Franklin County Highpoint Trip Report
Crum Hill (2,835+ ft)
Date: January 7, 2004
Author: Gene Daniell
This is the highest point in Massachusetts with the exception of the Greylock Range. Apparently it is slated
to be developed into a wind power site but there is reason to believe (from the evidence of the access trail
and the signs along it) that the windmill folks, with an eye on good public relations, intend to keep it
accessible to the public.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to get the proper angle to photograph the "Entering Florida" road sign in
front of the huge icicles on the road cut just to the west of it on US 2.
From US 2 in Florida at the Florida Volunteer Fire Deptartment station, follow Tilda Hill Road north for 1.6
miles to the junction with Bliss Road, just beyond the height-of-land. There was a reasonable plowed space
for one vehicle to park here when I was there and there should be no problem finding a place to park here in
snow-free seasons. The trail is a well-signed and marked snowmobile trail maintained by the Florida
Mountaineers snowmobile club and therefore appears to be established public access. It starts almost
directly opposite Bliss Road.
It begins by running through an overgrown cut-over area to the left of a house, avoiding a couple of right
branches that lead toward the house. After about a quarter-mile of relatively level going, take the right
(uphill) fork, which angles up the north flank of Crum Hill's west ridge. As you reach the crest of this ridge
in a flat area, take the left (heavily blazed with red paint) at a fork (the right may not be more than a few
lonely blazes; I didn't check it out) and climb fairly steeply toward the summit of the north knob.
Near the top there is a wind measurement tower in a clearing straight ahead. The trail turns right and passes to the
west of the true summit, which is a ledge with a fairly large cairn at the edge of the clearing.
The summit therefore could be approached through the clearing, though I elected to bushwhack less than
50 yards from the trail.
The trail continues into the shallow sag between the knobs to a junction, where it turns sharp left to descend;
here another trail (signed "2A" and "Whitcomb Summit") continues ahead, and this obviously is the trail you
want to follow. It climbs easily up the north ridge of the probably higher south knob, and at about halfway
up it, passes through another clearing with a wind measurement tower. After this, it breaks off a bit to the
right (west) side of the ridge crest and runs past the summit, coming back almost to the crest before it bends
a bit to the right again with a clear intent to descend. You could leave the trail earlier but I chose to
continue to this point, which is almost due south of the summit, and follow the ridge back to the north.
The summit is rather flat and has a register - one glass bottle inside another - which I did not attempt to open
because of the cold (it was around +5 degrees F and windy).