Puffer Pond–Rice Tavern Foundation, 9 sights is a 12.6-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near South Sudbury, MA. The route passes Duck Pond, Puffer Pond, Rice Tavern Foundation and Voss Pond before reaching Puffer Pond at the turnaround, 6.3 miles in. It is mostly level, with 220 ft of elevation gain. It scores 11/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi131 – 217 ft13.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside 42.36159, -71.41801
Nearest town South Sudbury, MA
Directions
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Puffer Pond–Rice Tavern Foundation, 9 sights
12.6 mi · ▲ 220 ft · 4 hr 19 min
Elevation 131–216 ft
Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Trailhead: Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside · 42.36159, -71.41801
Weather Sep 20: Drizzle, high 62°F / low 48° · precip 51% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:32 AM · sunset 6:48 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading NW.
- 2 miPass Duck Pond.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 500 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 300 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 150 ftBear left onto Ridge Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading NW.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftBear right, heading W.
- 450 ftTurn right onto Fisher Trail, heading NE.
- 1.2 miBear left, heading NE.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Tri-Town Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miBear right onto Pine Garden Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Harry's Way, heading NE.
- 0.3 miPass Puffer Pond.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Otter Alley, heading NE.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Taylor Way, heading E.
- 0.3 miPass Rice Tavern Foundation.
- 50 ftPass Voss Pond.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Winterberry Way, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Puffer Pond Trail, heading SW.
- 450 ftReach Puffer Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 450 ftTurn left onto Winterberry Way, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Taylor Way, heading NE.
- 0.3 miBear left onto Otter Alley, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Harry's Way, heading SW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Pine Garden Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear left onto Tri-Town Trail, heading SW.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.9 miTurn left onto Fisher Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
- 450 ftBear left onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading SE.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Ridge Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 500 ftTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading SE.
- 2 miTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading SE.
- 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
47% paved14% dirt39% unspecified
Weather
DrizzleTemperature 62°F48°
Precip51%Wind3 mphUV1Humidity92%
Rained 0.1″ 3 days ago (1.6″ over the last week)
Hourly temperatureRain chance
65°45°
Sunrise 6:32 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:48 PM
Mon
67°55°
53%
Tue
60°50°
Wed
62°49°
Thu
64°45°
15%
Fri
62°50°
35%
Sat
59°51°
45%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.4 mi in (~110 min). Leave by 4:39 PM for the 6:48 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:52 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside Trailhead
- Off Powder Mill Road Land–White Pond, 6 lakes 15 mi · ▲ 247 ft
- Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside (proposed) 4.9 mi · ▲ 0 ft
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