AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Wachusett Mountain Ski Lift.jpeg
Kestreltail · CC BY-SA 3.0
Wachusett Mountain State Reservation

Mount Wachusett–Balance Rock, 19 sights

13.9 mi · ▲ 3,343 ft · 6 hr 18 min

Mount Wachusett–Balance Rock, 19 sights is a 13.9-mile out-and-back in Wachusett Mountain State Reservation near Princeton, MA. The route passes Echo Lake, Mountain House Viewpoint, Mount Wachusett and 9 more before reaching Rocky Pond at the turnaround, 6.8 miles in. It climbs 3,343 ft, with sections as steep as 33% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 20/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi824 – 2,001 ft · steepest grade: 33%14.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Echo Lake Road 42.47483, -71.88368
Nearest town Princeton, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Mount Wachusett–Balance Rock, 19 sights

13.9 mi · ▲ 3,343 ft · 6 hr 18 min

Elevation 824–2,000 ft

Out & Back · Wachusett Mountain State Reservation

Trailhead: Echo Lake Road · 42.47483, -71.88368

Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 76°F / low 62° · precip 0% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 5:43 AM · sunset 8:05 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Echo Lake Road, heading W.
  2. 0.3 miPass Echo Lake.
  3. 50 ftTurn right onto High Meadow Trail, heading NE.
  4. 0.4 miTurn right onto Jack Frost Trail, heading N.
  5. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Mountain House Trail, heading N.
  6. 0.2 miPass Mountain House Viewpoint.
  7. 50 ftPass Mount Wachusett.
  8. 100 ftSharp left, heading NW.
  9. 50 ftTurn right onto Old Indian Trail, heading NW.
  10. 0.4 miSharp left onto West Side Trail, heading NW.
  11. 0.2 miTurn right onto Semuhenna Trail, heading SW.
  12. 0.5 miBear left onto Old Indian Trail, heading N.
  13. 0.2 miTurn right onto Balance Rock Road, heading N.
  14. 50 ftPass Balance Rock.
  15. 50 ftBear left onto Balance Rock Trail, heading N.
  16. 0.4 miTurn right, heading NE.
  17. 400 ftTurn right onto Midstate Trail, heading E.
  18. 1 miPass Redemption Rock.
  19. 0.1 miPass Glacial Boulder.
  20. 1.2 miPass Leominster State Forest Beach.
  21. 350 ftPass Midstate Viewpoint.
  22. 50 ftPass Crow Hill Ledges.
  23. 150 ftBear right, heading N.
  24. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  25. 50 ftPass Upper Crow Hill Pond.
  26. 150 ftBear left onto Crow Hill Trail, heading N.
  27. 500 ftPass Lower Crow Hill Pond.
  28. 0.2 miTurn left onto Wolf Rock Trail, heading E.
  29. 250 ftPass Leominster State Forest Beach.
  30. 450 ftTurn right, heading S.
  31. 0.3 miBear left, heading N.
  32. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Rocky Pond Trail, heading SE.
  33. 0.3 miPass Rocky Pond.
  34. 450 ftTurn right onto Limbo Trail, heading SE.
  35. 0.1 miReach Mount Wachusett, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  36. 0.1 miTurn left onto Rocky Pond Trail, heading SE.
  37. 0.6 miBear right, heading NW.
  38. 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
  39. 50 ftContinue straight onto Wolf Rock Trail, heading W.
  40. 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
  41. 0.3 miBear right, heading SW.
  42. 250 ftBear right, heading S.
  43. 50 ftBear left onto Midstate Trail, heading S.
  44. 1.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
  45. 1.4 miTurn left, heading W.
  46. 350 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  47. 250 ftTurn right onto Balance Rock Trail, heading SW.
  48. 0.3 miBear right onto Balance Rock Road, heading NW.
  49. 50 ftTurn left onto Old Indian Trail, heading NW.
  50. 0.2 miBear right onto Semuhenna Trail, heading NW.
  51. 0.5 miTurn left onto West Side Trail, heading S.
  52. 0.2 miSharp right onto Old Indian Trail, heading S.
  53. 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
  54. 50 ftSharp right onto Mountain House Trail, heading S.
  55. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  56. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Jack Frost Trail, heading NE.
  57. 0.3 miTurn left onto High Meadow Trail, heading SE.
  58. 0.4 miTurn left onto Echo Lake Road, heading SW.
  59. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/mount-wachusett-balance-rock-out-back-18-rocks-15-km

Trail surface

82% dirt1% paved17% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 76°F62°
Precip0%Wind9 mphUV7Humidity77%
Rained 1.6″ yesterday (5.1″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
80°60°
Sunrise 5:43 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:05 PM
Wed 77°64°
Thu 85°65° 46%
Fri 92°68° 35%
Sat 89°68° 35%
Sun 92°67°
Mon 90°68° 16%

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Echo Lake Road Trailhead

Hikes near Princeton, Massachusetts