AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
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Henry P. Gray · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sanford Farm

Head of the Plains Beach & Long Pond

7.4 mi · ▲ 0 ft · 2 hr 28 min

Head of the Plains Beach & Long Pond is a 7.4-mile out-and-back in Sanford Farm near Madaket, MA. The route passes Long Pond before reaching Head of the Plains Beach at the turnaround, 3.6 miles in. It is mostly level, with 0 ft of elevation gain. It scores 62/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi3 – 26 ft7.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.27214, -70.18483
Nearest town Madaket, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Head of the Plains Beach & Long Pond

7.4 mi · ▲ 0 ft · 2 hr 28 min

Elevation 4–28 ft

Out & Back · Sanford Farm

Trailhead: 41.27214, -70.18483

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:40 AM · sunset 7:56 PM

Transit-accessible: Cambridge Street stop 600 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftPass Long Pond.
  3. 0.3 miSharp right, heading SW.
  4. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  5. 0.4 miBear left, heading NE.
  6. 1.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
  7. 0.1 miBear right, heading E.
  8. 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
  9. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  10. 250 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  11. 1.2 miReach Head of the Plains Beach, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 1.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
  13. 250 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  14. 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
  15. 0.3 miBear left, heading NW.
  16. 0.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
  17. 1.1 miBear right, heading SW.
  18. 0.4 miTurn right, heading N.
  19. 0.1 miSharp left, heading NE.
  20. 0.3 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/long-pond-long-pond-out-back-12-km-e95e

Trail surface

3% grass97% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:40 AMSunset 7:56 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.7 mi in (~41 min). Leave by 6:54 PM for the 7:56 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:52 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Cambridge Street stop 600 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Madaket, Massachusetts