AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Tracks at Peakham Rd, Sudbury MA.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Track Road/Assabet River Rail Trail Easement Viewpoint–Duck Pond, 5 sights

15.2 mi · ▲ 297 ft · 5 hr 13 min

Track Road/Assabet River Rail Trail Easement Viewpoint–Duck Pond, 5 sights is a 15.2-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near Sudbury, MA. The route passes Cricket Pond and Duck Pond before reaching Track Road/Assabet River Rail Trail Easement Viewpoint at the turnaround, 7.6 miles in. It climbs 297 ft. It scores 14/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi135 – 246 ft16.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Bruce Freeman Rail Trail 42.38232, -71.41549
Nearest town Sudbury, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Track Road/Assabet River Rail Trail Easement Viewpoint–Duck Pond, 5 sights

15.2 mi · ▲ 297 ft · 5 hr 13 min

Elevation 134–247 ft

Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Trailhead: Bruce Freeman Rail Trail · 42.38232, -71.41549

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:03 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, heading S.
  2. 50 ftPass Cricket Pond.
  3. 1.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  4. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  5. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading NW.
  6. 50 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading NW.
  7. 2 miPass Duck Pond.
  8. 250 ftTurn right, heading N.
  9. 500 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  10. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  11. 300 ftBear left, heading N.
  12. 150 ftBear left onto Ridge Trail, heading NW.
  13. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading NW.
  14. 200 ftTurn right onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading W.
  15. 50 ftBear right, heading W.
  16. 450 ftTurn right onto Fisher Trail, heading NE.
  17. 1.2 miBear left, heading NE.
  18. 350 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  19. 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
  20. 100 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  21. 100 ftBear left, heading NW.
  22. 350 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  23. 50 ftTurn left onto Patrol Road, heading NW.
  24. 200 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  25. 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  26. 1.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  27. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
  28. 0.5 miSharp right onto Track Road, heading W.
  29. 350 ftContinue straight onto Track Road/Assabet River Rail Trail Easement, heading NW.
  30. 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
  31. 50 ftReach Track Road/Assabet River Rail Trail Easement Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  32. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Track Road, heading E.
  33. 400 ftSharp left, heading E.
  34. 0.5 miTurn left, heading E.
  35. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  36. 1.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  37. 50 ftTurn right onto Patrol Road, heading SE.
  38. 200 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  39. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  40. 350 ftBear right, heading SE.
  41. 150 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  42. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  43. 350 ftBear right, heading SE.
  44. 0.9 miTurn left onto Fisher Trail, heading SW.
  45. 0.3 miTurn left, heading S.
  46. 450 ftBear left onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading S.
  47. 50 ftTurn left onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading SE.
  48. 250 ftContinue straight onto Ridge Trail, heading SE.
  49. 0.1 miBear right, heading NE.
  50. 150 ftBear right, heading E.
  51. 350 ftTurn right, heading E.
  52. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  53. 500 ftTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading SE.
  54. 2 miTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading SE.
  55. 50 ftContinue straight onto Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, heading SE.
  56. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  57. 1.1 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/track-road-assabet-river-rail-trail-easement-viewpoint-duck-pond-out-back-6-lakes

Trail surface

53% paved30% dirt17% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:42 AMSunset 8:03 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.4 mi in (~11 min). Leave by 7:33 PM for the 8:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:29 PM — 5 min before dark.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

Hikes near Sudbury, Massachusetts