Hairpin Turn Overlook
The most famous single corner in Massachusetts motorcycling: a sharp hairpin on Route 2 (Mohawk Trail) at 1,700 feet elevation where the road drops 700 feet in roughly two miles. The pull-off beside the Golden Eagle Restaurant frames a 90-mile panorama of the Hoosac Valley, Mount Greylock, Mount Prospect, and slivers of Vermont. The Golden Eagle has operated continuously since 1914, making it the oldest roadside restaurant on the Mohawk Trail. The hairpin sits on the boundary of North Adams and Clarksburg.
Route 2 climbs sharply out of North Adams on its way west, and the pull-off at the hairpin is where that climb pays off. The turn sits on the boundary of North Adams and Clarksburg at 1,700 feet elevation, and the view that opens up from the overlook takes in the Hoosac Valley, Mount Greylock, Mount Prospect, and slivers of southern Vermont — a panorama that stretches roughly 90 miles on a clear day. The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism calls it one of the most photographed spots along the Mohawk Trail, and riders who've done the route once tend to build every subsequent trip around it.
The Golden Eagle Restaurant sits right at the turn and has been operating since 1914, making it one of the oldest roadside stops on the Mohawk Trail. It's a practical reason to linger beyond the photos — park the bike, grab a meal, and let the view settle in before heading back onto Route 2. One honest note: foliage season brings heavy car traffic to this stretch, which can mean a crowded pull-off and slow-moving vehicles ahead. Plan accordingly, and keep an eye on weather — the road condition changes fast at elevation.
The gold-standard photo stop on the Mohawk Trail — every Berkshires ride plan lists this corner first. The dramatic elevation change and valley panorama are impossible to replicate anywhere else on the route.
Shot by the riders who've run it.
Riders upload photos to their profile and tag the road or stop — tagged shots show up here automatically.