North Shore All-Road Coastal Loop: 72 miles

Somerville, MA, US

Aperçu de l'itinéraire

Eastern Massachusetts All-Roads Cycling

Gravel and All-Roads Adventures from Greater Boston to Beyond...

115 km
1 019 m

A mix of roads, rail trail, gravel, and single track from Davis Square, Somerville to Nahant and Marblehead and back. A great exploration of the North Shore coastline taking off from urban Boston and returning through gravel and singletrack. Expect a great day of views, beaches, towns and forests. Plenty of places to get food, water and ice cream. While we love to call it "Hell of the North Shore"...it is actually heavenly!

Détails de l'itinéraire

A mix of roads, rail trail, gravel, and single track from Davis Square, Somerville to Nahant and Marblehead and back. A great exploration of the North Shore coastline taking off from urban Boston and returning through gravel and singletrack. Expect a great day of beaches, towns and forests. Mostly paved and rail trail, with about 10 miles of gravel and 3-4 miles of singletrack. Requires a fair amount of fitness due to distance and different surface types. Can be ridden on a gravel bike or a mountain bike or even a road bike with 30mm or larger tires. Best to start in the morning so the Nahant causeway is not too crowded. While we love to call it "Hell of the North Shore"...it is actually heavenly!

Route

  • Begin at Davis Square. Take the MBTA to Davis or ride to the start.
  • Initial section goes through streets from Somerville to Medford before joining the rail trail in Malden. Then follow the causeway road out to Nahant, taking care to be cautious in traffic. Navigate Nahant's steep and winding streets before the views at Bailey's Point and Lodge Park. From here meander along parks and streets navigating the coast of Swampscott, Clifton, and Marblehead. Enjoy amazing harbor vistas at Fort Sewall. After passing through Marblehead, head inland, passing a short section of singletrack before entering the gravel roads and forests of Lynn Woods and Breakhart Reservation. Zip through the streets of Wakefield to the northern entrance to Middlesex Fells. Enjoy gravel roads and singletrack before a few miles of pavement through Medford and Somerville, ending back in Davis Square where ice cream and cold beverages await!
  • Highlights include the water views from Nahant and Marblehead, and the gravel roads of the Lynn Woods and Fells.
  • This is an urban route so there are multiple potentially busy and dangerous intersections. Of note, pay caution taking the causeway out to Nahant.

Notes

  • Best time of year to do the ride: The ride is great year-round as long as there is not significant snow on the ground, but best in spring and fall.
  • Suggested variations on the route
  • Recommended equipment & attire: Gravel bike with tires at least 32mm. Could also be ridden on a mountain bike or a road bike with tires 32mm or larger.
  • Required fitness level to enjoy route: At close to 70 miles this route requires a good level of fitness to complete in one day. It does not have significant climbing overall but there are numerous short steep climbs of a several city blocks.
  • Water, food, and other services availability: There is food and water all along the route as it is an urban route. Davis Square has many restaurants including ice cream and cold beverages.

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