AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
P 114, Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton MA.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Shepley Hill

Pepperell Pond & Groton School Pond via Nashua River Rail Trail

9.8 mi · ▲ 225 ft · 3 hr 23 min

Pepperell Pond & Groton School Pond via Nashua River Rail Trail is a 9.8-mile out-and-back in Shepley Hill near Groton, MA. The route passes Groton School Pond before reaching Pepperell Pond at the turnaround, 4.8 miles in. It is mostly level, with 225 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 3/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi203 – 345 ft10.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.59138, -71.58273
Nearest town Groton, MA
Google Maps Apple Maps

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Pepperell Pond & Groton School Pond via Nashua River Rail Trail

9.8 mi · ▲ 225 ft · 3 hr 23 min

Elevation 204–346 ft

Out & Back · Shepley Hill

Trailhead: 42.59138, -71.58273

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

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
  3. 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  4. 0.2 miSharp left, heading NE.
  5. 50 ftPass Groton School Pond.
  6. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  7. 450 ftBear right, heading NE.
  8. 200 ftTurn left onto Nashua River Rail Trail, heading NE.
  9. 2.8 miSharp right, heading NE.
  10. 250 ftBear left, heading N.
  11. 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
  12. 1.1 miPass Pepperell Pond.
  13. 0.2 miReach Pepperell Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  14. 1.3 miTurn right, heading S.
  15. 0.3 miBear right, heading S.
  16. 2.9 miTurn right, heading S.
  17. 200 ftBear left, heading S.
  18. 450 ftTurn left, heading S.
  19. 0.1 miSharp right, heading W.
  20. 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
  21. 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
  22. 100 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/groton-school-pond-out-back-20-km-0124

Trail surface

80% paved18% dirt2% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:42 AMSunset 8:04 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.6 mi in (~90 min). Leave by 6:14 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:51 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

Hikes near Groton, Massachusetts