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

Mount Wachusett–Balance Rock, 15 rocks

15 mi · ▲ 2,416 ft · 6 hr 12 min

Mount Wachusett–Balance Rock, 15 rocks is a 15-mile out-and-back in Leominster State Forest near Leino Park, MA. The route passes Mountain House Viewpoint, Mount Wachusett, Balance Rock and 7 more before reaching Stuart Pond at the turnaround, 7.5 miles in. It climbs 2,416 ft, with sections as steep as 31% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 23/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi623 – 2,001 ft · steepest grade: 31%15.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.48826, -71.88695
Nearest town Leino Park, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Mount Wachusett–Balance Rock, 15 rocks

15 mi · ▲ 2,416 ft · 6 hr 12 min

Elevation 625–2,000 ft

Out & Back · Leominster State Forest

Trailhead: 42.48826, -71.88695

Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 73°F / low 59° · precip 0% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:07 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 50 ftSharp left, heading N.
  3. 50 ftTurn right onto Mountain House Trail, heading N.
  4. 50 ftPass Mountain House Viewpoint.
  5. 50 ftSharp left, heading NW.
  6. 50 ftPass Mount Wachusett.
  7. 50 ftTurn right onto Old Indian Trail, heading NW.
  8. 1.1 miTurn right onto Balance Rock Road, heading N.
  9. 50 ftBear left onto Balance Rock Trail, heading N.
  10. 50 ftPass Balance Rock.
  11. 0.3 miBear right onto Midstate Trail, heading E.
  12. 250 ftBear left, heading E.
  13. 150 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  14. 1.1 miPass Redemption Rock.
  15. 0.1 miPass Glacial Boulder.
  16. 1.2 miPass Leominster State Forest Beach.
  17. 350 ftPass Midstate Viewpoint.
  18. 50 ftPass Crow Hill Ledges.
  19. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  20. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  21. 150 ftPass Upper Crow Hill Pond.
  22. 50 ftBear left onto Crow Hill Trail, heading N.
  23. 0.1 miPass Lower Crow Hill Pond.
  24. 0.2 miSharp right, heading NE.
  25. 0.4 miBear left, heading SE.
  26. 150 ftContinue straight onto Wolf Rock Road, heading SE.
  27. 0.8 miSharp left, heading SE.
  28. 0.7 miTurn right onto Hell's Highway, heading SE.
  29. 0.3 miBear left onto Bartlett Road, heading E.
  30. 0.9 miPass Stuart Pond.
  31. 400 ftReach Mount Wachusett, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  32. 0.9 miBear right onto Hell's Highway, heading N.
  33. 0.3 miTurn left onto Wolf Rock Road, heading W.
  34. 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
  35. 1.4 miBear right, heading NW.
  36. 0.4 miSharp left, heading NW.
  37. 0.3 miBear right, heading NW.
  38. 250 ftBear right, heading N.
  39. 50 ftBear left onto Midstate Trail, heading N.
  40. 1.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
  41. 1.3 miTurn left, heading W.
  42. 250 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  43. 350 ftBear left onto Balance Rock Trail, heading SW.
  44. 0.3 miBear right onto Balance Rock Road, heading NW.
  45. 50 ftTurn left onto Old Indian Trail, heading NW.
  46. 1.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  47. 50 ftSharp right onto Mountain House Trail, heading SE.
  48. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  49. 50 ftSharp right, heading SE.
  50. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/mount-wachusett-balance-rock-out-back-19-rocks

Trail surface

70% dirt20% gravel10% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 73°F59°
Precip0%Wind9 mphUV7Humidity77%
Rained 1.6″ yesterday (5.1″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
75°55°
Sunrise 5:42 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:07 PM
Wed 74°61°
Thu 83°63° 46%
Fri 89°66° 34%
Sat 86°65° 35%
Sun 89°64°
Mon 87°65° 16%

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Leino Park, Massachusetts