Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside is a 6-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near Gleasondale Station, MA. It is mostly level, with 53 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 18/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi157 – 220 ft6.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 42.39299, -71.51468
Nearest town Gleasondale Station, MA
Directions
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Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
6 mi · ▲ 53 ft · 2 hr 2 min
Elevation 157–219 ft
Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Trailhead: 42.39299, -71.51468
Weather Sep 20: Drizzle, high 61°F / low 49° · precip 53% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 6:32 AM · sunset 6:49 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 400 ftContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading E.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 300 ftSharp right, heading SE.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.7 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Fisher Trail, heading SE.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading E.
- 350 ftTurn left onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading SE.
- 250 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading E.
- 350 ftBear left onto Fisher Trail, heading SE.
- 0.7 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading NW.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 350 ftSharp left, heading NE.
- 1.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
67% paved27% dirt6% unspecified
Weather
DrizzleTemperature 61°F49°
Precip53%Wind4 mphUV1Humidity94%
Rained 2.7″ 7 days ago
Hourly temperatureRain chance
65°45°
Sunrise 6:32 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:49 PM
Mon
66°54°
47%
Tue
60°47°
Wed
62°45°
Thu
64°43°
Fri
62°48°
35%
Sat
59°50°
43%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.1 mi in (~28 min). Leave by 6:01 PM for the 6:49 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:32 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Other ways to reach this destination
- 2.1 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 2.4 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 2.5 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 2.6 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 2.8 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 2.8 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 2.8 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
- 3 mi · out & back · via Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside
More from this trailhead
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 4.3 mi · ▲ 26 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 4.4 mi · ▲ 26 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 5.9 mi · ▲ 53 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 6.6 mi · ▲ 26 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 6.6 mi · ▲ 26 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 6.7 mi · ▲ 26 ft
Get outside more
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Hikes near Gleasondale Station, Massachusetts