Norfolk County Highpoint Trip Report

Date: October 9, 2010
Author: Adam Helman

This effort was part of a larger journey collecting New England county highpoints in October 2010.

When coming from the west, leave Interstate-93 at Exit-2B as to head north 0.9 mile along Route 138. Parking is on the right (east) side.

I recommend the Red Dot Trail which begins some 50 or 75 feet south of the parking lot's northeast corner. It has "fun" boulder slabs, taking one to the general higher ground albeit west of the actual highest earth.

Follow an obvious path east, with a bridge, to the domed observatory. It is open today, a Saturday, with tours in progress during daylight hours. Although I do not succumb to a tour, this fact does allow me to enter the well-fenced observatory compound.

I then descend the grassy ski-slope west of the observatory, soon finding myself at the parking lot's southeast corner. A loop hike.

Caution: There are "NO LEFT TURN" signs when leaving the parking lot. To return whence you drove entails going first north for maybe one-half mile, thence turning left into some business's lot. Now turn right (south) as desired.