Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Duck Pond & Desert Trail via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
5.5 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 1 hr 52 min
Duck Pond & Desert Trail via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside is a 5.5-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near Pine Lake, MA. The route reaches Duck Pond at the turnaround, 2.8 miles in. It is mostly level, with 80 ft of elevation gain. It scores 15/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Duck Pond & Desert Trail via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
5.5 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 1 hr 52 min
Elevation 167–247 ft
Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Trailhead: 42.39858, -71.48284
Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:04 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Patrol Road, heading SE.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 350 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 350 ftBear right, heading E.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Fisher Trail, heading SW.
- 0.8 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 100 ftBear left onto Desert Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Desert Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading E.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading E.
- 0.1 miReach Duck Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading SE.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Desert Loop Trail, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Desert Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading SW.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Fisher Trail, heading SW.
- 1.3 miBear left, heading NE.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 150 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Patrol Road, heading NW.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.5 miArrive 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 1.3 mi in (~32 min). Leave by 7:12 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:51 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Tri-Town Trail 2.4 mi · ▲ 56 ft
- Tri-Town Trail 2.4 mi · ▲ 56 ft
- Petapawag Trail–Pine Garden Trail, 5 sights 3.8 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Track Road/Assabet River Rail Trail Easement Viewpoint–Track Road/Assabet River Rail Trail Easement, 3 sights 3.9 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 3.9 mi · ▲ 56 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 3.9 mi · ▲ 53 ft
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