Bellevue Pond, Wright's Tower, Panther Caves, Cross-Fells, Skyline Trail Loop (Middlesex Fells Reservation)
Hike Type: Loopty Loop
Distance: 3.63 miles
Elevation: 554 feet
Time: 2 hours, 1 minute (1 hour, 41 minutes moving)
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026
The Hike
Back to Wright's Tower for the first time in a while! I was meeting up with Kerri, who I hadn't seen in a few weeks (and hadn't hiked with in a couple years!). I was running 15 minutes ahead of her, so I hiked up the tower and around Bellevue Pond first without her, and then we had our grand reunion back in the parking lot (perfect timing!). It was a beautiful afternoon with abundant sunshine and temperatures in the mid-50s and we had no plan besides the tower. I only carried my water bottle with me and we took Wright's Tower Road up to the top and had a nice long sit to catch up - I missed her!
After our sit (aka when I started to get chilly), we started to hike around. She mentioned wanting to visit the Panther Caves and I THOUGHT I knew how to get there (spoiler alert, I guess and I was correct!), so we wiggled there via Mud Road and Red Cross Path. We did a little exploring and then continued onto the Skyline, Cross-Fells, and Skyline Trails again. It was nice to pair the easy old road walking with some more rugged trails. The frogs were doing their jobs nicely, too!
We worked our way back to the tower for one last bit of "ooo"s and "ahhh"s before hiking back to the cars and parting ways - such a nice afternoon!
Step-by-Step
- Park at Bellevue Pond.
- Start hike at Gate 5/Quarry Road.
- After D6-5, turn right onto Wright's Tower Trail.
- At tower, continue onto Wright's Tower Road.
- At terminus, turn left onto Quarry Road.
- At D6-3, turn right.
- At C6-9, turn left.
- Hike along parking lot back to Gate 5.
- Continue onto Quarry Road.
- At jct., turn right onto Wright's Tower Road.
- At tower, turn around.
- At D6-2, turn right onto Mud Road.
- At C6-3, turn left onto Red Cross Path.
- Explore Panther Cave, then continue northwest on Skyline Trail.
- At C5-16, turn right onto Cross-Fells Trail.
- At C5-18, turn right onto Skyline Trail.
- Follow Skyline Trail back to tower.
- At tower, turn around and follow Wright's Tower Road.
- At terminus, turn left onto Quarry Road.
- Follow Quarry Road back to car.
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