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John Phelan · CC BY 4.0
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Gospel Hill–Duck Pond, 4 lakes

16 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 5 hr 22 min

Gospel Hill–Duck Pond, 4 lakes is a 16-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near Sudbury, MA. The route passes Cricket Pond, Duck Pond and Gospel Hill. It is mostly level, with 80 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 10/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi135 – 220 ft16.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.38553, -71.41515
Nearest town Sudbury, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Gospel Hill–Duck Pond, 4 lakes

16 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 5 hr 22 min

Elevation 134–221 ft

Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Trailhead: 42.38553, -71.41515

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:03 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 200 ftTurn right onto Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, heading S.
  3. 0.2 miPass Cricket Pond.
  4. 1.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  5. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  6. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading S.
  7. 50 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading S.
  8. 2 miPass Duck Pond.
  9. 250 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  10. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  11. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  12. 300 ftBear left, heading N.
  13. 150 ftBear left onto Ridge Trail, heading N.
  14. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading NW.
  15. 250 ftTurn right onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading NW.
  16. 350 ftBear left onto Fisher Trail, heading W.
  17. 0.7 miTurn left, heading NW.
  18. 50 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading NW.
  19. 0.7 miTurn right, heading NW.
  20. 100 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  21. 350 ftSharp left, heading NE.
  22. 1.4 miContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading NW.
  23. 0.5 miPass Gospel Hill.
  24. 300 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  25. 0.6 miReach Gospel Hill, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  26. 0.6 miTurn right, heading E.
  27. 0.6 miContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading SE.
  28. 1.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
  29. 300 ftSharp right, heading SE.
  30. 350 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  31. 0.7 miTurn left, heading SE.
  32. 50 ftTurn right onto Fisher Trail, heading SE.
  33. 0.7 miBear right onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading SE.
  34. 350 ftTurn left onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading N.
  35. 250 ftContinue straight onto Ridge Trail, heading N.
  36. 0.1 miBear right, heading E.
  37. 150 ftBear right, heading E.
  38. 300 ftTurn right, heading E.
  39. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  40. 0.1 miTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading SE.
  41. 2 miTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading SE.
  42. 50 ftContinue straight onto Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, heading SE.
  43. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  44. 1.4 miTurn left, heading NE.
  45. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/gospel-hill-duck-pond-out-back-3-lakes-23-km

Trail surface

82% paved11% dirt7% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:42 AMSunset 8:03 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~4 min). Leave by 7:40 PM for the 8:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:22 PM — 13 min before dark.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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Hikes near Sudbury, Massachusetts