| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Tully Mountain, Royalston Falls, Spirit Falls, Doane's Falls, MA |
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 | Trails: |
Tully Trail, spur paths, Lake Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, October 3, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I asked for - and was granted - permission to park in the canoe launch at the Tully Lake Campground and was given a pass to hang om my mirror during my stay. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None of significance on this route. Crossing at Royalston Falls Shelter is bridged. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Tully Trail is blazed in yellow - some are very new and some are very aged. However, coming off of the W slope of Tully Mountain there are no blazes or other hints directing the way. On the road walk shortly thereafter you might notice and old yellow paint chip hanging on to a couple of stone posts along the road. A map is very handy - IMO the USACE map better as it is easier to read than the Trustees map and it has a scale. There are a few trees down here and there but nothing major, except for ascending the knob N of Tully Mountain - two larger trees down maybe 2/3 - 3/4 the way up. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn't see any. |
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 | Bugs: |
Due to calm winds and warmish temps there were a few skeeters at camp trying to have snack at my expense. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
Clockwise overnight trip on Tully Trail from Tully Lake Campground on SAT 10/2 and SUN 10/3.
Trails are mostly dry. On some spots of the woods roads there are varying degrees of mud and a few sections of standing water.
Since the forecast north didn't look so hot I decided to head south and revisit a hike I had done four years ago. Tully Trail is made up of hiking trails, shared (MTB) trails, woods roads, dirt roads and a couple of short paved road walks. Highlights on the W side are the beautiful Tully Lake and Tully Mountain. Remembering the Royalston Falls Shelter was a fantastic structure but was pretty well grafitti'd up on my last visit I brought a tent, thinking that perhaps some youngsters might be spending the night there. I found an unimpacted spot near the shelter to throw down but as it turned out the shelter was empty this night (two other tents in the area, one with an open fire which is a no-no). Descending to Royalston Falls is a great way to start a morning. E side is shorter (~ 1/3 vs. 2/3 on the W side) and mostly flat, save for one good up (Jacobs Hill) and one good down (Spirit Falls). Some great colors are popping around the wetlands on the E side. Making good time back to the lot I visited Doane's Falls, the lower entrance to which is a 30 second walk from the canoe launch. There are three main falls here and they were running hard and fast - quite a sight to behold.
I'm very glad to have gone back to this loop - I had forgotten what a really nice area it is. Other than the three others at the shelter and a few folks out walking the southern part of the E side I didn't see any others the entire trek. |
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 | Name: |
HMJ |
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 | E-Mail: |
trailsntrees(at)gmail(dot)com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-10-03 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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