Quabbin Hill & Observation Tower Trail is a 3.6-mile out-and-back in Quabbin Park near West Ware, MA. The route reaches Quabbin Hill at the turnaround, 1.7 miles in. It climbs 605 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 13/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi397 – 1,024 ft · steepest grade: 19%3.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 42.27699, -72.33457
Nearest town West Ware, MA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Quabbin Hill & Observation Tower Trail
3.6 mi · ▲ 605 ft · 1 hr 30 min
Elevation 396–1,025 ft
Out & Back · Quabbin Park
Trailhead: 42.27699, -72.33457
Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 79°F / low 61° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 5:46 AM · sunset 8:07 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Spillway Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Observation Tower Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading NE.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.1 miReach Quabbin Hill, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Spillway Trail, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 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
83% dirt4% paved13% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 79°F61°
Precip0%Wind3 mphUV7Humidity94%
Rained 3.1″ yesterday (5.7″ 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
80°63°
Thu
88°68°
50%
Fri
94°70°
39%
Sat
91°69°
42%
Sun
94°66°
15%
Mon
93°70°
18%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.6 mi in (~55 min). Leave by 6:52 PM for the 8:07 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:00 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Quabbin Reservoir & Spillway Trail 1.4 mi · ▲ 118 ft
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Hikes near West Ware, Massachusetts