and head south. There are no blazes during this short section and when the leaves have fallen, it may be hard to discern where the trail leads off. It seems there are 2 options: both are only about 0.25 miles long. There are 2 main turns, both on the right hand side of the trail leading towards the ridge you will take to the summit. If you head straight down the trail along the rock walls, it appears that it will eventually turn west and then heads north and up the mountain. There are also some breaks in the wall that indicate another path. While some look like game trails (deer trails), there is one that is clearly a foot path, but this recording did not pick it up right away. Once you reach the main trail to the summit it will be very clear, the elevation changes are noticeable right away and a clear path leads up to the summit.

Warnings
The trail to the summit, while easy to follow, should not be considered easy. It is both rocky, steep, and somewhat overgrown/narrow in many places. This mountain, much like Mt. Tom is also a native habitat for Timber Rattlesnakes that are rarely seen. There is also a short but challenging section where you must scramble a short distance up a rock face that is a drop-off on one side. There are many overlooks, ledges and cliff walks along this route and some side trails as well. This section should not be recommended to new hikers or children.

Parking
Hikers can find parking at the coordinates provided along Reservoir Rd in Westfield. Parking is located by the access gate - please do not block the gate so that state officials can enter when necessary.

Pets
Dogs are allowed if leashed and their waste must be carried out by the hiker.

Biking
Mountain biking is permitted along some of the trails here; however, it's not recommended to bike along Tekoa Mountain. Yield to hikers.

Explore 192 trails near Westfield, MA
  1. Parking

    42.157881, -72.796417
  2. Main Trailhead

    42.157995, -72.797191
  3. Waterfall by the bridge at the trail head

    42.160633, -72.806594
    Waterfall by the bridge at the trail head
  4. Vista

    42.158867, -72.811294
    Vista
  5. Vista

    42.16406, -72.813562
    Vista
  6. Old rusty truck

    42.166533, -72.813125
    Old rusty truck
  7. Waterfall on Moose Meadow Brook off the trail on the northern end of the loop

    42.173411, -72.813539
    Waterfall on Moose Meadow Brook off the trail on the northern end of the loop
Explore other trail routes for this hike, added by the MyHikes Community via Trip Reports.
No community routes found. To add your own route as a Community Route for this Trail guide, please leave a Trip Report with a GPX file on this Trail.

Hazards

Ticks - Lyme Disease More Info (CDC)
Snakes

Seasons

All
Loading...
Loading...
831 '

Total Change
694 '

Ascent
692 '

Descent

Photo Albums

2 Trip Reports

No Star-Ratings
Write-up by:
Tocra user profile picture
4.1 miles / 6.6 km
Trail added
October 21, 2019
Hiked on
October 18, 2019
Updated on
January 16, 2024
4.3 miles / 6.9 km
February 20, 2022
From Reservoir Road in Westfield, there are two options at the fork in the road. The left choice is: significantly shorter, much more steep and difficult, and very poorly blazed on the ascent. The right choice is: much longer, less steep, better blazed on both the ascent and descent, and better maintained. The whole loop is a little more than four miles with the two beautiful panoramas a little more than a mile from the fork via the left option. If you want the ideal hike, start from the right, continue down the and return via the left hand side. Rattlesnakes are known to be in the area, but didn't see any.
Hiking

Weather Forecast

In Westfield, MA

Explore Hiking Trails

New Hikes

Sandford Lake Trail
1.3 Miles
2.1 km
Easy
Out-and-Back
Coquina Loop (Old Levi Mill Waterfall)
1.7 Miles
2.7 km
Moderate
Loop
Raven Rocks via Appalachian Trail
5.1 Miles
8.2 km
Strenuous
Out-and-Back
Double Run to Canyon Vista Loop
3.7 Miles
6 km
Moderate
Loop

Before you leave...

MyHikes is an indie web platform aimed to make exploring public trails easier for everyone. The site has no investors and is owned and operated by one person, Dave Miller (Founder & Admin). As the Founder, main contributor, and doer-of-all-things for MyHikes, I share my trips with over-detailed write-ups for fun on a volunteer basis and I believe that public trail information should be available to everyone.

It takes a lot of time 🕦, money 💰, and effort (including espresso shots ☕) to run MyHikes, including hiking , mapping , writing , and publishing new trails with high-quality content... along with building new features, moderating, site maintainance, and app development for iOS and Android . I simply ask that if you find MyHikes' trail guides helpful to please consider becoming a Supporter to help keep the site, iOS, and Android apps available to everyone.

Supporters unlock website and in-app perks with a one-time payment of $25 (you renew) 😎👍. Or you can simply make a Donation of your choice without a MyHikes user account. Otherwise, telling your friends about MyHikes is the next-best thing - both quick and free 🎉

Thanks for visiting MyHikes and have a great hike!️

Admin user profile picture

Dave Miller
MyHikes Founder & Admin