AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Mass Central Rail Trail W, Hudson MA.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY 4.0
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside

7 mi · ▲ 27 ft · 2 hr 21 min

Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside is a 7-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near Gleasondale Station, MA. It is mostly level, with 27 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 9/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi177 – 220 ft7.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.39689, -71.51584
Nearest town Gleasondale Station, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside

7 mi · ▲ 27 ft · 2 hr 21 min

Elevation 178–219 ft

Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Trailhead: 42.39689, -71.51584

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

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 450 ftBear left, heading S.
  3. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading SE.
  4. 2.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  5. 50 ftContinue straight onto Fisher Trail, heading SE.
  6. 1 miBear left, heading NE.
  7. 350 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  8. 350 ftBear right, heading N.
  9. 1 miTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading S.
  10. 2.3 miBear right, heading W.
  11. 250 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-out-back-13-km-a0e2

Trail surface

66% paved17% dirt17% 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 9:37 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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