AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Heronry Trail

6.8 mi · ▲ 252 ft · 2 hr 24 min

Heronry Trail is a 6.8-mile out-and-back in Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary near Willows, MA. It climbs 252 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 18/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi249 – 345 ft7.2 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.59787, -71.53007
Nearest town Willows, MA
Google Maps Apple Maps

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Heronry Trail

6.8 mi · ▲ 252 ft · 2 hr 24 min

Elevation 248–343 ft

Out & Back · Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Trailhead: 42.59787, -71.53007

Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 83°F / low 61° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:04 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 0.3 miBear left, heading NW.
  3. 100 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  4. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  5. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  6. 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
  7. 450 ftBear right, heading W.
  8. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  9. 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  10. 1.4 miBear right, heading SW.
  11. 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  12. 0.2 miBear right, heading SE.
  13. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
  14. 450 ftBear left onto Chestnut Oak Loop Trail, heading S.
  15. 300 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  16. 150 ftTurn left onto Ovenbird Trail, heading S.
  17. 0.2 miTurn left onto Heronry Trail, heading SE.
  18. 150 ftContinue straight onto Fire Road, heading SE.
  19. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Heronry Trail, heading NE.
  20. 200 ftTurn right, heading E.
  21. 0.1 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  22. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  23. 250 ftContinue straight onto Fire Road, heading E.
  24. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Heronry Trail, heading W.
  25. 150 ftTurn right onto Ovenbird Trail, heading W.
  26. 0.2 miTurn right onto Chestnut Oak Loop Trail, heading NW.
  27. 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  28. 350 ftBear right, heading W.
  29. 450 ftTurn right, heading W.
  30. 0.2 miBear left, heading N.
  31. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  32. 100 ftBear left, heading NW.
  33. 1.4 miTurn right, heading N.
  34. 150 ftTurn right, heading N.
  35. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  36. 450 ftTurn right, heading N.
  37. 0.4 miTurn left, heading E.
  38. 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
  39. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  40. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  41. 0.2 miArrive 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/heronry-trail-out-back-11-km-eed2

Trail surface

72% dirt28% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 83°F61°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity75%
Rained 1.1″ yesterday (2.1″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
85°60°
Sunrise 5:42 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:04 PM
Wed 84°63°
Thu 87°69° 30%
Fri 95°71° 32%
Sat 93°68° 32%
Sun 94°67°
Mon 92°72°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.3 mi in (~84 min). Leave by 6:20 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:44 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Car visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Willows, Massachusetts