Let it Flow

With all the hiking I’ve done over the last 5 years, yesterday I took my first hike to Mt. Wachusett in Princeton, MA, approximately 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours from Boston. This 3000 acre park offers 17 miles of trail hiking. If hiking isn’t your thing you can bike the mountain road (not for the faint of heart!) or drive it. The Mountain Road was opening Monday 5/28 for the season. For more information check out the DCR website

At 2006 ft in elevation, Wachusett is a great place to explore. Michael and I spent 3 hours touring around the mountain trails. We summited the mountain twice, from 2 different trails, and hiked around the mountain a little bit. There are miles of trails at Wachusett, you could spend an entire day there. It’s great for kids, too! On a clear day, you can see the Boston skyline, Mt Monadnock in NH, and the Berkshires from the summit. In the fall, the foliage is absolutely breathtaking (I’ve biked to the top and have witnessed this first hand).

Sunday of Memorial Day weekend proved to be a perfect time for a hike. The trees were green, the air was clean and the sounds were peaceful. Sure, there were other people on the mountain, but mostly the sounds were of nature - birds, leaves blowing and the occasional airplane overhead. No cars, trains or other loud city like noises. Simply perfect.

We started our hike at the Visitor’s Center and ascended the Pine Hill Trail seen below

This trail starts with “rock stairs” as you begin to ascend and this is just the beginning of the varied the terrain throughout Wachusett. Rocks, roots, nature paths. The terrain offers a variety of options for all levels. Pine Hill Trail was the first trail we took to summit. This trail was rather steep and Michael decided to run up (at least it seemed that way) All the running and biking I do didn’t help me on the fast track to the top. For anyone who thinks hiking isn’t exercise, think again! Going up is definitely a workout on your legs and your heart!

The view from the top was actually quite hazy on Sunday. No views of Boston on this day, and we didn’t take any pictures at the top. No disappointments though- the other trails we traveled offered many wonderful rock formations to look at nevermind the beauty that was all around us. At one point our trail intersected with a ski trail and the view we had was spectacular. The green path led straight down towards a reservoir that serves as the mountains water source. In the background more green hills. Look past the chair lifts and then imagine this setting in October. It was beautiful on Sunday.

As I mentioned, there were a few rock formations we passed by during our adventure. One of these awed us as we happened upon it unexpectedly. The one rock we passed by had a huge split in the center, as if it was cut in half. It was extraordinary to look at. These are the types of things that allow Michael and I to be creative in our stories. We always ask “What do you think happened?” and then spend the next 20 minutes telling our story.

The other formation is called Balanced Rock and it is a balancing rock. We passed this rock on our bike trip 2 years ago and it was just as cool to see it on foot. This time I had the rare opportunity to keep the rock balancing - what a task!

The trails at Wachusett are very well marked. At certain times during the hike we found ourselves crossing the car road in order to connect to the path. The trail head wasn’t always right in front of us. To help us along, park maintenance has painted white foot steps along the road that led us in the right direction. Here you can see me standing on a pair of foot prints as we cross the street to connect to the trail. You can spot the rest of the footprints in the background.

As we connect in to the trail across the road you can see in this picture how well the trails are marked with both colors and written signs. As long as you carry a trail map you cannot get lost in this park! Click here for a look at the park trail map.

I have been wanting to hike around Wachusett for a long time and I was not disappointed. After 3 hours we didn’t even scratch the surface. I highly recommend Wachusett for anyone looking for a great hiking experience that isn’t too far from home. The visitor’s center has tons of information, restrooms and trail maps. The summit has lots of picnic tables so bring lunch and plan to spend some time there. It’s a great spot to spend the day with a buddy or the family. If you need tips on how to get started, check out the entries in the Outdoor Activities section of the blog.

Have fun!!

Tags: Hiking and Outdoor Activities //