Hairpin Turn
Hairpin Turn sits at 1,672 feet on the Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts, facing 300 degrees toward the northwest. The terrain drops 549 feet within 600 meters of the overlook, producing a steep foreground. Several parks lie within the view to the west and west-southwest, including Natural Bridge State Park at 1.4 miles, Kemp Park at 2.0 miles, Colgrove Park at 2.4 miles, Veterans Memorial Park at 2.4 miles, Bracewell Park at 2.6 miles, Western Gateway Heritage State Park at 2.7 miles, and Witts Ledge at 2.9 miles, with Brayton Field and West End Playground farther out at 3.9 and 4.3 miles. Clarksburg State Park lies north-northwest at 2.0 miles. The facing direction points roughly toward sunset, angled 30 degrees off square with it, meaning evening light comes in low and near-frontal rather than straight on. Sunset falls at 20:35 near the June solstice and 16:22 near the December solstice, with sunrise and sunset near 07:00 and 19:00 at the equinoxes. Pittsfield is 20.5 miles to the south-southwest, with Troy and Albany farther west at 31.9 and 35.4 miles. Hot Point precedes this stop, and Williamstown view follows.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Natural Bridge State Park1,023 ftwest · 1.4 mi
- Clarksburg State Park1,095 ftnorth-northwest · 2.0 mi
- Kemp Park998 ftwest-southwest · 2.0 mi
- Colgrove Park760 ftwest-southwest · 2.4 mi
- Veterans Memorial Park731 ftwest-southwest · 2.4 mi
- Bracewell Park747 ftwest · 2.6 mi
- Western Gateway Heritage State Park738 ftwest-southwest · 2.7 mi
- Witts Ledge1,010 ftwest-southwest · 2.9 mi
- Brayton Field695 ftwest-southwest · 3.9 mi
- West End Playground644 ftwest-southwest · 4.3 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:57 | 19:05 | 18:27 |
| June solstice | 05:15 | 20:35 | 19:52 |
| September equinox | 06:40 | 18:51 | 18:14 |
| December solstice | 07:20 | 16:22 | 15:36 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Pittsfield20.5 mi south-southwest
- Troy31.9 mi west
- Albany35.4 mi west
Take the scenic way to Hairpin Turn.
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How high is Hairpin Turn?
Hairpin Turn sits at about 1,672 feet (510 m).
What can you see from Hairpin Turn?
From Hairpin Turn: Natural Bridge State Park (W, 1.4 mi); Clarksburg State Park (NNW, 2.0 mi); Kemp Park (WSW, 2.0 mi); Colgrove Park (WSW, 2.4 mi).
Is Hairpin Turn better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunset. The land falls away from Hairpin Turn toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.
What is the nearest town to Hairpin Turn?
Pittsfield, 21 miles SSW of Hairpin Turn.
What is the next lookout after Hairpin Turn?
Williamstown view is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Hairpin Turn.
Drive to Hairpin Turn with Byway
Byway plans the scenic way there — real places along Mohawk Trail - MA, real weather, zero hallucinations — and hands the turns to the navigation you already use.
Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- North Adams · 3 mi
- Florida · 4 mi
- Adams · 7 mi
- Williamstown · 7 mi
- Cheshire · 11 mi
- New Ashford · 12 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Hairpin Turn — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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