View from Wachusett Mountain

345 Mountain Rd.

Princeton MA 01541
978 464-2987

Wachusett Parkway Reopening

The parkway leading to the summit will open to motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on Saturdays and Sundays only, beginning Columbus Day Weekend, Saturday, October 8. The parkway will remain open through Sunday, October 30. The summit restoration is still in progress, but parking and sightseeing areas are open. The parkway hours are 9:00 a.m. until sunset. There will be no parking fees charged this season. If you have any questions, please call the park headquarters at 978 464-2987.

Rising above the surrounding forest to a height of 2006 feet, Mount Wachusett stands as a unique landmark within the central New England landscape. From the summit, a clear day reveals views of Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire, the Berkshires to the west, and the Boston skyline to the east. The 3,000-acre Wachusett Mountain State Reservation surrounds the summit and offers a wealth of natural and recreational resources. The Reservation's natural resources include forests, alpine meadows, ponds, streams, fields, and even a perched bog. Recreational opportunities abound at the reservation including hiking, nature study, hawk watching, picnicking, and skiing. The Reservation offers 17 miles of hiking and walking trails, including 3.9 miles of the Midstate Trail, which runs from Ashburnham to the Rhode Island border. Mountain Road stretches to the John Hitchcock Visitor's Center at the summit, a short distance from the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, which is the largest in eastern Massachusetts.

Wachusett Mountain is part of an extensive greenway area, including Leominster State Forest, Massachusetts Audubon's Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary and Minns Wildlife Sanctuary. It is also the location of the largest known area of Old Growth Forest east of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts, with trees dating over 350 years old. Evidence of the glacial activity which shaped the mountain can be seen at Balance Rock; two large boulders were stacked one on top of the other by moving glaciers thousands of years ago.

Trail Map
Download printable version (pdf)

Click here to view Midstate Trail map

Park Directions

The reservation is located in north central Massachusetts.

From the East/Northeast/Southeast

• Take I-495 to exit 29, Rt. 2 west.
• Take Rt. 2 west to exit 25, Rt. 140 south.
• At the top of the exit ramp take a right onto Rt. 140 south.
• Drive 2.1 miles on Rt. 140 south and take a right onto Mile Hill Rd.
• Drive 0.5 mile on Mile Hill Rd to a split in the road, take left fork onto Mountain Rd.
• Drive 1.25 miles on Mountain Rd.
• Park entrance is on right.

OR

• Take 1-90 (MA PIKE) west to exit 10, I-290 north.
• Drive 7.3 miles on I-290 north to exit 19, I-190 north.
• Drive 9 miles on I-190 north to exit 5, Rt. 140 north.
• Drive 9.3 miles on Rt. 140 north and take a left onto Mile Hill Rd.
• Drive 0.5 mile on Mile Hill Rd to a split in the road, bear left at fork onto Mountain Rd.
• Drive 1.25 miles on Mountain Rd.
• Park entrance is on right.

From the West/Northwest

• Take I-91 to Exit 27, Rt. 2 east.
• Drive 31 miles on Rt. 2 east to exit 25, Rt. 140 south.
• Take Rt. 2 east to exit 25, Rt. 140 south.
•  At the top of the exit ramp take a left onto Rt. 140 south.
• Drive 2.1 miles on Rt. 140 south and take a right onto Mile Hill Rd.
• Drive 0.5 mile on Mile Hill Rd to a split in the road bear left at fork onto Mountain Rd.
• Drive 1.25 miles on Mountain Rd.
• Park entrance is on right.

From the Southwest

• Take I-90 (MA PIKE) east to Exit 10, I-290 north.
• Drive 7.3 miles on I-290 north to exit 19, I-190 north.
• Drive 9 miles on I-190 north to exit 5, Rt. 140 north.
• Drive 9.3 miles on Rt. 140 north and take a left onto Mile Hill Rd.
• Drive 0.5 mile on Mile Hill Rd to a split in the road, bear left at fork onto Mountain Rd.
• Drive 1.25 miles on Mountain Rd.
• Park entrance is on right.