Mass Central Rail Trail W, Hudson MA.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY 4.0

French Road Pond–Ocean By-Pass, 3 sights is a 6.6-mile out-and-back in Memorial Forest near Gleasondale Station, MA. The route reaches French Road Pond at the turnaround, 3.3 miles in. It climbs 254 ft. It scores 29/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi167 – 308 ft7.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.38262, -71.50627
Nearest town Gleasondale Station, MA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

French Road Pond–Ocean By-Pass, 3 sights

6.6 mi · ▲ 254 ft · 2 hr 20 min

Elevation 169–309 ft

Out & Back · Memorial Forest

Trailhead: 42.38262, -71.50627

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:04 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  3. 250 ftTurn left, heading N.
  4. 300 ftTurn right, heading N.
  5. 0.3 miTurn right, heading NE.
  6. 50 ftSharp left, heading NE.
  7. 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
  8. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  9. 450 ftBear left, heading N.
  10. 50 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading N.
  11. 0.5 miTurn left, heading SE.
  12. 300 ftSharp right, heading SE.
  13. 350 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  14. 0.7 miTurn right onto Pipeline Pass, heading SE.
  15. 0.6 miTurn right onto Plymton Trail, heading E.
  16. 0.2 miTurn left onto Pipeline Pass, heading S.
  17. 200 ftTurn left, heading S.
  18. 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
  19. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  20. 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
  21. 450 ftTurn right, heading E.
  22. 350 ftBear left, heading E.
  23. 500 ftBear right, heading S.
  24. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  25. 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  26. 250 ftReach French Road Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  27. 300 ftTurn right, heading S.
  28. 100 ftBear right, heading SW.
  29. 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
  30. 0.1 miBear right, heading S.
  31. 350 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  32. 450 ftTurn right, heading E.
  33. 0.3 miBear right, heading N.
  34. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  35. 350 ftTurn right onto Plymton Trail, heading NW.
  36. 0.2 miTurn left onto Ocean By-Pass, heading W.
  37. 0.6 miTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading NW.
  38. 0.7 miTurn right, heading NW.
  39. 150 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  40. 350 ftSharp left, heading NW.
  41. 0.6 miTurn left, heading W.
  42. 50 ftBear right, heading W.
  43. 450 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  44. 50 ftBear left, heading NW.
  45. 50 ftSharp right, heading NW.
  46. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  47. 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
  48. 250 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  49. 250 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  50. 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

39% dirt36% paved25% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:42 AMSunset 8:04 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.2 mi in (~79 min). Leave by 6:25 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:41 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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