Skinner State Park 10 Skinner State Park Road, Hadley
A Meaningful (Over)view at Mt. Holyoke's Summit
- Description, format and location - Proclaimed as "The finest cultivated view in New England," the vista from the summit of Mt. Holyoke at Skinner State Park made it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States in the early 1800’s. What did the view mean to visitors back then? What does it mean to us today? Welcome and introduction on the Summit House deck or in the picnic grove.
- Ages - Elementary grades through adult
- Available - Mid-May through mid-October
- Group size - One classroom size group (up to 25 students) is recommended for better learning outcomes and space limitations.
- Length - Ten minutes. Can be lengthened to introduce other topics such as geology or the history of tourism and vacations.
- Curriculum connections - Local and national history.
This Valley Rocks: Geological History and Landforms of the Connecticut River Valley and Hilltowns
Description, format and location - Take a field walk, looking for examples of geological processes, rock types, and land forms. Put observations together in an optional hands-on demonstration of Valley geohistory. Guided hike with featured stops between the Halfway Area and the summit of Mt. Holyoke, typically along the auto road and with two short side trails to significant geological features. An optional hands-on demonstration at the summit connects examples seen on the walk with geological history and processes.
- Ages - Grades 3-8
- Available - Mid-May through mid-October
- Group size - One classroom size group is strongly recommended for safety concerns and for best learning outcomes. The guided hike portion can accommodate two classroom size groups when teachers and chaperones actively participate and help facilitate learning. The hands-on demonstration is done at the summit in classroom-size groups, sub-divided into small-group learning stations.
- Length - Guided hike to the summit with featured stops is approximately 2.3 miles round trip and takes one to 1.5 hour. Hands-on demonstration is approximately 30-40 minutes per group.
- Curriculum connections - Geological processes, rock cycle, rock types, landforms. Optional: Maps, land use, civics.
- Other
- - The walk to the summit is typically along the paved auto road, steep in places. Side trails to two significant geologic features are on short and somewhat graded trails. Moderate pace with stops.
The House on the Hill
Description, format and location - Mountain top hotels were popular vacation destinations during the second half of the 1800's and into the early 1900's. John and Fannie French built the Summit House Hotel in 1850 and ran it until they died in the 1890’s. This tour touches on John's entrepreneurial spirit and the changes he made to keep the hotel a popular destination. We look at the context for its decline, the period of conservation efforts, the hotel's subsequent restoration, and on-going issues of land protection. Guided tour is conducted in a question and answer format inside the summit house on the first and second floors
- Grades - 3 - 8
- Available - Memorial Day through mid-October
- Group size - One classroom size group (up to 25 students) for best learning outcomes. For larger groups, please see "Summit Scholar" below, or select a round robin option.
- Length - 30-45 minutes
- Curriculum connections - Local history, social customs, technology, entrepreneurship, civics.
- Other - The deck and first floor are wheelchair accessible; second floor is not.
Semi-Guided Field Trip Programs
Summit Scholar
Description format and location - Students become anthropologists looking at objects and displays inside the Summit House. They find answers and make inferences about the building and about family vacations at the Summit House during its years as a hotel. Semi-guided program; students work in small groups on the Summit House’s first and second floors. The Regional Educator can help with questions during the program. Time permitting, we debrief answers at the end.
- Ages - Grades 4-8
- Available - Memorial Day through mid-October
- Group size Up to two classroom size groups, with students working in small teams with a teacher or chaperone.
- Length - 30-45 minutes. For best learning outcomes, include several minutes debriefing the activity. Can be done in less time with fewer questions.
- Curriculum connections Observation and inference. Reading for information. Technology. Social customs/popular culture.
- Other - The deck and first floor are wheelchair accessible; second floor is not.
“Three Things” Summit House Tour
Description, format and location - Students look through the first and second floor of the Summit House. They find three “interesting” items, sketch the items and describe them in as much detail as they can in their notebook. Next, they think of three questions, or three things that they are curious about and write them down. They hypothesize answers and list how they would find the answer to these questions. If time permits, the Regional Educator is available to answer questions. Otherwise, debriefing is a post field trip activity back at the classroom.
- Ages – Grades 4 and up
- Group size – Up to two classroom size groups if chaperones and teachers help facilitate the experience.
- Available – Memorial Day through mid-October
- Length – Approximately 30 minutes. More for a deeper discussion about conducting historic research
- Curriculum connections – Local history. Making and recording observations. Using observations to make inferences. Asking questions. Conducting research.
- Other - The deck and first floor are wheelchair accessible; second floor is not.
Teacher led Options also suitable for round-robin activities
Journaling, Poetry, or Sketching
Description, format and location - From the early 1800's onward, writers, poets, and painters found inspiration for their work on the summit of Mt. Holyoke. The same is true for students who visit the summit today. Use a writing prompt, give a poem structure, frame a scene, or just let your students' imaginations fly. On the Summit House deck or in the picnic grove
- Ages - All
- Available - Mid-May through mid-October
- Length - Variable, as time permits.
What Do I See?
Description, format and location - Use the view to point out different towns, cities, infrastructure, landforms and land use. Do this as a discussion or as a “fill-in-the-map” activity. Please speak with the Regional Educator for examples. On the Summit House deck or in the picnic grove.
- Ages - Grades K and up
- Available - mid-May through mid-October
- Length - variable, as time permits
Map and Compass
Description, format and location - Use the view to reinforce map and compass skills or to illustrate the concept of magnetic declination. On the Summit House deck
- Grades - 4 and up
- Available - mid-May through mid-October
- Group size - One classroom-size group (up to 25 students) because of space limitations
- Length - variable, as time permits
- Other
- - Requires prior learning of map and compass basics; please bring your own compasses. Laminated color copies of U.S.G.S. maps can be borrowed from the park.
Logistics and Amenities
The year-round contact is Gini Traub, Regional Educator, 617/699-2387; Gini.Traub@mass.gov
From mid-April through mid-October, you can also contact the Skinner State Park Interpreter, 413/586-0350, Holyoke.Range@mass.gov
Vehicle entrance fee (varies by days and season). Cars and vans can drive to the summit. Full-size buses can drop off and pick up groups at the Halfway Area and park outside of the park's main gate. Because of the road's narrow width and steep pitch, they cannot drive to the summit.
Students arriving by bus access the summit via the paved auto road or trails. Steep sections; most are reasonably well graded. One-half to one mile each way, depending on route selected.
The deck, first floor of Summit House and restrooms/bubbler are wheelchair accessible. Small picnic grove.