AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
North Central Pathway 2022, Gardner MA.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gardner Water Supply Land

Crystal Lake–Perley Brook Reservoir, 4 sights

5.2 mi · ▲ 205 ft · 1 hr 50 min

Crystal Lake–Perley Brook Reservoir, 4 sights is a 5.2-mile out-and-back in Gardner Water Supply Land near Gardner, MA. The route passes Crystal Lake and Perley Brook Reservoir. It is mostly level, with 205 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 15/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi1,027 – 1,125 ft5.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.58551, -71.99431
Nearest town Gardner, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Crystal Lake–Perley Brook Reservoir, 4 sights

5.2 mi · ▲ 205 ft · 1 hr 50 min

Elevation 1,026–1,126 ft

Out & Back · Gardner Water Supply Land

Trailhead: 42.58551, -71.99431

Weather Aug 4: Heavy rain, high 75°F / low 64° · precip 94% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 5:44 AM · sunset 8:06 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
  2. 50 ftPass Crystal Lake.
  3. 0.3 miSharp right onto Heywood Branch, heading N.
  4. 0.6 miPass Perley Brook Reservoir.
  5. 1 miReach Crystal Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  6. 0.4 miSharp right onto Calvin Coolidge Outlet to Rail Trail, heading N.
  7. 0.1 miTurn left onto Calvin Coolidge, heading S.
  8. 1.2 miTurn right onto Main Jeep Road, heading NW.
  9. 300 ftTurn left onto Connector to main jeep road, heading S.
  10. 0.1 miBear left onto Brook Loop, heading S.
  11. 0.5 miSharp left onto Access Trail, heading S.
  12. 0.1 miTurn right onto Heywood Branch, heading E.
  13. 0.4 miSharp left, heading S.
  14. 0.3 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/perley-brook-reservoir-out-back-5-km

Trail surface

86% dirt8% paved6% unspecified

Weather

Heavy rainTemperature 75°F64°
Precip94%Wind7 mphUV3Humidity79%
Rained 3″ 4 days ago
Hourly temperatureRain chance
75°60° 12 AM: 2% rain1 AM: 3% rain2 AM: 11% rain3 AM: 49% rain4 AM: 59% rain5 AM: 81% rain6 AM: 84% rain7 AM: 90% rain8 AM: 94% rain9 AM: 91% rain10 AM: 64% rain11 AM: 53% rain12 PM: 46% rain1 PM: 30% rain2 PM: 51% rain3 PM: 43% rain4 PM: 51% rain5 PM: 66% rain6 PM: 30% rain7 PM: 6% rain8 PM: 1% rain
Sunrise 5:44 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:06 PM
Tue 78°60°
Wed 78°60°
Thu 85°65° 51%
Fri 91°68° 35%
Sat 88°69° 36%
Sun 91°67°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:46 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 8:06 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:38 PM.

More sunset hikes nearby

Other ways to reach this destination

Hikes near Gardner, Massachusetts