AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Bear Swamp

Orchard View & Ford Road

3 mi · ▲ 444 ft · 1 hr 13 min

Orchard View & Ford Road is a 3-mile out-and-back in Bear Swamp near Watson, MA. The route reaches Orchard View at the turnaround, 1.5 miles in. It climbs 444 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 74/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi1,558 – 1,768 ft · steepest grade: 18%3.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Ford Road 42.53560, -72.84697
Nearest town Watson, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Orchard View & Ford Road

3 mi · ▲ 444 ft · 1 hr 13 min

Elevation 1,557–1,770 ft

Out & Back · Bear Swamp

Trailhead: Ford Road · 42.53560, -72.84697

Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 75°F / low 60° · precip 0% · wind 13 mph · sunrise 5:47 AM · sunset 8:09 PM

  1. Start on Ford Road, heading NE.
  2. 1 miBear right, heading E.
  3. 0.5 miReach Orchard View, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  4. 1.5 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/orchard-view-out-back-5-km-63cd

Trail surface

67% dirt33% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 75°F60°
Precip0%Wind13 mphUV7Humidity78%
Rained 0.8″ yesterday (3.7″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
75°60°
Sunrise 5:47 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:09 PM
Wed 75°62°
Thu 85°64° 61%
Fri 86°67° 50%
Sat 82°66° 43%
Sun 87°64°
Mon 85°66° 21%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.7 mi in (~20 min). Leave by 7:29 PM for the 8:09 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:40 PM — 1 min before dark.

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Other ways to reach this destination

Hikes near Watson, Massachusetts