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

White Pond–Duck Pond, 4 lakes

15.9 mi · ▲ 144 ft · 5 hr 22 min

White Pond–Duck Pond, 4 lakes is a 15.9-mile out-and-back in Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge near Pine Lake, MA. The route passes Duck Pond and Cricket Pond before reaching White Pond at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It is mostly level, with 144 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 11/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi125 – 207 ft16.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.39185, -71.47510
Nearest town Pine Lake, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

White Pond–Duck Pond, 4 lakes

15.9 mi · ▲ 144 ft · 5 hr 22 min

Elevation 126–206 ft

Out & Back · Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

Trailhead: 42.39185, -71.47510

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

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 0.3 miBear left onto Fisher Trail, heading SE.
  3. 0.8 miTurn left, heading E.
  4. 450 ftBear left onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading SE.
  5. 50 ftTurn left onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading E.
  6. 200 ftContinue straight onto Ridge Trail, heading E.
  7. 0.1 miPass Duck Pond.
  8. 100 ftBear right, heading SE.
  9. 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
  10. 300 ftTurn right, heading S.
  11. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  12. 500 ftTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading S.
  13. 2 miTurn left onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading SE.
  14. 50 ftContinue straight onto Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, heading SE.
  15. 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  16. 1.2 miPass Cricket Pond.
  17. 2.2 miBear left, heading N.
  18. 0.8 miBear right, heading NE.
  19. 50 ftTurn left onto Sudbury Conservation Trail, heading NE.
  20. 50 ftBear right onto Yellow, heading NE.
  21. 0.2 miReach White Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  22. 0.2 miBear left onto Sudbury Conservation Trail, heading NE.
  23. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  24. 50 ftBear left onto Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, heading N.
  25. 0.7 miBear left, heading SW.
  26. 3.5 miTurn left, heading S.
  27. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  28. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Mass Central Rail Trail, heading S.
  29. 50 ftTurn right onto Mass Central Rail Trail -- Wayside, heading S.
  30. 2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  31. 500 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  32. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  33. 300 ftBear left, heading NW.
  34. 150 ftBear left onto Ridge Trail, heading NW.
  35. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Marsh to Desert Trail, heading NW.
  36. 200 ftTurn right onto Pitch Pine Trail, heading NW.
  37. 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
  38. 450 ftTurn right onto Fisher Trail, heading NW.
  39. 0.8 miBear right, heading NW.
  40. 500 ftArrive 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/white-pond-duck-pond-out-back-5-lakes-26-km-4c63

Trail surface

63% paved5% dirt32% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:42 AMSunset 8:03 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.1 mi in (~128 min). Leave by 5:36 PM for the 8:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:26 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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