Gobble Mountain, Chester MA

• 3-star hike
• 3 mile out-and-back
• Moderate | Gain 1,000 feet
• Chester, MA | Pioneer Valley
. MA Fire Towers

The image shows a tall metal structure against a clear blue sky. In the foreground, there are branches of a tree with leaves that are turning yellow and orange, indicating the autumn season.

A remnant of a century-old aircraft navigation network

The Gobble Mountain Preserve located just north of Chester, Massachusetts is a woodland prominence protected by The Nature Conservancy. The mountain came to our attention during research and creation of our fire tower map of Massachusetts when we learned about the tall steel tower atop its wooded summit, which turned out to be an airway beacon rather than a fire tower.

Airway beacons in the United States were constructed by the Post Office betwen 1923 and 1933, according to references cited on Wikipedia. Fitted with lights, these structures provided a visual navigation aid to aircraft pilots in days before radio navigation, and clearly long before the advent of GPS.

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⬤ 3★ Gobble Mt Fire Tower Trail 2.6 mi out & back, moderate, gain 1,000 ft
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Notable for its startling height of around 60 feet, this long-since decommissioned airway beacon still supports a wide platform at the top, though it no longer houses any lighting equipment. There is evidence on the internet of people climbing the vertical ladder and cage and reporting on great views from the platform, though actions such as this are inadvisable and likely dangerous. The bottom section of the ladder has been removed, and the Nature Conservancy website asks visitors to stay off the airway beacon.

With no plans to climb the tower, Gobble Mountain still offers a peaceful woodland hike up the Beacon Trail to the 1,686 foot summit. Expect a wide, moderate trail of consistent gradient. Toward the summit where you'll find exposed granite faces, the wayfinding becomes a little trickier, so be sure to have a map to hand. The true peak of the mountain is a little further beyond the airway beacon, and like the rest of the mountain it unfortunately offers little in the way of views. Watch your step on the downhill return, where loose material can trip you up.

There is no formal parking for this trail, however we were able to find several roadside spots close to the trailhead. Also, it's unlikely that you'll be competing with many other visitors for parking spaces here.

The image is a split-screen photograph. The left side shows a close-up of a rusty, old metal can wedged between the branches of a tree. The can appears to be an old oil or gasoline container, with faded and partially legible text that includes the word 'SUPREME'. The right side shows a tall metal fire lookout tower surrounded by trees with a clear blue sky in the background. The tower is a lattice structure, likely used for spotting forest fires.

One man's trash | The towering airway beacon.

The image shows a person walking through a forest. The forest is dense with tall trees, and the ground is covered with fallen leaves. The person is wearing a red jacket and dark pants, and is walking away from the camera. The sunlight filters through the trees, creating a dappled light effect on the forest floor.

Moderate conditions underfoot.

Tangents:
• Official: The Nature Conservancy
• NOAA NGS: Chester Airway Beacon
• AllTrails Public: Beacon Trail
• Facebook Group: Comment, Follow Us

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