North HIll Marsh & Round Pond

The town of Duxbury hosts many great areas to explore. The two mentioned on this page, North Hill Marsh and Round Pond are located on opposite sides of Mayflower Street so it makes sense to describe them together.

The area's 1230 of contiguous conservation land form the largest parcel of preserved land in the town.

The trails are managed by the Duxbury Conservation Commission and maintained by the town and by local volunteers. NEMBA members in particular are always picking up deadfalls and brushing back overgrowth.

The town has a No-New-Trails policy on all of its properties. (See the note below.)

    Riding these trails: 

With 31+ miles of trails at hand it would be pretty nearly impossible to ride everything in one outing. You'll find yourself returning here over and over to continue exploring. The first map, from the TrailForks app is the most useful. Not only does it show you the trails but as you're riding it will show where you are on the trail network as well as trace your route.  LoL You can even make a donation to SE MA NEMBA right from the app.

The trails range from easy wide carriage paths suitable for newcomers and family rides to some very hilly twisty singletracks that willchallenge both your techniacl skills as well as your lung power.

There's an abandoned motocross track, at the top of a hill in the Round Pond area. I challenge you to do three laps of the track without getting totally winded.

You'll see lots hikers, families, dogs and horses out on these trails. Please ride cautiously and respect the other users rights!  Also, till the Pandemic is over maintain social distancing and other Covid 19 precautions as possible.

The Bay Circuit Trail passes through these lands.  If you're looking for a really extended ride, you could add in their 230 miles.  :-)

    Parking:

The best places to park are on Mayflower Street. Here are the directions from the town's website. "From Rt. 3 South: Take Exit 10 off Rt. 3 and bear to the right. Follow Rt. 3A to the Duxbury Fire Station. Turn left onto and continue down Mayflower Street. The parking for North Hill Marsh are about a mile past the Duxbury transfer station on the right and left.

It should be noted that these lots can fill up fast. So, on weekends at least, many people also park behind Duxbury Town Hall wher a trail right out of the parking ;lot leads into North Hill Marsh.

    Cautionalry note from the Con Com.

• An Open Letter to Mountain Bikers who ride in Duxbury Conservation Lands

  In preface, the Conservation Commission is empathetic to the current lockdown

  situation; several of us have children at home who we are struggling to keep busy

  and engaged in productive activities. Especially as the weather gets better, we

  understand the desire for kids and teens to be outside and off screens. We

  encourage safe outdoor pursuits in Duxbury Conservation lands, provided these

  pursuits are allowed by the Town’s rules and regulations. These rules and

  regulations can be found on the Town website.

  Mountain biking is allowed on Duxbury Conservation lands, subject to the

  regulations. Over the years as biking has become more popular, bikers have used

  the lands in a manner that has been respectful to walkers, runners, equestrians, and

  to the woods and trails, with few exceptions. It has been a wonderful evolution to

  allow for positive multi-use of the Conservation lands. There are a multitude of

  trails in town, enough to provide for a challenging and exciting mountain biking

  experience.

  Unfortunately, there has been a significant increase in unauthorized trail making

  and structure building on Conservation lands. Cutting trees, digging, building

  jumps and similar activities is expressly prohibited on Conservation lands. Recent

  activity of this nature has been noted in the Conservation lands west of Island

  Creek pond. This activity (and similar activities elsewhere on Conservation lands)

  must stop immediately.

  If you have children that mountain bike on the Conservation lands, the

  Commission urges you to speak to your child to ensure we can continue multi-use

  activities on Conservation lands. The Commission does not want to close

  Conservation lands to all mountain biking activity because a select few are

  breaking the rules. The land is for everyone to enjoy, but the enjoyment must not

  leave a trace for others. Taking a shovel and saw to the woods has a long-lasting

  impact to the wildlife and to the public who seek to enjoy the lands in their natural

  state. The unsanctioned trail building also has created unsafe areas for young and

  inexperienced bikers.

