AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Rockland Preserve

Glacial Erratic–Dirt Church, 7 sights

9.3 mi · ▲ 763 ft · 3 hr 29 min

Glacial Erratic–Dirt Church, 7 sights is a 9.3-mile out-and-back in Rockland Preserve near Rockland, CT. The route reaches Glacial Erratic. It climbs 763 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 41/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi279 – 558 ft11.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Goat Hill Road 41.39641, -72.65239
Nearest town Rockland, CT
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Glacial Erratic–Dirt Church, 7 sights

9.3 mi · ▲ 763 ft · 3 hr 29 min

Elevation 280–557 ft

Out & Back · Rockland Preserve

Trailhead: Goat Hill Road · 41.39641, -72.65239

Weather Aug 5: Overcast, high 80°F / low 63° · precip 4% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 5:50 AM · sunset 8:05 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Goat Hill Road, heading SW.
  2. 1.1 miBear right, heading NW.
  3. 0.5 miTurn left onto County Road, heading NW.
  4. 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
  5. 500 ftSharp right, heading W.
  6. 0.2 miTurn right onto New England Trail, heading NW.
  7. 0.9 miTurn right, heading N.
  8. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Gracie, heading NE.
  9. 250 ftBear right, heading NE.
  10. 150 ftTurn left onto Bee Line, heading NE.
  11. 100 ftBear left onto Dave Houston Trail, heading NE.
  12. 50 ftPass Glacial Erratic.
  13. 500 ftContinue straight onto Bee Line, heading NE.
  14. 350 ftBear left onto Old Crooked Hill Road, heading N.
  15. 50 ftContinue straight onto Eratica, heading NE.
  16. 50 ftContinue straight onto Old Crooked Hill Road, heading NE.
  17. 50 ftTurn left onto Eratica, heading NE.
  18. 400 ftBear left, heading E.
  19. 150 ftBear left onto Old Crooked Hill Road, heading SE.
  20. 250 ftBear right onto Eratica, heading E.
  21. 50 ftContinue straight onto Old Crooked Hill Road, heading E.
  22. 250 ftTurn right onto Eratica, heading NE.
  23. 0.1 miBear left onto Dead Hill Road, heading N.
  24. 100 ftBear left onto Eratica, heading N.
  25. 50 ftTurn right onto Rockland Loop, heading N.
  26. 50 ftContinue straight onto Rishy, heading NE.
  27. 50 ftBear right onto Rockland Loop, heading NE.
  28. 50 ftContinue straight onto Rishy, heading NE.
  29. 50 ftBear right onto Rockland Loop, heading NE.
  30. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  31. 100 ftBear right onto Summit Belt, heading E.
  32. 350 ftContinue straight onto Dirt Church, heading NE.
  33. 50 ftTurn right onto Summit Belt, heading NE.
  34. 150 ftContinue straight onto Dirt Church, heading SE.
  35. 50 ftBear left onto Thunderdome, heading SE.
  36. 50 ftBear right onto Dirt Church, heading S.
  37. 150 ftContinue straight onto Thunderdome, heading S.
  38. 50 ftContinue straight onto Summit Belt, heading S.
  39. 200 ftContinue straight onto Dirt Churh, heading SE.
  40. 50 ftContinue straight onto Summit Belt, heading SE.
  41. 150 ftTurn left onto The Darkside, heading NE.
  42. 50 ftContinue straight onto Summit Belt, heading NE.
  43. 0.1 miReach Glacial Erratic, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  44. 0.1 miContinue straight onto The Darkside, heading N.
  45. 50 ftTurn right onto Summit Belt, heading N.
  46. 200 ftContinue straight onto Dirt Churh, heading N.
  47. 50 ftContinue straight onto Summit Belt, heading N.
  48. 250 ftContinue straight onto Thunderdome, heading NE.
  49. 50 ftContinue straight onto Dirt Church, heading NE.
  50. 150 ftBear left onto Thunderdome, heading NE.
  51. 50 ftBear right onto Dirt Church, heading NE.
  52. 50 ftContinue straight onto Summit Belt, heading NE.
  53. 150 ftTurn left onto Dirt Church, heading NE.
  54. 50 ftContinue straight onto Summit Belt, heading NE.
  55. 350 ftBear left, heading N.
  56. 150 ftTurn right onto Rockland Loop, heading N.
  57. 50 ftBear left onto Rishy, heading N.
  58. 50 ftContinue straight onto Rockland Loop, heading NE.
  59. 50 ftBear left onto Rishy, heading E.
  60. 50 ftContinue straight onto Rockland Loop, heading E.
  61. 50 ftTurn left onto Eratica, heading NE.
  62. 50 ftBear right onto Dead Hill Road, heading N.
  63. 50 ftBear right onto Eratica, heading N.
  64. 0.1 miTurn left onto Old Crooked Hill Road, heading E.
  65. 250 ftContinue straight onto Eratica, heading NE.
  66. 50 ftBear left onto Old Crooked Hill Road, heading NE.
  67. 200 ftBear right, heading NE.
  68. 150 ftBear right onto Eratica, heading N.
  69. 400 ftTurn right onto Old Crooked Hill Road, heading NE.
  70. 50 ftContinue straight onto Eratica, heading NE.
  71. 50 ftContinue straight onto Old Crooked Hill Road, heading NE.
  72. 50 ftBear right onto Bee Line, heading NE.
  73. 350 ftContinue straight onto Dave Houston Trail, heading E.
  74. 0.1 miBear right onto Bee Line, heading E.
  75. 100 ftTurn right, heading E.
  76. 150 ftBear left onto Gracie, heading E.
  77. 250 ftContinue straight onto New England Trail, heading N.
  78. 0.8 miTurn right, heading SW.
  79. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  80. 0.9 miTurn left, heading W.
  81. 0.2 miSharp left onto County Road, heading SW.
  82. 450 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  83. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
  84. 0.5 miBear left onto Goat Hill Road, heading SW.
  85. 0.9 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/glacial-erratic-dirt-church-out-back-7-sights-15-km

Trail surface

62% dirt38% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 80°F63°
Precip4%Wind2 mphUV7Humidity72%
Rained 1.5″ 2 days ago (2.3″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
80°60°
Sunrise 5:50 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:05 PM
Thu 84°72° 28%
Fri 94°69° 50%
Sat 89°69° 38%
Sun 92°69° 17%
Mon 91°68° 15%
Tue 89°69° 29%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.2 mi in (~116 min). Leave by 5:48 PM for the 8:05 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:08 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Goat Hill Road Trailhead

Hikes near Rockland, Connecticut