Hiking Massachusetts Peaks

Massachusetts County Highest Peaks

Massachusetts county high points offer a great way to explore the state’s geographic diversity—but due to access restrictions, this is unfortunately a list that’s nearly impossible to complete. That’s one reason I created the Massachusetts 50 Highest Public Peaks list, which focuses on summits that are both significant and accessible.

Still, for those who want to pursue county high points, here’s a list of the highest true summits in each of the Commonwealth’s 14 counties, from Mount Greylock in the Berkshires to the coastal bluffs of Nantucket. In general, I avoid “slope high points” in favor of distinct summits. Middlesex County is the case in point: its technical high point lies on the slope of Nutting Hill along the Worcester County border but is nearly impossible to pinpoint, so I’ve listed Blood Hill instead—the county’s highest actual summit.

Some of these peaks are popular hikes; others, as mentioned, are off-limits to the public. In particular, Pine Hill in Barnstable County is located inside a restricted military base. I’ve read that it’s possible to obtain access through the proper channels. As always in cases of private property, I do not recommend attempting access without permission.

So, while you may not be able to check off this entire list, I promise that the ones which are publicly accessible make for some great hikes. Enjoy the journey!

Rank	County	Name	Summit Accessibility	Elevation	Town
1.	Berkshire	Mount Greylock	Public land, full access	3,492	Adams
2.	Franklin	Crum Hill	Private property	2,838	Monroe
3.	Hampshire	West Mountain	Public land but restricted access	2,133	Plainfield
4.	Worcester	Wachusett Mountain	Public land, full access	2,008	Princeton
5.	Hampden	Round Top Hill	Public easements, full access	1,793	Chester
6.	Middlesex	Blood Hill	Public land, full access	1,517	Ashby
7.	Norfolk	Great Blue Hill	Public land, full access	635	Milton
8.	Essex	Holt Hill	Public land full access	421	Andover
9.	Bristol	Sunrise Hill	Public land, full access	398	North Attleborough
10.	Plymouth	Manomet Hill	Private property	394	Plymouth
11.	Suffolk	Bellevue Hill	Public land, full access	333	Boston (West Roxbury)
12.	Dukes	Martha’s Vineyard High Point	Public land, full access	309	Chilmark
13.	Barnstable	Pine Hill	Restricted property, military base	304	Bourne
14.	Nantucket	Sankaty Head	Public access	108	Nantucket