Thayer Brook Trailwalk
Wilbraham, Ma
(Information Compiled by the Wilbraham Open Space and
Recreation Plan Committee)
Whale Rock (Waypoint 6)
Trailhead Location:
Wilbraham
Community Gardens, 700 Monson Road, Wilbraham, MA
Directions to Trailhead:
From
Main Street in Wilbraham, take Monson Road heading towards Monson, MA. Proceed over
the mountain past Ridge Road on the left and down into the valley. Pass Hollow Road on the
right and Glendale Road on the left. The entrance to the Community Gardens is
just past Glendale on the left. There is a small sign at the entrance to the
driveway that says "Community Garden." Make the turn and take your first right.
Park as far down the dirt road that runs parallel to the Community Garden as you can. To
access the trailhead on foot, walk around the back of the garden (where the
garden meets the woodline) to the north east corner. There you will see a small,
matted down, grassy entry path.
Length of Trail:
1.6
miles
Types of Surfaces:
- the first
couple hundred yards is matted grass
- the rest of the first 3/4 of a mile, past the scrap metal pile, out to the
"Private Property" sign, is well worn dirt trails with some muddy areas
- from the "Private Property" sign to "Whale Rock" and from "Whale Rock" back to
the scrap metal pile is uneven, leaf covered, off road terrain with low
vegetation and some
roots. This area is marked with white 2" x 6"rectangles on the trees
- from the
scrap metal pile back to the trailhead, you will be backtracking over the same
terrain described earlier.
Elevation Factors:
The trek starts at the 300 foot level and is mostly flat out to Whale Rock and
back to the starting point. There is a slight uphill at Whale Rock.
Interesting Features:
- several
stone walls including a stone wall corner
- "Whale Rock": a huge rock that
resembles a whale with an open mouth and flippers
- a fallen oak with a large vertical trunk that grew from it
Facilities:
parking, portable
toilet
Activities Permitted:
All passive recreational activities including hiking, cross-country skiing
snowshoeing, educational studies, and nature observation are permitted. Please
be careful not to leave litter and not to deface the property. Please park in
designated areas and be respectful of neighborhoods in the area.
|
THAYER BROOK GPS WAYPOINTS
AND HIKING DIRECTIONS |
|||
| # | LONGITUDE | LATITUDE | DESCRIPTION |
|
1 |
042° 06.907 N |
072° 23.472 W | The NE Corner of the Community Garden is the start of the path. |
|
2 |
042° 07.053 N | 072° 23.470 W | Pass a scrap metal pile with a stone wall behind it. The wall parallels the trail on the right. |
|
3 |
042° 07.032 N | 072° 23.550 W | Take the right fork of three path options at a rotted tree. |
|
4 |
042° 07.294 N | 072° 23.456 W | This is the start of the relocated trail to bypass "Private Property." |
|
5 |
042° 07.285 N | 072° 23.382 W | This point merges back with the main trail coming off "Private Property bypass." |
|
6 |
042° 07.314 N | 072° 23.470 W | This is the site of a huge erratic ("Whale Rock") at elevation 725ft. |
|
7 |
042° 07.197 N | 072° 23.409 W | This marked way returns to the original trail, vectoring to waypoint #2, a scrap metal pile. |
| 8 | 042° 07.260 N | 072° 23.421 W |
This is the
position of the WhaleBox geocache |
|
9 |
042° 06.896 N | 072° 23.555 W | At this point, the stone wall is in sight (waypoint #2). |
| From this point retrace your original route out to the community garden. | |||
| Note: Because of recent tree cutting, the entrance may be a bit difficult to find. Look for the white trailmarks on the trees, and you'll know that you're in the right spot to begin. Follow the white trailmarkers throughout the length of the trail. | |||
.jpg)
1. Entry Path
3. Stone
Wall Corner
4. Private Property Boundary
Fallen Oak with Vertical Trunks
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Town of Wilbraham
Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee