AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Spectacle Pond & Anaconda

8.3 mi · ▲ 469 ft · 3 hr

Spectacle Pond & Anaconda is an 8.3-mile out-and-back in Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary near Groton, MA. The route reaches Spectacle Pond at the turnaround, 4.2 miles in. It climbs 469 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 11/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi213 – 390 ft9.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.60977, -71.53972
Nearest town Groton, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Spectacle Pond & Anaconda

8.3 mi · ▲ 469 ft · 3 hr

Elevation 214–392 ft

Out & Back · Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Trailhead: 42.60977, -71.53972

Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 83°F / low 62° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:04 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
  3. 450 ftBear left, heading S.
  4. 400 ftBear right, heading S.
  5. 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
  6. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  7. 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  8. 1.4 miBear right, heading SW.
  9. 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  10. 0.2 miBear right, heading SE.
  11. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
  12. 450 ftBear left onto Chestnut Oak Loop Trail, heading SE.
  13. 300 ftTurn right, heading S.
  14. 150 ftTurn left onto Ovenbird Trail, heading SE.
  15. 0.2 miTurn left onto Fire Road, heading NE.
  16. 50 ftContinue straight onto Heronry Trail, heading NE.
  17. 50 ftContinue straight onto Fire Road, heading SE.
  18. 0.1 miTurn right, heading SE.
  19. 0.5 miTurn right, heading SE.
  20. 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
  21. 100 ftTurn right onto Anaconda, heading SE.
  22. 350 ftTurn left onto Fireroad, heading SE.
  23. 450 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  24. 0.5 miReach Spectacle Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  25. 0.6 miTurn right onto Anaconda, heading NW.
  26. 350 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  27. 100 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  28. 0.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
  29. 0.5 miTurn left onto Fire Road, heading NW.
  30. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Heronry Trail, heading NW.
  31. 50 ftContinue straight onto Fire Road, heading NW.
  32. 100 ftTurn right onto Ovenbird Trail, heading NW.
  33. 0.2 miTurn right onto Chestnut Oak Loop Trail, heading W.
  34. 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
  35. 350 ftBear right, heading S.
  36. 450 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  37. 0.2 miBear left, heading NW.
  38. 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
  39. 100 ftBear left, heading N.
  40. 1.4 miTurn right, heading N.
  41. 150 ftTurn left, heading N.
  42. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  43. 100 ftBear left, heading N.
  44. 350 ftBear right, heading N.
  45. 450 ftBear right, heading N.
  46. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/spectacle-pond-out-back-13-km-dc66

Trail surface

96% dirt4% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 83°F62°
Precip0%Wind6 mphUV7Humidity75%
Rained 1.1″ yesterday (2.1″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
85°60°
Sunrise 5:42 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:04 PM
Wed 84°63°
Thu 89°68° 30%
Fri 95°72° 32%
Sat 93°71° 32%
Sun 96°69°
Mon 96°74°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.7 mi in (~71 min). Leave by 6:34 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:29 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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