West portal of Clinton Tunnel, March 2022.JPG
Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Lancaster Mill Pond–Clamshell Pond, 4 sights is a 2.9-mile out-and-back in Rauscher Farm near Clinton, MA. The route passes Clamshell Pond, Clinton Tunnel - East Entrance and Clinton Tunnel - West Entrance before reaching Lancaster Mill Pond at the turnaround, 1.4 miles in. It is mostly level, with 143 ft of elevation gain. It scores 12/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi381 – 469 ft2.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.40068, -71.67631
Nearest town Clinton, MA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lancaster Mill Pond–Clamshell Pond, 4 sights

2.9 mi · ▲ 143 ft · 1 hr 2 min

Elevation 380–469 ft

Out & Back · Rauscher Farm

Trailhead: 42.40068, -71.67631

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:33 AM · sunset 6:49 PM

  1. Start on Old Clamshell road, heading SE.
  2. 50 ftPass Clamshell Pond.
  3. 0.4 miSharp right onto Powerline Trail, heading NW.
  4. 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
  5. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
  6. 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
  7. 300 ftSharp right, heading NE.
  8. 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
  9. 0.1 miPass Clinton Tunnel - East Entrance.
  10. 50 ftTurn right onto Central Massachusetts Branch, heading E.
  11. 0.2 miPass Clinton Tunnel - West Entrance.
  12. 50 ftReach Lancaster Mill Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  13. 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  14. 0.1 miBear right, heading W.
  15. 0.2 miSharp left, heading E.
  16. 250 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  17. 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  18. 0.2 miBear left onto Powerline Trail, heading S.
  19. 0.2 miSharp left onto Old Clamshell road, heading S.
  20. 0.4 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

50% dirt50% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 6:49 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.7 mi in (~18 min). Leave by 6:12 PM for the 6:49 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:22 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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