MASS CENTRAL RAIL TRAIL LETTERBOX:
MASS CENTRAL RAIL TRAIL WEST LETTERBOX:
RUTLAND, MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted: July 20, 2005
Length: West Section: Route 122 parking lot to Glenwood Road; 5.9 miles
Central Section: Wachusett Street to Route 68; 1 ¼ miles
Midstate Trail parking lot to Mass Central West Letterbox; 0.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy. All finished sections of the rail trail are flat and consist of stone dust.
One short hill on west section and one steep hill (detour) on the central section.
Directions:
To start from the Route 122 or Midstate Trail parking lots; From the junction of Routes 122A &122 in Rutland, take Route 122 north. Just past the turn off for Rutland State Park, will be a small dirt parking lot on the right. A sign here indicates the Midstate Trail as well as the Mass Central Rail Trail. Head past the gate along the Midstate Trail and you'll come to the Mass Central Rail Trail in less then a tenth of a mile. To reach the Route 122 parking lot continue north on Route 122. Continue past Route 148 into Oakham and look for a small dirt parking lot on your right.
To start from the Wachusett Street parking lot; From the junction of Routes 122A & 68 in Holden, take Route 68 north. Turn left on Wachusett Street and the parking lot will be on the left side of the road.
The Mass Central Rail Trail is a planned 104 mile trail from Northampton Massachusetts to Boston. It will follow the old Mass Central Railroad Line that ran between the two cities. The railroad was abandoned in 1938 after the 38 hurricane shattered the line. Because this rail trail passes through so many towns, it will take decades to hopefully realize this goal. Because of this, the trail today exists in many unconnected sections and with differing surfaces and trail names. Some sections that are complete include the Northampton Bike Path (See; Northampton Bike Path Letterbox) and the Norwottuck Rail Trail (See; Norwottuck Rail Trail Letterbox) in Northampton, Hadley and Amherst. The Wachusett Greenways section that runs from Rutland to Sterling (See; Waushacum Ponds Rail Trail Letterbox and Mass Central Rail Trail East ). For more information check out; MASS CENTRAL RAIL TRAIL , WASHUSETT GREENWAY or EAST COAST GREENWAY .
From the Route 122 parking lot;
Head past the yellow gate and down a slight hill. The trail is wide and consists
of stone-dust. You travel past a marsh with a Beaver lodge near the trail. Head
over a causeway between Muddy Pond and you'll encounter another marsh on
your right and a Beaver dam on your left. You pass another yellow gate at cross
a dirt road after 0.8 miles. Another marsh and what I believe to be a Pitch Pine
forest. You'll come to an intersection and granite bench after 1.4 miles. The
Midstate Trail crosses here. Right will bring you to the Midstate
Trail parking lot. Continue straight along an older section of the trail
which is not as wide. You'll cross a small berm that has a
split rail fence on your left. Down below to the left is
Note; A short on-road detour up a steep Miles Road brings you to Route 56. Take a left and head down Route 56 to where the trail picks up again on the right after a 0.6 mile detour from the parking lot.
This stone-dust section takes
you alongside Moulton Pond. At 5.3 miles you come to a granite slab
marking the spot of a head-on train wreak in 1932. Soon after you cross another
culvert for a stream running into Moulton Pond. A beaver dam lies below.
The trail is very wide and open as you come to
The next 1.2 mile section to Wachusett Street is undeveloped and blocked at the opposite end by private ownership. Last updated July 2009.
From the Wachusett Street parking lot; The finished section of the trail heads southeast towards Holden. There is a signboard and map located here. Head past the gate along the wide, flat trail, which consists of stone-dust. You'll pass by a nice granite bench as you head into the woods along a hillside. After only 0.3 miles, look left to spot an old railroad mileage marker with B51 on one side (51 miles to Boston) and N53 on the other (53 miles to Northampton). Soon you'll spot Route 68 below to your left. Keep an eye to your right and you may spot some tubing running from tree to tree gathering Maple sap. At 0.9 miles, you cross a high berm, which ends at 1 mile just before the trail passes between a small rock cut in the hillside. There will be a small clearing to the left of the trail and two small White Birch trees here. From the Birch trees, travel back towards the berm and down alongside its bank 10 paces (2 steps = 1 pace). You'll pass a jagged rock on the right before you reach a large round bolder, also to your right. There is a second jagged rock to the left of this bolder. Go to the backside of this bolder where you will spot a flat rock leaning up against it. Behind this rock, under the lip of the bolder is the Mass Central Rail Trail Letterbox with a small rock on top to protect it. If you continue down along the embankment, you can check out the original stone culvert that passed beneath the rail trail. A rocky, moss covered stream flows downhill from it. Very scenic. Continuing along the trail, after you pass through the cut you'll come to an intersection at 1.1 miles. Straight, the rail trail continues undeveloped. The stone dust trail turns left and heads downhill to Route 68 where it ends at 1 ¼ miles. This is a steep hill, which you'll then have to climb back up. However, across Route 68 is Shaft #4 of the Quabbin Aqueduct. This stone building with the slate roof and copper gutters was built in 1931and serves the Quabbin Reservoir. The reservoir was built between 1926 and 1939 and flooded 39 square miles of land. Four towns were abandoned from the area to accommodate the reservoir. A 60 mile pipeline and aqueduct delivers water to the Boston area from the reservoir and this shaft is part of it. See; Quabbin Reservoir Letterbox. Currently, you must go on-road from here to reach more eastern sections of the Mass central Rail Trail. See map. However, there are future plans to continue the trail along the original rail bed, back up at the intersection.
HH
CENTRAL LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
MAY 14, 2008
WEST LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
JULY 26, 2009
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING