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Enjoy the beautiful old growth forest of Guilder Pond, the highest natural body of water in Massachusetts, to stunning panoramic views on the way up to Mount Everett.
Depending on when you do this hike, you may drive into Mount Everett State Reservation to find the gates open or closed to traffic.  The gates are generally open in the summer during the day (closed at night) so people can drive all the way up to the picnic areas at Guilder Pond.
The description provided here is with the gates being closed.  You can park just before the gates in a good sized parking lot.  The gravel road (or snow covered road) ascends through the forest.  At 0.65 miles, turn left at the sign for the Guilder Pond Trail.  The trail will be blazed in blue.  Continue to follow the trail as it alternately skirts the pond then veers into the hemlock forest and back.  At the 1.20-mile point, start watching for unmarked side trails to the right that will bring you to a large rock ledge overlooking the entire pond.
In another .10 mile you will run into the Appalachian Trail.  Turn right as the blue-blazed Guilder Pond Trail joins with the white-blazed Appalachian Trail for a tenth of a mile before the two split apart in the upper parking lot.  There are two ways to reach Mount Everett from this lot.  Straight ahead beyond a gate a gravel road ascends up the mountain.  To your left, at the large Appalachian Trail sign, the AT also ascends the mountain but more steeply.  For this description, we will keep straight beyond the barrier on the gravel road.
Soon you will see a stone shelter up the mountain to your right.  This is your destination as the road switchbacks in that direction.  At the shelter there are panoramic views.  Look for the highest point on the distant horizon where on a clear day you will see Mount Greylock, the highest mountain in Massachusetts, about 40 miles away.  To the left of Mount Greylock you are looking into New York, to the right Massachusetts and just the other side of Mount Greylock is Vermont.
Continue on in the direction you were heading to meet up with the Appalachian Trail a short distance ahead.  Turn left and continue on the white-blazed AT to complete your ascent of Mount Everett.  Watch for short side trails to views along the way.  Arrive at old fire tower footings, the summit of Mount Everett at an elevation of 2,624 ft, the highest point of the South Taconics in Massachusetts.
After exploring the summit, retrace your steps.
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