Trails

Lake Rico to Massasoit

By nemasket  |  2009/11/11 15:25 Posted in Massachusetts, Taunton, Trails  |  Comments (0)

There is a very nice trail that starts to the left of the Lake Rico parking area on Middleboro Ave. in Taunton – which is just past the entrance to Massasoit State Park. These trails are a real treat. I’ve driven by Lake Rico hundreds of times and never noticed to the trail. It runs in and around the ponds that connect to Lake Rico. FYI, once upon a time, there were several small ponds that became joined after MA took them over and raised the water level. As I mentioned, this all connects with the state park and is surprisingly scenic. Normally when one thinks of Taunton, the word scenic rarely comes to mind right away. It’s heavily used by hikers and dog walkers.

Massasoit State Park and Lake Rico

Massasoit State Park and Lake Rico

M15 to White Banks trail

By nemasket  |  2009/11/11 14:29 Posted in Massachusetts, Middleboro, Trails  |  Comments (0)

This scenic trail runs from the M15 gate in Middleboro – near the junction of Vaughn and Cherry Streets out to White Banks on Assawompsett Pond.  The trail runs along the pond for a while – beautiful.  Once you get to White Banks – surely one of the most scenic spots in the area, there are some trails that loop around.

The trails are in very good shape dry, and often wide enough for two people to run abreast – providing you keep your eyes open for the not-infrequent piles of horse manure.   There is ample parking at the gate for several cars.   Trails are generally easy – a few small hills but mostly pretty level.

M15 to White Banks trail

M15 to White Banks trail

Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT)

By bogofree  |  2009/11/06 17:06 Posted in Franklin, Massachusetts, Trails  |  Comments (0)

This is a 21+ mile trail system that is an old railroad line. The trail begins in Franklin, MA on the edge of Franklin State Park and progresses through several towns and eventually ends in Douglas, MA. The Franklin entrance is available by taking exit 16 on I-495 and going towards Bellingham. After about 3 miles you take a right onto Grove Street and the entrance is about ¼ mile on the left. This section of the trail is quite rough for several miles but for a biker it is no real problem.

The second area they list for parking is in Douglas and is almost at the other end of the system. Take route 16W off Route 146 and drive about 5 miles until you get to route 96 and take a left. Entrance is about ¼ mile on the right. This section of the trail is in excellent shape in both directions for several miles.

Now I have listed two areas on entrance but the reality is this trail crosses numerous roads and at each there are gates at which you can park so you can do – as I have – and run this trail in sections. As you do each section you can explore as there are trails that break off in many places so if you are a runner this could be an adventure for a week or two.

If you wish to get this trail mapped here is a great site called traillink.com that will give you all the details you want.

Easton rail trail

By nemasket  |  2009/11/06 16:39 Posted in Easton, Massachusetts, Trails  |  Comments (0)

Last week, Bogo and I went running on an old rail line in Easton.  It’s on Rt. 106, west of Rt. 24.  The rail ties and all other remnants of the tracks are long gone.  Only the shape(straight) and elevation(raised) give it away.  There is ample parking for a couple of cars.  The trail is dry and clear heading south.  You can run a couple of miles before running into anything nasty and there are power lines that run off the trail for several more miles of running – I didn’t go on these but Rick has.

North of Rt. 106, it got pretty wet pretty quick but is probably all right most of the time.  This year has been unusually rainy.

Easton rail trail

Easton rail trail

Near SouthPointe

By nemasket  |  2009/11/06 16:29 Posted in Lakeville, Massachusetts, Trails  |  Comments (0)

Just south of Rt. 44 not far from the Rotary and SouthPoint are several miles of trails.  The area is totally unmarked with ample parking in a dir parking lot right on Rt. 44.

This is a good place for a quick run/ride.  The trails are in very good shape and there is little danger of getting lost.  I think it is Lakeville but it could be partially in Raynham or even Middleboro.

South of Rt. 44 near SouthPointe

South of Rt. 44 near SouthPointe

Blackstone Valley State Park

By bogofree  |  2009/10/29 12:36 Posted in Trails, Uxbridge  |  Comments (0)

This is a place I have always wanted to go for a run and managed to do it today (10/29).

The Visitor Center contains a graphic for trails and so does the linked site below along with a link for the Blackstone Corridor. This is a great scenic area as you have one trail system that goes along the river and another system that is used for a tow trail for the barges.

There is also another park in the area that I will explore after hunting season (10/15-01/31/10) and that is the West Hill Dam only about a mile away.

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/blst.htm

http://www.nps.gov/blac/index.htm

South Point

By nemasket  |  2009/10/23 22:26 Posted in Trails  |  Comments (0)
Parking area on Cambell Road.
South Point

South Point

Just west of the Rt. 44 Middleboro rotary is an area that is mostly high and dry and loaded with great trails.  It is roughly bordered by Rt. 44, Rt 495, and Vernon Street.

