Old Limestone Quarry & Groton School Pond via Nashua River Rail Trail is an 8-mile out-and-back in Shepley Hill near Ayer, MA. The route passes Groton School Pond before reaching Old Limestone Quarry at the turnaround, 4 miles in. It is mostly level, with 109 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 2/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi236 – 318 ft8.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 42.57889, -71.57426
Nearest town Ayer, MA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Old Limestone Quarry & Groton School Pond via Nashua River Rail Trail
8 mi · ▲ 109 ft · 2 hr 43 min
Elevation 235–319 ft
Out & Back · Shepley Hill
Trailhead: 42.57889, -71.57426
Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:04 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
- 150 ftBear right onto Nashua River Rail Trail, heading N.
- 0.8 miPass Groton School Pond.
- 2 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.8 miSharp right, heading N.
- 0.2 miReach Old Limestone Quarry, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 2.9 miBear left, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 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 surface
89% paved9% dirt2% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 5:42 AMSunset 8:04 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.3 mi in (~58 min). Leave by 6:47 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:17 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Nashua River Rail Trail 3.4 mi · ▲ 54 ft
- Squannacook River–Groton School Pond, 3 lakes 8.6 mi · ▲ 310 ft
- Groton School Pond–Dead River, 3 lakes 8.9 mi · ▲ 306 ft
- Pepperell Pond–Groton School Pond, 3 lakes 11.9 mi · ▲ 255 ft
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