AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Spectacle Pond & Anaconda

5.5 mi · ▲ 311 ft · 1 hr 59 min

Spectacle Pond & Anaconda is a 5.5-mile out-and-back in Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary near Willows, MA. The route reaches Spectacle Pond at the turnaround, 2.8 miles in. It climbs 311 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 13/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi213 – 390 ft5.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Half Moon Road 42.58493, -71.55379
Nearest town Willows, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Spectacle Pond & Anaconda

5.5 mi · ▲ 311 ft · 1 hr 59 min

Elevation 212–392 ft

Out & Back · Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Trailhead: Half Moon Road · 42.58493, -71.55379

Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 82°F / low 62° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:04 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 0.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
  3. 0.1 miBear right, heading SE.
  4. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
  5. 450 ftBear left onto Chestnut Oak Loop Trail, heading SE.
  6. 350 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  7. 150 ftTurn left onto Ovenbird Trail, heading SE.
  8. 0.2 miTurn left onto Heronry Trail, heading SE.
  9. 150 ftContinue straight onto Fire Road, heading NE.
  10. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  11. 0.5 miTurn right, heading SE.
  12. 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
  13. 100 ftTurn right onto Anaconda, heading SE.
  14. 400 ftTurn left onto Fireroad, heading SE.
  15. 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
  16. 0.4 miReach Spectacle Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  17. 0.6 miTurn right onto Anaconda, heading W.
  18. 350 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  19. 100 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  20. 0.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
  21. 0.5 miTurn left onto Fire Road, heading NW.
  22. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Heronry Trail, heading NW.
  23. 150 ftTurn right onto Ovenbird Trail, heading W.
  24. 0.2 miTurn right onto Chestnut Oak Loop Trail, heading NW.
  25. 100 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  26. 350 ftBear right, heading W.
  27. 450 ftTurn right, heading W.
  28. 0.2 miBear left, heading N.
  29. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
  30. 0.3 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-9-km-0f08

Trail surface

95% dirt5% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 82°F62°
Precip0%Wind6 mphUV7Humidity76%
Rained 0.8″ yesterday (1.7″ 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°71° 32%
Sat 93°70° 32%
Sun 96°69°
Mon 95°73°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.3 mi in (~35 min). Leave by 7:09 PM for the 8:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:54 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Half Moon Road Trailhead

Hikes near Willows, Massachusetts