The Mohawk Trail opened in 1914 as one of the first auto-touring roads in the country. This 69-mile scenic byway meanders through deep forest and historic towns, passing world-class art museums, early 20th-century tourist destinations, scenic hikes and dramatic vistas, all the while crisscrossing and paralleling five major rivers—the Millers, Connecticut, Green, Deerfield, and Hoosic. The byway’s origins date back more than 10,000 years, when Native Americans first began hunting and trading via footpaths along the rivers. But the road as we know it took shape in the early 20th century when it became the state’s first designated scenic autoroute. Several Native American–themed souvenir shops, tourist cottages and restaurants from the era are still open today. Hikers can travel 34 miles along the re-created Mahican-Mohawk Trail on rail trails, woodland paths and rural roads.

Mohawk Trail