AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

McCarthy Park

Bay Circuit Trail & Bay Colony Rail Trail

4.8 mi · ▲ 55 ft · 1 hr 38 min

Bay Circuit Trail & Bay Colony Rail Trail is a 4.8-mile out-and-back in McCarthy Park near Harding, MA. It is mostly level, with 55 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 1/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi135 – 197 ft5.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Bay Circuit Trail 42.20790, -71.33558
Nearest town Harding, MA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Bay Circuit Trail & Bay Colony Rail Trail

4.8 mi · ▲ 55 ft · 1 hr 38 min

Elevation 135–197 ft

Out & Back · McCarthy Park

Trailhead: Bay Circuit Trail · 42.20790, -71.33558

Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 84°F / low 62° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 5:42 AM · sunset 8:02 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 400 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  3. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  4. 0.2 miBear right, heading SE.
  5. 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
  6. 150 ftTurn right onto Bay Circuit Trail, heading SE.
  7. 0.4 miTurn left onto Ice House Road, heading SE.
  8. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Bay Colony Rail Trail, heading NE.
  9. 0.6 miTurn right, heading NE.
  10. 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
  11. 150 ftBear left, heading NE.
  12. 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
  13. 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  14. 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
  15. 150 ftSharp left, heading NE.
  16. 50 ftContinue straight onto Hunt Drive Trail, heading NE.
  17. 0.2 miReach Bay Circuit Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  18. 0.2 miSharp right, heading NE.
  19. 150 ftBear right, heading N.
  20. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  21. 150 ftBear left, heading N.
  22. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  23. 150 ftBear right, heading N.
  24. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  25. 250 ftContinue straight onto Bay Colony Rail Trail, heading N.
  26. 1.4 miTurn right onto Bay Circuit Trail, heading SW.
  27. 0.4 miTurn left, heading W.
  28. 150 ftBear right, heading NW.
  29. 50 ftBear left, heading NW.
  30. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  31. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  32. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/wylde-woods-out-back-9-km-8ff0

Trail surface

64% dirt36% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 84°F62°
Precip0%Wind3 mphUV7Humidity80%
Rained 0.7″ yesterday (1.4″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
85°60°
Sunrise 5:42 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:02 PM
Wed 85°62°
Thu 89°70° 30%
Fri 96°72° 29%
Sat 94°71° 35%
Sun 96°68° 15%
Mon 95°73° 16%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:42 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 8:02 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:34 PM.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

Hikes near Harding, Massachusetts