Johnson Hill Trail–Old Town Road, 3 sights
5.8 mi · ▲ 642 ft · 2 hr 15 min
Johnson Hill Trail–Old Town Road, 3 sights is a 5.8-mile out-and-back in Brooks Woodland Preserve near Petersham, MA. It climbs 642 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade. It scores 22/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Johnson Hill Trail–Old Town Road, 3 sights
5.8 mi · ▲ 642 ft · 2 hr 15 min
Elevation 750–978 ft
Out & Back · Brooks Woodland Preserve
Trailhead: 42.49107, -72.17061
Weather Sep 20: Light rain, high 58°F / low 49° · precip 63% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:35 AM · sunset 6:51 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Jerry's Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Tumbledown North, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Tumbledown East, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 400 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Quaker Drive, heading E.
- 0.5 miReach Johnson Hill Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 450 ftBear left onto Old Town Road, heading NE.
- 0.7 miSharp right onto Rutland Brook Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Quaker Drive, heading N.
- 0.2 miSharp right, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
- 150 ftSharp left, heading N.
- 1.1 miTurn left, heading N.
- 450 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 300 ftContinue straight onto Johnson Hill Trail, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Jerry's Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.4 miSharp left, heading N.
- 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.3 mi in (~67 min). Leave by 5:24 PM for the 6:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:14 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Tumbledown North 2.6 mi · ▲ 380 ft
- Tumbledown East 3.5 mi · ▲ 549 ft
- Jerry's Trail 2.2 mi · ▲ 278 ft
- Quaker Drive 4.4 mi · ▲ 689 ft
- Quaker Drive 4.3 mi · ▲ 603 ft
- Tumbledown North 2.5 mi · ▲ 423 ft
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Hikes near Petersham, Massachusetts