AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Mass Central Rail Trail parallel to tracks, Belchertown MA.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY 4.0

Piper Farm–Ghost Train, 3 sights

4 mi · ▲ 54 ft · 1 hr 22 min

Piper Farm–Ghost Train, 3 sights is a 4-mile out-and-back near Belchertown, MA. The route reaches Piper Farm. It is mostly level, with 54 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi417 – 482 ft4.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Mass Central Rail Trail 42.27603, -72.40890
Nearest town Belchertown, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Piper Farm–Ghost Train, 3 sights

4 mi · ▲ 54 ft · 1 hr 22 min

Elevation 418–481 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Mass Central Rail Trail · 42.27603, -72.40890

Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 80°F / low 62° · precip 0% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 5:46 AM · sunset 8:07 PM

Transit-accessible: Belchertown Common stop 668 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 400 ftBear right, heading S.
  3. 50 ftPass Piper Farm.
  4. 250 ftBear left onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading SE.
  5. 1.8 miTurn left, heading SE.
  6. 50 ftSharp right onto Ghost Train, heading NE.
  7. 0.1 miTurn right, heading SE.
  8. 50 ftReach Piper Farm, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  9. 0.1 miSharp left, heading NW.
  10. 50 ftTurn right onto Massachusetts Central Rail Trail, heading NW.
  11. 1.8 miBear right, heading NW.
  12. 250 ftBear left, heading NW.
  13. 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/piper-farm-blood-donor-night-owl-out-back-5-sights

Trail surface

93% dirt7% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 80°F62°
Precip0%Wind4 mphUV7Humidity81%
Rained 2.1″ yesterday (4.1″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
80°60°
Sunrise 5:46 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:07 PM
Wed 79°63°
Thu 89°66° 51%
Fri 94°69° 39%
Sat 92°69° 39%
Sun 95°68° 15%
Mon 91°69° 19%

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 8:07 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:38 PM.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Belchertown Common stop 668 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Mass Central Rail Trail Trailhead

Hikes near Belchertown, Massachusetts