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Calamint Hill North Trails Hike

Quick Facts

  • Distance: 3.5 miles
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Elevation Gain: 200 ft
  • Restrictions: No motorized vehicles. Bikes, dogs, and horses are welcome.

Trailhead

  • The Calamint Hill Conservation Area (CHCA) is located on Calamint Hill Road North, just off Route 62 on the west side of Princeton. A parking area is located about 0.25 miles up the road on the left—look for the two kiosks..Google Maps

 

Overview

This hike connects trails within:

  • Calamint Hill Conservation Area (CHCA)
  • Princeton’s Boylston Park
  • PLT Appell Property

Together, these areas offer about 3.5 miles of linked trails, arranged as three main loops. The terrain includes quiet woodlands, rocky sections, and several scenic viewpoints overlooking a large beaver pond.

Route Details

East Loop

  • Enter by the trails sign on the left of the parking lot and follow the blue blazes
  • At the intersection with the West Trail, bear left to stay on the East Trail and begin the loop.
  • Cross two bridges and a wet area with steppingstones. and then take a left over a stone wall. Follow the trail around the loop and down near the pond.
  • Reach a viewing area closest to the Heron Rookery. Take a short spur trail to a bench overlooking the pond.
  • Return to the main trail and turn left.
  • Follow the blazes back to complete the loop and then turn left on the West Loop Trail.

West Loop

  • Features another viewing area on the beaver pond’s shoreline. Includes the “Princeton Peace Rock.”
  • Trails are rocky but generally not steep, except along the south side near the stone wall.
  • Follow blazes to a stone wall at the junction with the Appell Loop. At this point you can
    • continue on the Appel Loop,
    • head up the hill on the West Loop and out to the road, or
    • complete the west loop and go back to the parking lot.

Appell Loop

  • Adds 0.7 miles if used to avoid the steep section of the West Loop.
  • South side: rocky terrain and an interesting boulder field.
  • North side: open forest with easier footing.
  • Includes an exit to Calamint Hill Road near Boylston Park.
  • Rejoins the West Loop at the top of the hill, with an option of exiting to the road or continuing on the West Loop back to the parking lot.

Additional Nearby Trails

  • Fieldstone Farm Trail Connects the Route 62 end of Calamint Hill North Road to Wachusett Meadow.
  • Boone Trail Links the southwest end of the Appell rail to Brooks Station Road near Mathews Lane and Sam Cobb Lane.
  • Boylston Trail Heads north of Calamint Hill North Road to another scenic beaver pond along South Wachusett Brook.

Historical Notes

  • The Calamint Hill Conservation Area is part of the larger Fieldstone Farm (Smith Farm), a 250‑acre property of fields and forest along Route 62. The land was permanently protected in 2016 through a partnership among the Town of Princeton, Princeton Land Trust, MA Division of Conservation and Recreation, Worcester Water, Local residents
  • The Smith family owned the farm from 1944, operating it as a dairy farm and later raising pigs. The land has been actively farmed since the 18th century and was long considered Princeton’s top open‑space preservation priority.
  • The 34‑acre Appell Property, acquired by the Princeton Land Trust in 2019, was donated in memory of Laura (Reynolds) Appell. It is protected as natural open space with trails but no development.

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Map

 

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