Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside is an 8.7-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near Gleasondale Station, MA. It is mostly level, with 80 ft of elevation gain. It scores 7/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi177 – 236 ft9.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 42.39636, -71.52007
Nearest town Gleasondale Station, MA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
8.7 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 2 hr 56 min
Elevation 178–237 ft
Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Trailhead: 42.39636, -71.52007
Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:04 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading SE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading E.
- 2.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Fisher Trail, heading SE.
- 1 miBear left, heading NE.
- 400 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Patrol Road, heading NW.
- 0.4 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 350 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Fisher Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading SW.
- 2.3 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 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
54% paved13% dirt33% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 5:42 AMSunset 8:04 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.3 mi in (~81 min). Leave by 6:22 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:40 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Other ways to reach this destination
- 2.4 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 2.8 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 5.9 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 6.6 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 3.4 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 2.5 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
More from this trailhead
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 5.1 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 5.2 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 6.6 mi · ▲ 54 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 6.7 mi · ▲ 54 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 7.3 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 7.3 mi · ▲ 27 ft
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Hikes near Gleasondale Station, Massachusetts