Richard Emmet Conservation Land
Wills Hole–NARA Park Beach, 4 lakes
4.9 mi · ▲ 82 ft · 1 hr 40 min
Wills Hole–NARA Park Beach, 4 lakes is a 4.9-mile out-and-back in Richard Emmet Conservation Land near Carlisle Station, MA. The route passes NARA Park Beach and Nara Pond before reaching Wills Hole at the turnaround, 2.5 miles in. It is mostly level, with 82 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 14/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Wills Hole–NARA Park Beach, 4 lakes
4.9 mi · ▲ 82 ft · 1 hr 40 min
Elevation 167–252 ft
Out & Back · Richard Emmet Conservation Land
Trailhead: 42.53785, -71.40390
Weather Sep 20: Light rain, high 59°F / low 47° · precip 51% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:31 AM · sunset 6:48 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 100 ftBear right, heading N.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Little Desert Loop, heading SW.
- 450 ftBear right, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn right onto Old road to Little Desert, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Nashoba Trail (yellow), heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Nashua Acton & Boston Railroad Trail, heading SW.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.4 miPass NARA Park Beach.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading S.
- 450 ftPass Nara Pond.
- 500 ftBear left onto Yellow, heading W.
- 0.3 miReach Wills Hole, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Red, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Nashua Acton & Boston Railroad Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Marsh Trail - yellow diamond, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Old road to Little Desert, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
- 400 ftBear left onto Little Desert Loop, heading NE.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 150 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 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 2.4 mi in (~59 min). Leave by 5:30 PM for the 6:48 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:02 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Nara Pond–NARA Park Beach, 3 beaches 4.3 mi · ▲ 55 ft
- Fishing Pond & Little Desert Loop via Nashua Acton & Boston Railroad Trail 3.8 mi · ▲ 28 ft
- Kennedy Pond–Little Desert Loop, 3 sights 3.3 mi · ▲ 28 ft
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Hikes near Carlisle Station, Massachusetts