Region
Most climbed route
Highlights
- Highest point in Southern New England Upland
- 500 feet below the summit is the largest known old growth forest east of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts.
- An auto road goes close to the summit.
- A ski center and a reservoir are nearby.
- An observation tower graces the summit, but views are good even without it.
Routes
11 summits • 3.4 mi • 825 ft gain • 1 hr 59 min
1 summit • 11.3 mi • 1,808 ft gain • 5 hr 15 min
1 summit • 1.6 mi • 573 ft gain • 1 hr 11 min
1 summit • 2.7 mi • 707 ft gain • 1 hr 38 min
1 summit • 3.1 mi • 711 ft gain • 1 hr 59 min
1 summit • 5.2 mi • 1,196 ft gain • 2 hr 45 min
Latest summits
"Warmest day of the year so far, not a cloud in the sky. Very muddy and buggy, particularly near the trailhead and the flat section of Semuhenna Trail. Began around 12:45pm. Passed by Balance Rock on the intersection with Old Indian Trail. Took Semuhenna Trail which levels out for about a mile before intersecting with Harrington Trail which is very steep, rising about 250 feet in a tenth of a mile. On the way I stopped at Josti's Vista which offers great views to the southwest. Once I crossed Up Summit Rd. the trail leveled off as I approached the summit. Although you can't go up the fire tower at the summit, the platform underneath still offers 360-degree views and images to help you identify the mountains on the horizon. I crossed 4 ski trails on the way down Old Indian Trail. Returned to the car around 3:15pm." — JCalautti • May 7, 2024
"What a morning! Got to the trailhead around 5:45 just as it hit first light. Quick trip up bicentennial to Pine Hill with time to spare despite needing traction. Enjoyed some coffee. There were several others enjoying the sunrise. " — OneSillyDeb • Feb 10, 2024
"Had the day off, so I decided to check out a peak in Mass. I did a couple of loops on Wachusett for some red-lining. There were plenty of bird watchers on the tower base, making it tricky to enjoy the views. Looking north was the most interesting with Monadnock and other peaks. The other 3 cardinal directions was flatish and long distance views. After this hike, I went to the Gardner Ale House to pick up a View and Brew. " — newenglandwarrior • Sep 14, 2022
"Beautiful day for the trek from Redemption Rock trail head to the Wachusett Meadows Audobon Center, by way of Mt Wachusett. 7.6 miles in all! Checking off another segment of the Mid State Trail ✅ " — jessemdooley • Apr 24, 2021
"I think it was president's day 2017, maybe 2018/MLK,Jr day. I was off, Shane was not-lived in Somerville? got lost trying to snowshoe beautiful called Ali and Riley from bridge in woods " — kcjones • Jan 4, 2021
"The trails today were a 50/50 mix of dry conditions and wet, muddy steps. The climbs up the Old Indian Trail were a steep trek that had me taking several stops on the way to the summit. The Harrington Trail was an equally steep but rockier route down. The views on the summit were fantastic today with endless giant, puffy clouds scattered throughout the deep blue sky. The spring colors were were especially vibrant against this backdrop, especially when the sun would shine through." — HikeLikeMike • May 7, 2017
"Frank and I drove up to handicapped parking area and walked to summit. New tower only went up one story, but Frank enjoyed conversations there while I poked around. A wedding party was having photo session while we were there." — barbaratraver • Sep 5, 2015
"Great hike after a rainy morning/afternoon. I saw 4 bright orange newts along the way - awesome! No real views from the summit due to clouds, but it was still nice to get out. 2.66miles in 1:31min" — KeepCalmClimbOn • Sep 1, 2013
"Quick afternoon trip with my friend Brooke. Got up there around 6:30 PM so we needed to beat the sunset. We were able to check out balance rock toward the beginning of our hike. I wasn't sure how long it would take to get to the summit but we made it up there pretty fast no the less. The trail takes you through many ski trails but you still get to see many different parts of the park. It was beautiful from the top and we were able to see Boston from the summit almost 60 miles away. Be careful going down Brooke fell hard going down the mountain, But she was a trooper got right back up with only some scrapes. Note to self going down is a lot harder then going up. We did beat the sunset so luckily we didn't have to go down in the dark." — elbesto • May 17, 2012
"After nearly a month of "repeaks" I finally got out to a trail on a couple of Mountains I'd not been on before. The Pine Hill Trail here was short & steep but a fun trip up to the summit of Wachusett Mountain. Not the best of views today due to fog & the fact that the towers are under construction and not currently available for public use." — VonSelmer • Oct 24, 2011