Mount Watatic & Nutting Hill, MA

• 4-star hikes
• 2 to 3 mile options
• Moderate | Gain 610 to 710 feet
• Ashburnham & Ashby, MA | Central Region
.

A person sitting on a portable chair at the edge of a rocky overlook, facing a vast landscape. The person is wearing a wide-brimmed hat and is looking through binoculars. To the right of the individual is a long stick standing upright with a model of an owl attached to the end. The background reveals an expansive view of forests and a clear sky with scattered clouds.

Hawk migration count from Watatic's summit viewpoint.

Mount Watatic delivers excellent natural New England scenery for a short hike. Take one of two woodland trails that lead to the 1,832 foot summit, then continue on just a little further to a slightly lower viewing area that boasts wide panoramic views from Mount Monadnock in the north to Mount Wachusett and beyond to the south.

The trail begins at a large parking lot just off Route 119 and heads towards a marshy pond. Thankfully there's a boardwalk that will keep your feet dry. Take a right turn up Mid State Trail and you'll be on the shortest route to the summit. Mid State does have some moderate climbs, so if you prefer to take things easier there's also the State Line Trail that takes a shallower approach and also summits the smaller Nutting Hill. Our favorite way to complete this as a loop is to counter clockwise up Mid State then back down via Nutting Hill.

Trail Options Expand KML · Google Earth ·

⬤ 4★ Watatic & Nutting Loop 2.9 mi loop, moderate, gain 710 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

⬤ 4★ Watatic Out & Back 2.3 mi out-and-back, moderate, gain 610 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions GPX?

Views at the summit of the mountain are modest, so continue a little further east to the best views. It's here in the fall that you'll find birdwatchers conducting the annual hawk migration as birds of prey head off to South America for the winter. Apparently the owl-on-a-stick featured in the photograph at the top of the page is to entice curious hawks and give the ornithologists a closer look at the birds.

Mount Watatic also marks the southern terminus of the 21.4 mile Wapack Trail. Previously we've explored the north end of this trail at North Pack Monadnock and Miller State Park. Eventually we'll likely add an article for the trail's full length, so consider following Trailspotting to be notified.