Swift River Reservoir–Central Massachusetts Branch, 3 sights
8.8 mi · ▲ 471 ft · 3 hr 10 min
Swift River Reservoir–Central Massachusetts Branch, 3 sights is an 8.8-mile out-and-back near Cold Spring, MA. The route reaches Swift River Reservoir at the turnaround, 4.2 miles in. It climbs 471 ft. It scores 17/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Swift River Reservoir–Central Massachusetts Branch, 3 sights
8.8 mi · ▲ 471 ft · 3 hr 10 min
Elevation 365–526 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 42.25500, -72.37271
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 S.
- 500 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 200 ftBear left, heading S.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Crankie Caddie, heading S.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Out of Bounds, heading W.
- 0.3 miBear left onto Massachusetts Central Rail Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 1.4 miSharp left, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading N.
- 1.1 miPass Swift River Reservoir.
- 250 ftSharp right, heading S.
- 0.2 miReach Swift River Reservoir, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading N.
- 1.2 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.4 miSharp right onto Central Massachusetts Branch, heading S.
- 1.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Massachusetts Central Rail Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Out of Bounds, heading N.
- 0.3 miSharp right onto Crankie Caddie, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading E.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 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 surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.3 mi in (~10 min). Leave by 7:36 PM for the 8:07 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:30 PM — 9 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Out of Bounds 2.2 mi · ▲ 194 ft
- Massachusetts Central Rail Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 194 ft
- Blood Donor / Night Owl–Ghost Train, 3 sights 3.9 mi · ▲ 250 ft
- Piper Farm–Blood Donor / Night Owl, 6 sights 9.9 mi · ▲ 358 ft
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