If you live near Boston, you might think you need to drive hours away to enjoy great mountain biking. But you’d be wrong.
Massachusetts’s South Shore is home to many incredible trail networks that riders can enjoy. Here are a few of the South Shore’s best.
Wompatuck State Park
Hingham
Difficulty: Moderate
“Wompy,” as it’s affectionately known, is one of the most popular places for bike riding on the South Shore. It features 12 miles of paved bicycle trails and many more miles of flat, traffic-free paved roads. It also has miles of bridle paths and gnarly singletrack through unbroken woodlands that make it a favorite among mountain bikers. Wompy’s trails feature a lot of variety, from long, meandering trails with plenty of turns to navigate and logs and rocks to hop over, to fast, thrilling up-and-down riding. Five routes lead to the top of the park’s largest hill, Prospect Hill. Four of those routes are singletrack, one of which is the longest section of switchbacked singletrack in the entire state. One thing to keep in mind, though, is Wompy’s trails see a lot of traffic from other users, including hikers and horseback riders. So while you cruise the trails, take care not to spook a horse or run over a hiker.
Blue Hills Reservation
Milton
Difficulty: Moderate
Blue Hills Reservation features some of the most fun and challenging mountain bike riding in Eastern Massachusetts. While the reservation draws crowds of people, most visitors stick to the edges near popular attractions. That leaves the interior, where mountain bikers can disperse, criss-crossing the reservation with the trails largely to themselves. And there are plenty of trails to explore. A spiderweb of well-marked and maintained trails weave throughout most of the reservation’s 7,000 acres, which stretch from Quincy to Dedham and from Milton to Randolph. Blue Hills is home to 22 hills — many with great views of Boston — and 125 miles of trails, the bulk of which are open to mountain bikers. And the varied terrain means there are rides for everyone, beginner or advanced. If you’re a beginner, the trails near Houghton’s Pond are relatively flat and are a great place to practice different aspects of riding, from cruising fire roads to dealing with technical rocky paths. Away from Houghton’s Pond, the trails can get hilly and can prove challenging to novice riders. Meanwhile, advanced riders can be challenged on 496-foot Buck Hill, one of the longest, most technical climbs in the area. Coon Hollow Path, down the backside of Great Blue Hill, is another fun, challenging ride.
Ames Nowell State Park
Abington
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
This 600-acre park features a large network of trails that make it one of the finest places for riding on the South Shore. Much of the park surrounds Cleveland Pond, a popular spot for fishermen. Around the pond are picnic areas, a sports field, and 10 miles of trails. Two trails parallel the eastern shore of the pond, with the one closest to the pond being among the more difficult trails in the park. The trail next to it, on higher ground, is easier to ride. To the west of the pond are plenty of trails to explore through woodlands and marshes. A 150-foot-long bridge passes through the far western side of the pond. The trails feature plenty of technical singletrack and large boulders to keep riding interesting, while some areas are perfectly suited for young riders and beginners. Between the pond and bogs, the area has its share of mosquitoes, so don’t forget the bug spray.
Whitney Thayer Woods
Hingham/Cohasset
Difficulty: Easy
The Whitney Thayer Woods is an ideal place for the beginning rider. Bikes are prohibited from most of the singletrack on this Trustees of Reservations property. But what is left are 10 miles of carriage roads through hardwood forests and open fields that make for enjoyable, easy riding, and often treat you to beautiful views of the South Shore and Boston skyline. Whitney Thayer abuts Wompatuck State Park, and several trails interconnect the two properties, which gives you the option of extending your day of riding with more trails to explore. You can get the thrill of riding technical singletrack in “Wompy,” and then wind down your day with a scenic, easy, meander through Whitney Thayer. Young riders will be interested in exploring the area’s streams, vernal pools and glacial erratics. And nearby is Weir River Farm, where they can cap-off a day of riding by getting up-close to horses, sheep and chickens.
Myles Standish State Forest
Carver
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Straddling the towns of Plymouth and Carver, the 14,000-acre Myles Standish State Forest is the largest publicly-owned recreation area on the South Shore, and is one of the largest reservations in Massachusetts. It is home to more than 15 miles of paved bicycle trails, as well as scenic paved roads that are easy to bike on. Off road, it features dozens of miles of trails, dirt roads and pathways, some of which predate the Pilgrims. The long roads and rolling hills make for hours of great mountain biking. And mountain bikes are welcome to ride anywhere in the reservation except along shorelines. Myles Standish’s landscape is unique from the state’s other parks, with its sandy soil and pitch-pine forests of scraggily-looking, stumpy trees that look straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. Myles Standish and its immediate surroundings support the largest remaining pine barrens in New England. Although you can find plenty of great trails detailed on the reservation’s map, scores of other trails criss-cross the park. And, if you have a good internal compass — or, better yet, a GPS — you can have a great time going off-map and exploring the area. But be careful: With its spider web of roads and unmarked trails, navigating your way around the park can be disorienting.
World’s End
Hingham
Difficulty: Easy
World’s End boasts arguably the most enjoyable coastal biking on the South Shore. Jutting into the southern waters of Boston Harbor, the 251-acre Trustees of Reservations property is home to gorgeous views of Boston Harbor and the city skyline. It features roughly five miles of tree-lined carriage paths designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, all of which are open to bikes. (However, bikes are not allowed on World’s End’s few singletrack trails.) The scenic trails pass saltwater marshes, meadows, woodlands, and granite ledges covered with red cedars and blueberry thickets. Coastal breezes keep World’s End cool even on hot summer days. And the gentle, scenic paths are ideal for beginner or young riders to be introduced to off-road biking. When you take a break from biking, you can search for seashells on the beach or horseshoe crabs in the water. World’s End is a popular place, so be mindful that you’ll likely encounter plenty of people hiking, walking dogs and horseback riding.