  Please abide by the regulations and continue to use the Conservation lands

  respectively so that all may enjoy it for many years to come.

  The Conservation Commission

•     

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The Bay Circuit Trail

The Bay Circuit Trail, formerly known as the Bay Circuit Path is about 230 miles long. Although this changes constantly due to land ownership changes and new opportunities. It runs from Newburyport's Plum Island to Duxbury's Harbor running through 38 towns and linking 57 Greater Boston communities.

Most responsible for today's Bay Circuit Trail is Alan French, a North Andover resident, who working with a host of volunteers created, planned, marked and most importantly got permissions for mouch of what we now enjoy.

Today the trail is managed by the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Trusttes of Reservations.

   Little know fact: The "original" Bay Circuit Path, in the early part of the 20th century, was conceived of as a motorway linking pastoral unpaved roadways for automobile use. The world has certainly changed since then.

The Bay Circuit Trail is mostly located between the Route 495 and 128 Beltways, It runs from sea leavel to sea level with a maximum elevation of 602 feet at Nobscot Hll in Framingham Some sections of the trail are on pavement, but the majority of it is trail.

The trail passes through an almost innuerable number of conservation parcels, parks and State forests.

Most of the Bay Circuit Trail is open to bikes. But there are a few exceptions. 

   One exception is the Nobscot Scout Reservation on Sudbury and Framingham. This includes most of the of the section of the trail between Brimstone Lane and Route 20 and includes both Nobscot Hill & Tipping Rock. The biking alternate is going north on Bay Circuit trail is north (downhill) on Brimstone Lane and east on Route 20.  Going South, from Tippling Rock Trailhead, go west on Route 20 and south (uphill) on Brimstone Lane.

   Other exceptions include certain trails on Sudbury Valley Trustees properties and Audubon's Moose Hill Sanctuary in Sharon.

NEMBA has a long history of volunteerism on the Bay Circuit.  To see a list of these type Bay Circuit into the search box at the top of this page.

    Riding the Bay Circuit Trail

Most people riding in their favorite areas in this corridor observe Bay Circuit Trail markers. But few people try to ride the whole thng. Check the maps. You may find that you can link a few of your favorite riding areas using trails that you've nvere explored. Many times people will park vehicles at two places on the Trail and ride between them. Over time they may ride the whole thing. I am aware of a few pwople who have done the whole thing, with the exceeption of a few no-bike restrictions, in one ride. But, they normally do some rough camping or stay at motels along the way.

When exploring the Bay Circuit Trail you'll go through many conservation areas and pass an uncountable number to trail junctions. Giving you a perfect opportiunity to explore.

The map at the top of the page links you to the Newburyport, or northern end of the trail at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Here's a more detailed MAP.

The southern end is located at the Bay Farm Preserve located at 55 Loring Street in Dxbury.  You'll fid a map of this area HERE. Note: You can actually do a loop ride at this end of the trail 

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The address above is for the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest which forms the centerpiece of Martha's Vineyard's trails. Here's a link to it.

Correllus has a paved bike path that almost circumnavigates the forest as well as many single and doubletrack trails within it.

It is not well known but Martha's Vineyard actually has over 200 miles of public trails on protected lands. Theres are curated by the Sheriffs Meadow Foundation. Check out their website for more information on the Island's trails. They feature the TrailsMV ap. Which one can download into a phone or a gps device. It will show you the exposition you are at while out on the trails.

Riding on the island is a lot of fun. The trails are scenic, and often unexpeced given the development on the island. There are great ocean views as well as cool, quiet forest trails.  

People ride here all year long. Given the soil characteristics mud is rare. As is snow, which doesn't last very long when there is any.

Riding in the winter, early spring or fall is especially fun as the summer's crowds are largely absent.

To get ther you'll need to take a ferry. Check the Steamship Authority for details. You can make a reservation for your vehicle or, park in one of the many mainland parking lots and ride your bike to the ferry. If you choose to leave your car on the mainland you'll probably not need a reservation.

Needless to say the Vinyard offers almost endless restaurant and lodging options. 

