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

Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside is a 6.6-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near Gleasondale Station, MA. It is mostly level, with 26 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 9/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi180 – 220 ft6.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.39299, -71.51468
Nearest town Gleasondale Station, MA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside

6.6 mi · ▲ 26 ft · 2 hr 13 min

Elevation 179–219 ft

Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Trailhead: 42.39299, -71.51468

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

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 200 ftTurn right, heading E.
  3. 400 ftContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading E.
  4. 2.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  5. 50 ftContinue straight onto Fisher Trail, heading N.
  6. 1 miBear left, heading NE.
  7. 350 ftTurn left, heading N.
  8. 50 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  9. 100 ftTurn right, heading N.
  10. 350 ftBear right, heading NW.
  11. 1 miTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading S.
  12. 2.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
  13. 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

71% paved17% dirt12% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:42 AMSunset 8:04 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.0 mi in (~73 min). Leave by 6:30 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:32 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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