Massachusetts Central Rail Trail
2.3 mi · ▲ 194 ft · 52 min
Massachusetts Central Rail Trail is a 2.3-mile out-and-back near Cold Spring, MA. It is mostly level, with 194 ft of elevation gain. It scores 4/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Massachusetts Central Rail Trail
2.3 mi · ▲ 194 ft · 52 min
Elevation 370–526 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 42.25500, -72.37271
Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 79°F / low 61° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 5:46 AM · sunset 8:07 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 500 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 200 ftBear left, heading S.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Crankie Caddie, heading S.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Out of Bounds, heading W.
- 100 ftSharp right, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Massachusetts Central Rail Trail, heading W.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Bunker Hill, heading NW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Massachusetts Central Rail Trail, heading NW.
- 150 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Bunker Hill, heading W.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Massachusetts Central Rail Trail, heading SE.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 150 ftSharp left onto Out of Bounds, heading SE.
- 100 ftSharp right onto Crankie Caddie, heading SE.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.3 mi in (~9 min). Leave by 7:38 PM for the 8:07 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:29 PM — 9 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
- 6.6 mi · out & back · via Massachusetts Central Rail Trail
- 6.1 mi · out & back · via Massachusetts Central Rail Trail
- 6.4 mi · out & back · via Massachusetts Central Rail Trail
- 2.5 mi · loop · via Massachusetts Central Rail Trail
- 1.9 mi · out & back · via Massachusetts Central Rail Trail
- 4.2 mi · out & back · via Massachusetts Central Rail Trail
More from this trailhead
- Out of Bounds 2.2 mi · ▲ 194 ft
- Blood Donor / Night Owl–Ghost Train, 3 sights 3.9 mi · ▲ 250 ft
- Swift River Reservoir–Central Massachusetts Branch, 3 sights 8.8 mi · ▲ 471 ft
- Piper Farm–Blood Donor / Night Owl, 6 sights 9.9 mi · ▲ 358 ft
Get outside more
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Hikes near Cold Spring, Massachusetts