AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Spectacle Pond & Anaconda

9.5 mi · ▲ 515 ft · 3 hr 25 min

Spectacle Pond & Anaconda is a 9.5-mile out-and-back in Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary near Willows, MA. The route reaches Spectacle Pond at the turnaround, 4.7 miles in. It climbs 515 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 11/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi213 – 390 ft10.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.59663, -71.53204
Nearest town Willows, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Spectacle Pond & Anaconda

9.5 mi · ▲ 515 ft · 3 hr 25 min

Elevation 214–392 ft

Out & Back · Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Trailhead: 42.59663, -71.53204

Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 83°F / low 61° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:04 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
  2. 0.2 miBear left, heading SW.
  3. 150 ftTurn right, heading W.
  4. 250 ftSharp right, heading NE.
  5. 0.2 miBear left, heading N.
  6. 150 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  7. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  8. 0.3 miSharp left, heading E.
  9. 500 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  10. 450 ftBear right, heading SW.
  11. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  12. 150 ftTurn left, heading W.
  13. 1.4 miBear right, heading SW.
  14. 100 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  15. 0.2 miBear right, heading SE.
  16. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
  17. 450 ftBear left onto Chestnut Oak Loop Trail, heading S.
  18. 300 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  19. 150 ftTurn left onto Ovenbird Trail, heading SE.
  20. 0.2 miTurn left onto Fire Road, heading E.
  21. 100 ftContinue straight onto Heronry Trail, heading E.
  22. 50 ftContinue straight onto Fire Road, heading SE.
  23. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  24. 0.5 miTurn right, heading SE.
  25. 0.4 miTurn left, heading SE.
  26. 100 ftTurn right onto Anaconda, heading SE.
  27. 350 ftTurn left onto Fireroad, heading SE.
  28. 450 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  29. 0.5 miReach Spectacle Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  30. 0.6 miTurn right onto Anaconda, heading NW.
  31. 350 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  32. 100 ftTurn right, heading N.
  33. 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
  34. 0.5 miTurn left onto Fire Road, heading NW.
  35. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Heronry Trail, heading NW.
  36. 50 ftContinue straight onto Fire Road, heading NW.
  37. 50 ftTurn right onto Ovenbird Trail, heading NW.
  38. 0.2 miTurn right onto Chestnut Oak Loop Trail, heading SW.
  39. 100 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  40. 350 ftBear right, heading S.
  41. 450 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  42. 0.2 miBear left, heading NW.
  43. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  44. 150 ftBear left, heading NW.
  45. 1.4 miTurn right, heading N.
  46. 150 ftTurn right, heading N.
  47. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  48. 450 ftTurn right, heading N.
  49. 500 ftSharp right, heading N.
  50. 0.3 miTurn right, heading NE.
  51. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  52. 150 ftBear right, heading NE.
  53. 0.2 miSharp left, heading S.
  54. 250 ftTurn left, heading S.
  55. 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
  56. 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-15-km-4cc3

Trail surface

79% dirt21% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 83°F61°
Precip0%Wind5 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 87°69° 30%
Fri 95°71° 32%
Sat 93°68° 32%
Sun 94°67°
Mon 92°72°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.3 mi in (~86 min). Leave by 6:18 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:46 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Car visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Willows, Massachusetts