Lancaster Mill Pond–Clamshell Pond, 5 lakes is a 2.9-mile out-and-back in Rauscher Farm near West Berlin, MA. The route passes Frog Pond, Clamshell Pond, Clinton Tunnel - East Entrance and Clinton Tunnel - West Entrance before reaching Lancaster Mill Pond at the turnaround, 1.4 miles in. It climbs 264 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 11/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Lancaster Mill Pond–Clamshell Pond, 5 lakes
2.9 mi · ▲ 264 ft · 1 hr 6 min
Elevation 380–547 ft
Out & Back · Rauscher Farm
Trailhead: Great Meadows Trail · 42.39604, -71.67273
Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 81°F / low 60° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 5:43 AM · sunset 8:04 PM
- Start on Great Meadows Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Frog Pond.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Big Boulder Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Old Clamshell road, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Clamshell Pond.
- 450 ftSharp right onto Powerline Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 250 ftSharp right, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.1 miPass Clinton Tunnel - East Entrance.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Central Massachusetts Branch, heading NW.
- 0.2 miPass Clinton Tunnel - West Entrance.
- 50 ftReach Lancaster Mill Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading SW.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 300 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Powerline Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Old Clamshell road, heading S.
- 500 ftTurn right onto Big Boulder Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Great Meadows Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~3 min). Leave by 7:41 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:23 PM — 13 min before dark. Trailhead visible from the viewpoint
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