Breakheart Hill–Pearce Lake, 5 lakes is a 3.4-mile out-and-back in Breakheart Reservation near Greenwood, MA. The route passes Pearce Lake, Pearce Lake Beach, Silver Lake and Breakheart Hill Viewpoint before reaching Breakheart Hill at the turnaround, 1.7 miles in. It climbs 576 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade. It scores 7/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi75 – 236 ft · steepest grade: 20%4.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 42.49431, -71.04802
Nearest town Greenwood, MA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Breakheart Hill–Pearce Lake, 5 lakes
3.4 mi · ▲ 576 ft · 1 hr 25 min
Elevation 74–237 ft
Out & Back · Breakheart Reservation
Trailhead: 42.49431, -71.04802
Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 80°F / low 61° · precip 0% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 5:40 AM · sunset 8:02 PM
Transit-accessible: Farm St @ Nahant St - Wakefield HS stop 369 m from the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading SE.
- 150 ftSharp left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 200 ftBear right onto Ridge Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Link Trail, heading S.
- 500 ftPass Pearce Lake.
- 100 ftTurn right onto Hemlock Road, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Link Trail, heading SE.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Fern Trail, heading SE.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.1 miPass Pearce Lake Beach.
- 50 ftPass Silver Lake.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Breakheart Hill, heading SE.
- 0.3 miPass Breakheart Hill Viewpoint.
- 200 ftReach Breakheart Hill, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Fern Trail, heading NW.
- 300 ftTurn left onto Link Trail, heading W.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Hemlock Road, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Link Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Ridge Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading NW.
- 250 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading N.
- 150 ftSharp left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
29% dirt4% gravel67% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 80°F61°
Precip0%Wind7 mphUV7Humidity81%
Rained 2″ yesterday (2.5″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
80°60°
Sunrise 5:40 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:02 PM
Wed
81°63°
Thu
91°71°
24%
Fri
97°74°
27%
Sat
94°70°
44%
Sun
95°68°
Mon
96°74°
15%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.3 mi in (~10 min). Leave by 7:32 PM for the 8:02 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:26 PM — 8 min before dark.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Farm St @ Nahant St - Wakefield HS stop 369 m from the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Crow Hill & Ridge Trail 1 mi · ▲ 150 ft
- Eagle Rock–Pearce Lake, 5 beaches 2.2 mi · ▲ 293 ft
- Ash Path 2.5 mi · ▲ 358 ft
- Ash Hill–Rocky Hill, 6 summits 3.5 mi · ▲ 541 ft
- Pearce Lake–Silver Lake, 5 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 587 ft
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