The Vineyard Off Road Bicycle Association hosts weekly rides.   Many trails are also featured on this Hotel's Website. Lastly here's a Martha's Vineyard Magazine article describing the trails, it's a bit dated, there's a lot more trails now.

Martha's Vineyard NEMBA is one of our newest NEMBA chapters.

Whether you plan a day trip, or an extended stay, you'll find plenty of trails to keep you busy on Martha's Vineyard.

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The Cataumet Greenway at 95 acres is a small area that's dense with trails. About 5 miles if you ride everything.

The trails are almost all winding, flowing non-technical singletracks. All are fun to ride no matter which direction you choose to ride them in. Normally I'll ride most of them in both direstions.

At 30 acres Red Brook Pond is a nearby about 1/4 mile away on Shore road. 

The best place to park to ride both is near Cataumet's Post Office. You'll see a parking area, playground and trailhead in the same complex.

A good description of both is this one, taken from the Bourne Conservation Trust's Website.

Cataumet Greenway, approximately 95 acres, is comprised of several parcels joined together to provide a network of trails through varying habitats. It is home to numerous species of wild animals and a variety or wildflowers. A sheep trench from an era gone by can still be seen at various point along the trail. Included is Red Brook Pond Conservation Area, Cataumet Center, and Lawrence Island.

A GPX file for a good ride linking the two areas is at the top of this page.  It can be downloaded into your phone or other GPX device. 

The Greenway's trails are really fun to ride. They flow and you never seem to going in a straight line for more that a few seconds at at time. The trails here nicely branch the difference between beginner and intermediate so most everyone will enjoy them.

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The Bird Street Conservation Land is part of Stoughton's Memorial Conservation Land and is about 675 acres. Additionally, the Ames Rifle Club Trail, which is a stand-alone trail in Stoughton but a great connector, is included in this region. These are all fun and easy to intermediate trails that all levels of riders can enjoy. This can be a fantastic fat biking area as it's fairly level and not much hiking use in the winter.

Many of the trails are marked with colored markers blue, green, yellow and orange and can be aeen on this map. There is a super interesting history in this region that includes the Myron Gilbert quarries, the Roy Robinson Loop Trail, as well as the Storybook Trail, a 2008 Eagle Scout project that has been well maintained. These trails are maintained by SEMASS NEMBA and the Stoughton Conservation Commission.

In all there are about 10 miles of trails to explore. There is not too much technical riding but the region does include a challenging 50' skinny bridge as well as a short Ledge trail for the expert riders. This is a great area to ride if you know a new mountain biker that wants to work on their skills.

The Ames Rifle Descent Trail is an outlier in the Stoughton area so it is included here. A short and easy road ride by Ames Long Pond from Palisades Circle Parking Area gets you to the trailhead where there is parking for 10 or more vehicles. Most people ride this trail west to east but it's actually a great trail in both directions. This trail gets you close to the Rattlesnake Hill area of Sharon (Conservation Land acquired in 2019) which can connect you to Borderland State Park & King Philip for even more tremendous riding options.

There are two parking areas. One at 90 Bird Street is small holding only a car or two. The best one is at the Bradley Lessa Memorial playground at 1258 West Street. It's much larger and a better entry point for the trails.

I'd suggest bringing a copy of the above maps. Some of the trails in the southern part og Bird Street can be wet in all but the dryest of seasons.

You'll find a lot more trails than are on either of these maps.

Other than locals, few people are aware of or have explored these trails.  You can be among them.

Be sure to read the trail descriptions at the bottom of this MAP. Read more about [node:title]

Nickerson State Park is located in the middle of Cape Cod just about where the peninsula begins to dog-leg north. Nickerson’s 1900 acres host about 400 campsites, and eight ponds. Oddly no streams or rivers feed these ponds and they are all interconnected by subterranean tunnels. I was snorkling there once and could feel a very strong current trying to suck me into a cave. Weird!!

But swimming under water is not why I go to Nickerson.

