Willard Brook State Forest: Friend's Trail

Maps, Elevations and Summary

Distance: 4.1 miles
Elevation Gain:  757 ft.
Total Time: 2.5 hrs.

Trail Report

It was supposed to be the sunny day on the weekend, ideal for a new hike so I set out to Pearl Hill State Park in Townsend, MA.  The Friends of Willard Brook Assoc. had established a new trail which stretched from the Pearl Hill parking area to Damon Pond, a favorite swimming destination in Ashby, MA.  I was trying out a new pack, a Kelty Redwing 50, so I thought I'd keep the hike short and simple in case there were problems with the new system.
Arriving at the parking area around 6:30 a.m., there was not a should to be seen and the lot was completely empty.  A bunch of large ravens were perched on branches on the edge of Pearl Hill Brook Pond, which was covered with a layer of fog.  Day parking was posted as $8.00, but there was no one there to take the money.  Banking that my car wouldn't be towed and that I could pay later, I slipped into boots and pack and headed to find the trail.
The trail is marked by either rectangular painted yellow blazes or yellow plastic diamonds.  Starting near the ranger station, it was a quick walk down the paved road and over the brook to find the sign marking the Friends Trail and plunged directly into the woods.  The dense pines make for a pretty shaded and dark forest, which would be consistent for the entire hike, perfect for a hot, sunny day.  This wasn't the case today, the sky, contrary to the forecast, was completely overcast and the temperature was in the low 60's.  The rain from the night before was still dripping from the tree canopy, so it was't too long before I was getting damp.
The trail rolls up and down small hills as it parallels roads which border some campsites.  A red trail, marked with a beaver blaze, heads off down to a beaver pond viewing area.  After 1.0 miles, the trail crossed a dirt road and a small footbridge led across a gully which contained a barely trickling brook. The trail turns sharply to the right and climbs to Vinton Pond road, which was crossed at 1.2 miles.
Right next to the road, there was a large boulder which turned out to be a good place to take a break for breakfast pf a peach and apple.  The trail here was not very well marked, but a footpath was visible to the northwest, heading across an open meadow which looked as if it had been  an apple orchard at one time.  Following the trail through the waist high grass left my pants soaking wet in no time at all.  At the end of the meadow, the trail plunges into tangles mixture of vines and small trees with barely a footpath to follow.  An occasional yellow blaze pointed out the trail and in short order leads to the base of the bid climb of the trail, up Rattlesnake Hill.
The climb is a not too steep, a 300 foot elevation gain over about 0.5 miles and the trail is a mix of flat rock and dirt.  Even wet, as it was this morning, it wasn't particularly slippery.  The ascent was densely wooded and the switchbacks meandered through a number of moss covered glacial erratics.  At the top of the climb, I found a nice boulder to use as  break spot, have some water and catch my breath before starting out again.  AT this point the trail levels out and parallels the ridge line, perhaps50 feet below the summit of Rattlesnake hill.  There were no obvious side trails to the summit,  but the lack of breaks in the trees suggest the summit would be wooded with little the way of views.  After a short time, a tree appeared with a sign "Halfway point.  Consider how long it took you to reach this spot."  Here is where I lost the trail.
Continuing on the trail, I realized it was decreasing in elevation which was not apparent from the trail map.  However, it seemed to head due north so as to intersect with the dirt fire road which was planned to I continued.  There is a large swamp on the summit of the hill, causing a bank of fog to flow down the hill and obscure part of the trail.  After continuing the descent, the trail intersected the dirt road below the intended junction, so i headed up hill to reach the intended crossing.  Following the intended route would have saved some of the uphill road climb and in the future, I will try to identify the intended Friends trail.
Following Fort Hill rd. for a short time, the trail entered the first near a locked gate across the road.  Make sure you don't miss the short right turn at the gate, it is not well marked!  The trail dow descends through the forest, weaving around campsites and a spooky old barn to finally emerge at the parking area for Damon Pond.  At this point it was drizzling  so I paused to din rain gear and a pack cover and found a picnic table to wait at for my ride back to Pearl Hill.   The bridge near the picnic area gives nice views of Beaver Brook.

Just across the street is Damon Pond, which has a swimming beach and some rest rooms for changing.  On a nice, hot summer day, a cool dip would make a nice end to the hike.

It has come to my attention that the Friends of Willard Brook Association no longer exists.  I hope that some organization will continue maintenance of the trail.