Busby Trail

Busby Trail is a short, easy hike in western Massachusetts, about 1.8 miles from the town of West Summit. The route is a point-to-point trail of roughly 1.2 miles, with a one-way climb of about 400 feet from a low point near 1,880 feet to a high of about 2,300 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.66 miles in, with a grade of about 15 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 75°F with lows in the mid-50s, and the station sits about 565 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the summit run cooler. North Pond Loop is about 1.4 miles away and Tyler Swamp Loop about 1.8 miles. Monroe State Forest, a climbing area, is about 5 miles off, and the North Branch Hoosic River, a paddling route, is about 6.6 miles away.