Trailing Out of Boredom: Wachusett Aqueduct

Jenny Lambert

My dog Casco waits for me to throw him a tennis ball as we walk along the Wachusett Aqueduct trail.

I went to the Wachusett Aqueduct trail for a walk with my dad and my dog Casco on Friday, April 11. The trail starts on Bartlett Street in Northborough and ends on Derby Road in Berlin, however, once you get to the Berlin end, you can cross over to the Berlin Flood Control Trail.

There are many places to park along the trail as it crosses multiple streets. Going to the Aqueduct is always a positive experience for me as it is easy to access and fun to run or walk on.

The total distance from the starting point to the ending point is 6.9 miles, but you can start at whatever point along the Aqueduct and walk or run as far as you would like. 

My dad, Casco and I started on Bearfoot Road in Northborough and walked until we got to the entrance on Belleview Road in Berlin. It was about four miles total, two miles there and two miles back. 

I recently started going to this trail, and I love it. It’s a long, flat, smooth, grassy trail that’s perfect for a long walk, run, bike ride or a sprinting workout. There isn’t much variety in terms of different types of views, but I think it is the perfect place to zone out on your run, walk or bike ride.

The longest I’ve walked on the Aqueduct is seven miles total, starting on Bearfoot Road and ending on Derby Road. If you’re in the mood for a super long walk or run, you can walk or run the entire trail and go for a total of 13.8 miles. You can even tack on more miles if you cross over to the scenic Berlin Flood Control Trail.

If you choose to cross over to the Berlin Flood Control Trail, there is also a large rock covered with graffiti that can be interesting to look at.The most interesting part of the Aqueduct is certainly the graffiti near the Bearfoot Road entrance. The trail briefly goes past the railroad tracks and under I-290. You can look at graffiti art as you pass under the tunnel.

Dogs are allowed on this trail and it is perfectly fine to have them off leash. Casco loves running the long straightaway sections along the trail.

Since it’s so long and spacious, this trail is usually very quiet. Whenever I go, the only time I see other people is when I briefly pass by them. In this case, it’s a perfect place for social distancing.

Overall, I definitely recommend this trail if you want to tack on some distance during quarantine. It’s a great outdoor spot to visit on a nice day.