Massachusetts trails · North Central Pathway
North Central Pathway
A 8.7-mile out-and-back in Massachusetts, with 192 ft of climbing. Reaches Beaman Hill and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by Local Government.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 47% of the ascent falls between mile 2.9 and mile 5.8. It gives back about 198 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Beaman Hill (summit)
- Crystal Lake (lake)
Heads up
Getting there
North Central Pathway access — parking nearby. About 26 min drive (14 mi) from Fitchburg. 42.57715, -71.99478 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:31 a.m., the sun rises at 6:59 a.m. and sets at 6:07 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:36 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 08 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 17.3-mile round trip takes roughly 6 h 36 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 1:35 p.m. — 4 h 32 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Unnamed trail + North Central Pathway — 3.6 mi loop, 70 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Midstate Trail — 6.6 mi
- Flat Rock Wildlife Sanctuary — 9.4 mi
- Mass Central/MCRT — 14.0 mi
- Mason NH Rail Trail ext. — 18.5 mi