Not all of our adventures are in far flung corners of the globe. This Memorial Day we enjoyed some time outdoors with a family hike at the Wachusett Mountain State Reservation. It was a great opportunity to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us in our home state.
No time to read? Check out our podcast about the hike over on Anchor: Big Adventures for Tiny Humans Episode #2!
Isn’t Wachusett for Skiing?
Wachusett Mountain is perhaps best known around here for its “mountain skiing” located relatively close to Boston (there’s a jingle…). But it’s really a year-round destination:
The 3,000-acre Wachusett Mountain State Reservation offers plenty of natural and recreational opportunities. You can hike and bike trails in the summer and ski in the winter. Enjoy the scenic views from this 2,006-foot peak. (mass.gov)
Given the option of “short and step” vs. “longer and flatter” the kids unanimously voted for short and steep. So we picked the Pine Hill Trail for our ascent.
It’s honestly less of a trail and more of a few hundred (thousand?) stone steps that wind up the mountain, with a few sloped slabs of granite mixed in. The forest is beautiful and critters like chipmunks (and children) were constantly scampering about.
At the top of the mountain there’s a viewing platform with some display boards pointing out features of the surrounding landscape. Down a short trail there’s also the top of the quad chairlift for the ski area.
It took us about an hour to hike to the top from the parking lot, with Piper tackling about half on foot and half in the backpack.
Down at the bottom there’s a visitor center with restrooms and a few displays on the local flora and fauna.
Resources
For more info check out the website here: https://www.mass.gov/locations/wachusett-mountain-state-reservation
Here’s a link to the full trail map: https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/12/xg/wachusett.pdf
The Trekking Family 