Stand on Top of Mount Watatic
North-Central Massachusetts / Ashburnham, Massachusetts
Activity
Hiking / Summit
Difficulty
Moderate / rocky summit climb
Distance
3 mi round trip
Elevation gain
~800 ft
Duration
~2–3 hrs
Route
Loop
The adventure
Climb from Route 119 to Mount Watatic's open 1,832-foot summit, continue to Nutting Hill and complete the classic three-mile loop.
Start at the signed Route 119 trailhead and climb the Wapack Trail to Mount Watatic's open 1,832-foot summit.
Forested monadnock rising to open rocky summit ledges
What you'll do
Start at Mount Watatic Route 119 trailhead, then follow the route about 3 miles round trip. Reach Mount Watatic summit, continue to Nutting Hill ledges and complete the loop.
Expect rocky and rooty forest trail with steeper sections and open summit ledges.
Expect roughly 800 ft of climbing along the way.
What you're looking at
- Mount Watatic is a prominent southern anchor of the Wapack Range.
- southern New Hampshire
- Boston skyline in exceptional visibility
Once you're there
Park in the designated Mount Watatic lot on the north side of Route 119, opposite the Old Pierce Road area. Enter the trail from the lot and follow Wapack Trail signage uphill through the forest to the open summit.
From the summit, continue north toward Nutting Hill rather than simply retracing your ascent, then use the signed connecting route to complete the roughly three-mile loop back to Route 119. Expect rocks, roots, mud after rain and exposed ledge near the top.
Don't miss
Don't make the summit your automatic U-turn. Continue north on the Wapack Trail to the Nutting Hill ledges before closing the classic loop.
Good to know
- Access
- No mandatory permit or reservation identified for ordinary day hiking on the Route 119 summit route.
- Best time to go
- The route is used year-round, but snow and ice can materially change footing and equipment needs in winter; mud is common during wet shoulder-season conditions.
- Water
- No potable water identified at trailhead.
- Parking
- Limited designated lot; roadside parking should not be relied upon.
- Restrooms
- No developed restroom identified at the Route 119 trailhead.
- Hazards
- Rocky/rooty footing, mud, winter snow and ice, exposed summit weather
- Dogs
- Dogs are commonly permitted on the route; keep them controlled and leashed and follow current posted conservation-land rules.
- 1,832 FEET
- Mount Watatic tops out at 1,832 feet, but its open ledges create much bigger views than the number suggests.
- TWO TRAIL SYSTEMS
- The summit sits at the southern end of the Wapack Range and is also tied into the Midstate Trail system.
- BIG HORIZON
- On a clear day the panorama can reach toward Boston, Mount Wachusett and the hills of southern New Hampshire.
- SMALL LOT
- The Route 119 lot is small and roadside parking is not the backup plan. Busy weekends reward an early start.
- Surface
- Forest trail, rocks, roots and open summit ledge
- Managed by
- Mount Watatic protected open space / Massachusetts conservation lands.
Please respect the place
- Use the designated Route 119 trailhead parking area
- Do not park along Route 119
- Expect mud, roots and slick rock after wet weather
- Carry water; no developed trailhead services should be assumed
Photos
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