Massachusetts trails · Mass Central/Wayside Rail Trail
Mass Central/Wayside Rail Trail
A 24.2-mile network in Massachusetts, with 329 ft of climbing. Reaches Bruces Pond and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by MassGIS (Bureau of Geographic Information).
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the final third: 44% of the ascent falls between mile 16.1 and mile 24.2. It gives back about 295 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Bruces Pond (lake)
- Nob Hill (summit)
- Lyman Pond (lake)
Heads up
Getting there
Mass Central/Wayside Rail Trail junction. About 22 min drive (12 mi) from Boston. 42.38336, -71.20683 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:27 a.m., the sun rises at 6:56 a.m. and sets at 6:04 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:33 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 09 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 24.2-mile route takes roughly 9 h 08 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 4:04 p.m. — 2 h 01 min before sunset.
Loop options
- MASS CENTRAL RAIL TRAIL -- WAYSIDE + Mass Central/Wayside Rail Trail — 3.4 mi loop, 59 ft gain
- CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS BRANCH + Mass Central/Wayside Rail Trail — 0.9 mi loop, 17 ft gain
- Mass Central/Wayside Rail Trail + CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS BRANCH + Unnamed trail — 3.9 mi loop, 113 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Rock Circuit Trail — 7.6 mi
- Battle Road Trail (multi-purpose recreational path) — 8.0 mi
- Tri-Community Bikeway — 9.0 mi
- Assabet River Rail Trail — 13.7 mi