Wachusett Mountain State Reservation

May 24, 2020 Sunny

There are many hikes up Wachusett Mountain but we decided to go with a longer hike on the Chapman Trail, starting at the Mass Audubon Wachusett Meadows wildlife sanctuary in Princeton, MA. The 7.3 mile roundtrip hike had about 1,342 feet of elevation gain and took about 3 hours of solid hiking.

From the visitor center, we crossed the meadow, stopping by a small pond where we first noticed tadpoles and then found a large toad sitting in the mud.

Continuing through the meadow we also saw some wild turkeys as we headed to the trail entrance.

The first 2.5 miles or so of the hike are pretty level and go through shaded woods with some old stone walls. The trails are clearly marked at all intersections.

Along the way, we crossed two small roads that are also used as trail entrance points for hikers looking for a shorter trail to the top.

Only the last 1/2 mile of the trail starts to climb more steeply but the trail is not slippery and mostly filled with large rocks that act as steps.

At the junction with the Harrington Trail, we decided to head east on the Link Trail to the slightly gentler climb of the Mountain House trail.

As we came to the summit, there were a large number of people, some of whom drove the mountain road to the top, and others who hiked up. I was a little suprised, but it was a beautiful day to get out. Although the summit is built up with a parking lot and towers on top, there are excellent views all around from the 2,006 foot summit, as well as some informational signs about the forest and wildlife.

The view here is to the northwest. We could also see Mt. Greylock which is in the far corner of the state.

After a short rest and snacks, we headed down the Harrington Trail, which was quite steep but not gravelly. Most of it looked like this picture below.

Returning the way we came, we took a short detour to see a few nearby wind turbines.

After returning to the meadow, we stopped for a short rest again to enjoy the scenery, before heading back to the car.

We all enjoyed the hike’s varied terrain and wonderful views, and were ready for some fresh local ice cream at this point!

• This walk had varied terrain, from meadow to forest to peak. It was mostly level or a steady climb and the peak had great views.
• This is quite challenging, but the views are worth it.
• Ignore my brothers’ reviews, they just give everything 4 or 5 stars. Wachusett is just a boring, long hike up a comparatively tiny mountain with little or no view of anything of the slightest interest.
• This is the longest state park I have ever been to! But it was a nice mountain.
• Big big mountain and a very tiring hike and a good view at the top and we ate peanuts and raisins.

For more information: Wachusett Mountain State Reservation official site