AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Tracks at Peakham Rd, Sudbury MA.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Puffer Pond–Rice Tavern Foundation, 8 lakes

15.5 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 5 hr 12 min

Puffer Pond–Rice Tavern Foundation, 8 lakes is a 15.5-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near Sudbury, MA. The route passes Cricket Pond, Duck Pond, Puffer Pond and Rice Tavern Foundation before reaching Voss Pond at the turnaround, 7.8 miles in. It is mostly level, with 80 ft of elevation gain. It scores 8/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi135 – 217 ft16.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.39360, -71.40983
Nearest town Sudbury, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Puffer Pond–Rice Tavern Foundation, 8 lakes

15.5 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 5 hr 12 min

Elevation 134–216 ft

Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Trailhead: 42.39360, -71.40983

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:03 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading W.
  2. 100 ftTurn left onto Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, heading S.
  3. 0.8 miPass Cricket Pond.
  4. 1.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  5. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  6. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading S.
  7. 50 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading S.
  8. 2 miPass Duck Pond.
  9. 250 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  10. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  11. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  12. 300 ftBear left, heading N.
  13. 150 ftBear left onto Ridge Trail, heading N.
  14. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading NW.
  15. 250 ftTurn right onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading NW.
  16. 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
  17. 450 ftTurn right onto Fisher Trail, heading W.
  18. 1.2 miBear left, heading N.
  19. 350 ftContinue straight onto Tri-Town Trail, heading NE.
  20. 0.5 miBear right onto Pine Garden Trail, heading N.
  21. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Harry's Way, heading E.
  22. 0.3 miPass Puffer Pond.
  23. 0.2 miTurn right onto Otter Alley, heading NE.
  24. 0.3 miBear right onto Taylor Way, heading E.
  25. 0.3 miPass Rice Tavern Foundation.
  26. 50 ftPass Voss Pond.
  27. 350 ftReach Puffer Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  28. 0.3 miBear left onto Otter Alley, heading W.
  29. 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
  30. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Harry's Way, heading SW.
  31. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Pine Garden Trail, heading S.
  32. 0.3 miBear left onto Tri-Town Trail, heading SW.
  33. 0.5 miBear right, heading S.
  34. 0.9 miTurn left onto Fisher Trail, heading S.
  35. 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
  36. 450 ftBear left onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading SE.
  37. 50 ftTurn left onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading SE.
  38. 250 ftContinue straight onto Ridge Trail, heading SE.
  39. 0.1 miBear right, heading S.
  40. 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
  41. 300 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  42. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  43. 0.1 miTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading E.
  44. 2 miTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading SE.
  45. 50 ftContinue straight onto Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, heading SE.
  46. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  47. 2 miTurn right, heading N.
  48. 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/puffer-pond-rice-tavern-foundation-out-back-6-lakes-18-km

Trail surface

53% paved11% dirt36% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:42 AMSunset 8:03 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.6 mi in (~16 min). Leave by 7:27 PM for the 8:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:34 PM — 0 min before dark.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Sudbury, Massachusetts