Day Trip Suggestions in MA

Its starting to get warm again and I was looking for some good ideas for day hikes in MA. I was wondering specifically where there were some trailheads or parking areas for the midstate trail or similar. The midstate trail site does not list anything.

thanks and happy trails!!
Dayna

I just bought the new guide (should be listed on the web site). It has info on parking areas along the mid-state trail.

Tom

Watatic is a nice area to hike at the northern end of the Mid-state Trail. If you can spot a car, an end to end from Windblow xc ski area on the New Hampshire side makes for an interesting hike.

Crow Hills and Wachusett also offer opportunities for good spring training hikes.

Each of these has plenty of trailhead parking.

Many Day trip ideas for MA

Lots of good hiking trails besides the Wapack or Midstate. There is the Tully Trail (18 miles long) in Athol, MA. The Trustees of Reservations has a website that lists all their properties, and some of their maps can be downloaded. It is www.thetrustees.org Also, there is a nine-mile hiking trail in Leominster - The Monoosnoc Trail. You could also hike in through some the Quabbin Gates in Petersham, or for more mountainous hikes try the Seven Sisters in the Holyoke Range, or Rattlesnake and Mt. Norwottuck, or Mt. Orient all in the Amherst area. Or, Mt. Tom. Many possibilities out there.

Easy Trailheads to find for the Midstate trail are at Wachusett Mountain (in the ski area parking lot), Near Redemption Rock in Princeton on Route 140 and off of the Crow Hill trail in Leominster State forest off of Route 31. I would recommend picking up a trail guide for the Midstate Trail at any Massachusetts EMS or New England Backpacker (in Worcester). You might also want to get a trail guide for the Metacomet-Monadnock trail. Both the Midstate and M-M trails traverse the entire state North to South (or South to North, if you prefer). I recommend the M-M trail for better views and interesting cellar holes and old mill sites, but I have also enjoyed hiking the Midstate. There are also a lot of other nice trails around Mount Wachusett. Have fun.

The Southern part of the AT in Mass is especially interesting in some areas.

When you say C. Mass. what do you mean? Worcester or Marlborough areas? Check out the Bay Circut Trail. It's not supper great, but there are some great gems in some areas. Check out Tipping Rock area in the Sudbury Conservation Land, Nobscot Hill area.