Brooks Woodland Preserve

Dudley Trail–Old Town Road, 5 sights

5.7 mi · ▲ 528 ft · 2 hr 10 min

Dudley Trail–Old Town Road, 5 sights is a 5.7-mile out-and-back in Brooks Woodland Preserve near Petersham, MA. It climbs 528 ft, with sections as steep as 15% grade. It scores 26/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi751 – 1,024 ft · steepest grade: 15%5.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Surprise Meadow Trail 42.49069, -72.16197
Nearest town Petersham, MA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Dudley Trail–Old Town Road, 5 sights

5.7 mi · ▲ 528 ft · 2 hr 10 min

Elevation 750–1,024 ft

Out & Back · Brooks Woodland Preserve

Trailhead: Surprise Meadow Trail · 42.49069, -72.16197

Weather Aug 4: Partly cloudy, high 77°F / low 60° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 5:45 AM · sunset 8:06 PM

  1. Start on Surprise Meadow Trail, heading S.
  2. 0.8 miTurn left onto Dudley Trail, heading S.
  3. 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
  4. 0.6 miBear left, heading S.
  5. 400 ftBear right, heading SE.
  6. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  7. 250 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  8. 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
  9. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  10. 250 ftTurn right, heading E.
  11. 100 ftTurn left onto Quaker Drive, heading NE.
  12. 0.5 miReach Surprise Meadow Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  13. 450 ftBear left onto Old Town Road, heading NE.
  14. 0.7 miSharp right onto Rutland Brook Trail, heading S.
  15. 0.3 miSharp left onto Quaker Drive, heading N.
  16. 0.2 miSharp right, heading SW.
  17. 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
  18. 150 ftSharp left, heading N.
  19. 0.1 miBear right onto Tumbledown South, heading SW.
  20. 0.7 miContinue straight onto Tumbledown North, heading NE.
  21. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  22. 350 ftBear left onto Dudley Trail, heading NW.
  23. 0.1 miTurn right onto Surprise Meadow Trail, heading N.
  24. 0.8 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

21% dirt79% unspecified

Weather

Partly cloudyTemperature 77°F60°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity71%
Rained 2.2″ yesterday (4.5″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
80°60°
Sunrise 5:45 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:06 PM
Wed 78°62°
Thu 87°67° 52%
Fri 91°68° 38%
Sat 89°68° 39%
Sun 91°65°
Mon 88°68° 18%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.3 mi in (~38 min). Leave by 7:08 PM for the 8:06 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:01 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Trailhead visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Surprise Meadow Trail Trailhead