Hiking: From the Archives | Lookout Point in the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park | Northbridge, Massachusetts
Lookout Point is a rock promontory overlooking the Blackstone River in the southern portion of the Town of Northbridge. There are two trails that you can use to the access the site. The longer approach is from the south and via King Phillip's Trail. The shorter and more level walk is from a parking area on Quaker Street which quickly follows the height of land and brings you to the cliffs and overhangs at Lookout Rock.
The King Phillip's Trail is about 1.3 miles in each direction and the trail from Quaker Street to Lookout Rock is less than a half of a mile in each direction. The King Phillip's Trail is level for the majority of its length as it runs just above the floodplains of the Blackstone River. As it reaches the base of Lookout Rock, the trail scrambles up where you can either bear right and head out to the parking lot on Quaker Street or bear left and end up on top of Lookout Rock.
Neither hike is overly difficult, but the hike from Quaker Street to Lookout Point is definitely the easier one. The King Phillip's Trail's only strenuous section is the climb from the river level up to Lookout Point.
Lookout Point sits on the eastern edge of the Blackstone River, a hundred feet or so above the river level. It gives you about a 180 degree view of the river's valley and is well worth either hike there. In the fall, it is a great site for checking out the changing leaves.
This trip is well worth the hour or so you need for the short hike or the couple of hours to travel via the King Phillip's Trail. With some advanced planning and some roadwalks, you can also make larger loops, traveling north up the western shores of the Blackstone from Hartford Avenue via the Goat Hill, Canal Towpath and Plummer's Trails, then east along Church Street to Quaker Street, south down Quaker Street to the Lookout Point Trail, then down the King Phillip Trail back to Hartford Avenue. That trip would be a little over five miles round trip.
For More Information
Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park
The Massachusetts Trail Guide offers a short discussion of the Blackstone River and Canal State Park with trail descriptions in the area.
The King Phillip's Trail is about 1.3 miles in each direction and the trail from Quaker Street to Lookout Rock is less than a half of a mile in each direction. The King Phillip's Trail is level for the majority of its length as it runs just above the floodplains of the Blackstone River. As it reaches the base of Lookout Rock, the trail scrambles up where you can either bear right and head out to the parking lot on Quaker Street or bear left and end up on top of Lookout Rock.
Neither hike is overly difficult, but the hike from Quaker Street to Lookout Point is definitely the easier one. The King Phillip's Trail's only strenuous section is the climb from the river level up to Lookout Point.
Lookout Point sits on the eastern edge of the Blackstone River, a hundred feet or so above the river level. It gives you about a 180 degree view of the river's valley and is well worth either hike there. In the fall, it is a great site for checking out the changing leaves.
This trip is well worth the hour or so you need for the short hike or the couple of hours to travel via the King Phillip's Trail. With some advanced planning and some roadwalks, you can also make larger loops, traveling north up the western shores of the Blackstone from Hartford Avenue via the Goat Hill, Canal Towpath and Plummer's Trails, then east along Church Street to Quaker Street, south down Quaker Street to the Lookout Point Trail, then down the King Phillip Trail back to Hartford Avenue. That trip would be a little over five miles round trip.
For More Information
Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State ParkThe Massachusetts Trail Guide offers a short discussion of the Blackstone River and Canal State Park with trail descriptions in the area.
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