There is an 8 mile paved bicycle path in Nickerson. This is great for kids and gives one a brief introduction to the park. The bike path also connects to the 22 mile long Cape Cod Rail Trail.
But they aren't the big draw either. It's the Singletracks. They abound in and around Nickerson. The DCR map only shows a few of them. But, the Cape Cod NEMBA working with the Cape Cod Chamber of commerce has come up with a complete one. The only riding restrictions are the shoreline trails that surround the three larger lakes.  (See the map above.)

Highlighting the trails are the many scenic views afforded of the park's lakes. But the most notable feature of them, to someone who normally rides off the Cape anyway, is the almost total lack of stones and rocks. The trails here define the word "buffed".

On a recent ride we did over 12 miles of mostly singletrack and didn’t have enough time to explore the entire park.

Speaking of trails. On the bottom of the Cape Cod NEMBA map you'll see a parking area at Freeman's field and below that some trails leading into the Training Loop. These trails, add about another 10 miles of mostly singletrack to the Nickerson system. Many people choose to start their rides from this location and dive right into the Training Loop. The address is 835 Freeman's Way.

How can you find these trails for yourself? Well, the Map suggests quite a few. But the best way is to join some Cape Cod NEMBA folks for a guided ride. Go to CC NEMBA’s Facebook Page, and see when the next ride is. Or, ask for guided tour. You’ll find that CC NEMBA people are very friendly, and are riding at Nickerson 3-4 times a week. 
Orleans Cycle often leads rides here too.  Check them out the next time that you're in town.

Do you recall that old Cape Cod aphorism, "Once you get the sand of the Cape in your shoes, you'll never get rid of it". Well that couldn't be more true of the sands of Nickerson State Park.

By Bill Boles
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Greenough is one of the three riding areas that make up the Willow Street complex of trails. Locals refer to all of these trails as “Exit 72” and many will choose to do an extended ride that includes trails from all three.

Greenough is located to the north of route 6 at Exit 72. The name derives from Camp Greenough a Boy Scout camp where many of the trails are located. But, Greenough’s trails extend well beyond that, reaching the ocean at Grays Beach to the north, the Badlands (Exit 75) to the west and the extensive Willow Street trails to the south of the highway.

The trails in the Scout camp are really fun, fast flowing singletracks, moderately hilly with a few technical climbs and descents. There are few rocks or exposed roots, save for the ‘black’ trail. The perimeter trails, (see map) are open all year to the general public for biking and hiking, but the trails in the center of the camp should be avoided when the Scouts are camping. Generally, that’s during the summer months.

To the north of the railroad tracks there’s a route to the aforementioned Grays Beach. This is a fun ride which goes right through the parking lot for the Yarmouthport Village Store where you can stop for refreshments. When you get to the beach there’s a long scenic boardwalk that extends well into the marsh.

There are two sections of trail on the map that are closed to bikes, Miller Pond and Camp Wingate. These trails are open to foot traffic and are included on this map so that you’ll know where you shouldn’t ride. In all there’s about 20 miles of fun riding at Greenough.

Most people choose to park just south of Exit 72 beside the railroad tracks. Just pull off the road and park in the cleared area next to the tracks.This location gives you easy access to all three of the Willow Street complex’s network of trails.

How to choose where to ride: Well, Greenough has lots of rolling hills and interesting singletracks, plenty of lake views, and even an ocean to enjoy. Higgins Crowell is mellow and flat. Lots of singletracks winding through the woods, but no hills and no technical features. It’s a great place to bring newer riders or a place to put on a lot of miles. Willow Street, behind the railroad tracks, is different. By far the hardest, there are plenty of hills and challenging singletracks. This should be your first choice if you want to work hard.

Cape Cod NEMBA works hard to keep all of these trails open, fun and deadfall free. If you’re looking for people to ride with, post a note of the CC NEMBA Facebook page.
Located in what we consider to be mid-Cape. The ‘Exit 72” trails will draw you back over and over again. Read more about [node:title]