Tully Mountain
| Tully Mountain | |
|---|---|
 View from Tully Mountain | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,163 ft (354 m) |
| Coordinates | 42°38′52″N 72°14′58″W / 42.64778°N 72.24944°WCoordinates: 42°38′52″N 72°14′58″W / 42.64778°N 72.24944°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | Orange, Massachusetts |
| Parent range | Central Massachusetts highlands |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | 200 million years |
| Mountain type | Metamorphic rock; monadnock |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Tully Trail |
Tully Mountain, 1,163 ft (354 m), is a prominent, steep-sided monadnock located in north central Massachusetts in the town of Orange. An exposed east facing ledge on the summit provides views of the Millers River valley, Mount Monadnock, Mount Wachusett, and the Wapack Range. The 22-mile (35 km) Tully Trail traverses the mountain.[1]
There exists a Tully Mountain (Ireland) that, at 1168 feet above sea level, is almost identical in elevation to the Tully Mountain in Massachusetts.
The mountain drains into the Tully River, then into the Millers River, then to the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound.[2]
The mountaintop is forested, except for a rocky outcropping (a monadnock) that faces due east; the rocky ledge of Tully Mountain is visible from surrounding small towns and is a defining characteristic of this small mountain. The rocky vantage point is the "practical" summit of the mountain, as the geological summit is wooded, unmarked, and without views. The vista, looking afar from the steep ledge, features Mount Monadnock (Jaffrey, NH, approx 20 miles NE), the church steeple of Royalston, MA, and three bodies of visible water: Tully Lake (due east, with views of automobile traffic across the dam), Packard Pond, and Tully Pond (south east). On a clear day when trees are leafless, looking due south-southwest, some claim to see the Quabbin Reservoir between the distant hills.
The mountain actually has twin "peaks" topographically, having a smaller 856-ft elevation "shoulder" to its south which is sometimes referred to as Little Tully Mountain.[3] As Little Tully Mountain is so intimately connected to Tully Mountain proper, most refer to both as, simply, Tully Mountain.
Access to hike up the mountain is typically from a pathway starting at the town cemetery, just south of Tully mountain, on a route that traverses Little Tully Mountain, or from a small dirt parking area adjacent to the bridge over the Tully River, just west of the mountain, on Tully Road; this pathway takes one on a wide cart-path around the base of the mountain for about 1/4 mile, and then an ascent along a blazed trail. There is signage on the Tully trail indicating that Royalston Falls is approximately 10 miles, by foot, from Tully Mountain. There is no defined trailhead, and there is no fee. Total hiking time one-way to the vista is approximately 20-30 minutes, making this a common spot for hikers of all ages, families, and teenagers looking for a spot to do what teenagers do.
References
- ↑ Massachusetts Trail Guide, 8th edition. (2004). Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club.
- ↑ DeLorme Topo 6.0 (2006). Mapping software. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme.
- ↑ http://peakery.com/little-tully-mountain-massachusetts/