The M-M Trail covers a distance of approximately 6.5 miles from South Mountain Road to White Road. The first 3.5 miles (map at left) of the hike are very interesting and enjoyable, as you climb to the top of Crag Mountain and walk along the ridge of Brush Mountain. Once you've reached a powerline you have seen just about everything of interest. You may wish to turn back here or continue on. The remainder of the hike takes you to an old major woods road (the 5th Massachusets Turnpike - circa 1775. You then follow this road to White Road (see map below).
You may park next by the trail head on South Mountain Road or in the old cemetery 100 meters east, on the south side of this road. Enter a private gravel driveway, pass a massive rock jumble on your right and turn right into the woods just before a house. In a short time you will be navigating a brief rock scramble that leads to the top of Crag Mountain. Here you will be treated to panoramic views from NE to NW. Most interesting of which are Mts. Grace and Monadnock to the NE and Northfield Mountain Reservior to the SW.. As you climb down from the peak you follow a beautiful path through a hemlock forest along the ridge of Brush Mountain. You descend and just as you have moved off the slope and are on level ground moving towards Gulf Rd. there is a swamp. This is a great little black gum tree swamp with several 150+ year old black gum trees. Naturalist John Foster reports that good black gum tree swamps aren't very rare but they are uncommon. At 2.5 miles you reach Gulf Road. Continue NW on Gulf Road until you reach a powerline, then reenter the woods. In about 1 mile you will encounter the powerline again, this time at a higher elevation. Explore the top for some nice views to the north. A white boulder marks the point where the trail reenters the woods. If you turn back now, retrace your steps along the trail until you reach Gulf Road. You can choose a quicker route back going south on Gulf Road then making a right onto South Mountain Road or take the more scenic M-M trail. The climb is about the same for each route.
If you continue on to White Road (map at right) you must carefully follow the white blazes until you reach a wide woods road - the 5th Massachusetts Turnpike. The trail north is well marked but at times is somewhat indistinct on the ground. Once you get to the woods road its an easy 2 mile stroll to White Road.