There is decent parking off of Vernon Street on a short dead-end street -  Campbell.  The land is mostly high and dry and the trails in very good shape.

Interesting that this land, with such great access to 495 has gone undeveloped.

High and dry

High and dry

Parking area on Cambell Road.
Parking area on Cambell Road.

Moose Hill – Sharon, MA

By bogofree  |  2009/10/01 12:12 Posted in Massachusetts, Sharon, Trails  |  Comments (0)

This is an easy one since I need no pictures or fancy stuff like Mark does so just go to the link for Moose Hill. http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Moose_Hill/index.php and take a look.

I will say this place is a personal favorite and is a 2,000 acre system with 25 miles of marked trails and probably another 15 miles of unmarked trails. The area also is connected to another 1,000 or so acres that are not part of Moose Hill yet still have many trails. These you just have to explore.
 
 
 
This is an Audubon facility so there are restrictions and their web site lists them. There is a Audubon center on site with a parking lot and all the trail maps you’d want. Classes are constantly being conducted on a variety of nature related topics and special events are a constant. This is a top of the line facility. There is also a small fee but it is the honor system so if you have no honor don’t pay. I’m a member so I have privileges.
 
 
 
I went for a jog today at Moose Hill and saw several wild birds especially wild turkeys (not the stuff Mark drinks) but the real ones. Saw a fox but she was with her husband – no…just kidding…a real one with the kind of tail that would be quite decorative on my car antenna.
 
 
 
Moose Hill is right off I-95 just take the Main St. Sharon exit and follow the signs.

 

Middleboro YMCA trail

By nemasket  |  2009/09/26 11:51 Posted in Massachusetts, Middleboro, Trails  |  Comments (0)

Out behind the Middleboro YMCA is a little known trail that runs roughly between Rt. 28 and Rt. 495 in a southern direction. It crosses Wood Street and continues almost to Cherry Street.

Trail entrance

YMCA Trail

YMCA Trail

Entrance to the trail is in the right rear of the parking lot.  Enter the woods to the right of the shed and hear right along the edge of the drainage ditch.  A short incline brings you to the trail head. The trail immediately runs down an incline with a steep hill to the left. This hill comes out at the Middleboro High School. After crossing a small brook that is usually dry, the trail runs through a marshy area(trail is dry) and winds around to the left into the remnamts of an old sand pit. Go straight through the pit and pick up the trail on the other side.

From there you run behind some newly constructed homes and eventually out to Wood St.

Wood Street and beyond
The trail comes out on Wood St. across from St. Mary’s Cemetery and resumes in the rear right. After a short while you’ll come to a weedy pond. There is no other access to this pond besides the trail. I hear it has good fishin’ though I’ve never tried it. Right after the pond is another sand pit. The next landmark would be the rear of a large building whose frontage is on Rt. 28 – I think it’s Wood Ventures.

After that the trail winds down into some narrow spaghetti trails and finally peters out behind a house not far from Cherry St.

All in all, a nice litte trail, close to downtown, and a nice option if you don’t want to go far for a trail run/hike/ride.

Trail head

Trail head

YMCA trail head

YMCA trail head

Pond on YMCA trail

Pond on YMCA trail

Rochester R7

By nemasket  |  2009/09/12 17:28 Posted in Massachusetts, Middleboro, Rochester, Trails  |  Comments (0)

Level: easy
Distance: 4-5 miles
Terrain: wide, wooded, mostly level


Bogo and I ran this trail today.   It starts in Rochester on North Ave not far from Rt. 105.  The trailhead starts at gate R7 (Rochester gate 7).  There is ample parking on a dirt fireroad that runs up to the gate parallel to North Ave.    It is a mostly wide trai (fireroad wide) almost totally dry and relatively level minus a few hills.  The trail runs roughly straight in.  At the bottom of a hill bear left and take the trail to the right of the small sand pit.  Bogo tells me that this was a honeypot – a dumping area for crap in days gone by.  Eventually the trail comes to a causeway that goes out to Great Island on Great Quittacas Pond.

There are several very scenic overlooks that look out over this almost totally unspoiled pond.  There are a number of smaller trails that run for short distances off the main path.  This area connects with the land that runs along Route 105 to the east up near Negus Way.

Bogo here – Just a bit of an addition, Mark. This is a great area to get in a four or five mile run when it is real windy out.  I hate running in the wind and if you skip going on to the island you’ll be in the woods the whole time. Just explore the trails that are all in great shape.  There is also a nice parking area where North St. meets route 105.

Rochester - gate R7 trail

Rochester - gate R7 trail