North Shore Farms and Backroads (Road Ride)

Open in the App

Salem, MA, US

Show 8 more photos

Route Overview

All Day Adventures

Hiking, Cyclo-Cross, MTB, Fat Bike, Road Bike: in Eastern Mass, and New England www.AllDayAdventures.org

55 mi.

1,980 ft.

50+ miles of Quiet back roads of farms and small towns. Great for a hot summer day with the tree lined roads and coastline roads.

Send to Device Advanced Export View Standard Route (with cuesheet)

Route Details

**Farms and Back Roads of the North Shore**.  This ride is an enjoyable afternoon ride when you feel like avoiding traffic and the heat of the day almost completely in the shade of tree lined roads.   Near 55 miles long, this is a Road Ride for the medium level road cyclist. (Updated and Extended for 2017)

[**www.AllDayAdventures.org**](https://www.alldayadventures.org)

**About the Ride:** Ride time is 4 to 6 hours with some rolling hills. Most of this ride is on quiet tree-lined roads along farms and less densely populated areas of the North Shore.  I have seen more horses and @photo[cows](1715332) grazing on these @photo[farms](1715340) than you can count.

**Ride Equipment:**  Road bike, cyclo-cross  bike, or hybrid bike.  70 oZ of water and a lite snack.  A camera if you like farm photos.

**Riding the Route:**  Starting in Salem, we get you over the Beverly-Salem Bridge and onto the coastline road of Rt. 127.  There are a few beaches and shoreline roads on your travel up to Manchester By-the-Sea.  At **Mile 9** In the center of this town, you will head up school street heading to Rt 128.   After passing the Rt 128 intersection, the road traffic will greatly diminish.

At **Mile 12.5** the traffic will disappear to 1 car per mile as you turn onto Apple Street and are now on the backroads.  The next 20 miles is all backroads.

At **@poi[Mile 17](2121256)** on Fellows Road, is a gated entrance to New England Bio-Labs, which is a very elaborate campus that features a @photo[sculpture park](1715350) for public viewing. Look around to see all the sites.

Crossing over Rt 1A to continue the backroads ride.  Near **@poi[Mile 21](2121257)** you will enter the back entrance to @photo[Bradley Palmer](1715343) Forest.  Stay on the paved road and you will exit the park at the main entrance. A small side trip will take you to the @photo[Willowdale Estate](1715346) Building.

**2017 Update:** The ride is so nice and peaceful, it has now been extended to travel around the @poi[Boxford State Forest](4195691), and straight through the @poi[Harold Parker Forest](4195692).  The ride then routes you through a newer neighborhood, and onto the @poi[Peabody Rail Trail](4195689) for your return trip to Salem.

Pack a Lunch for this ride. There is no place to stop for food or water.

North Shore Farms and Backroads (Road Ride)

Route Overview

Route Details

Other routes by All Day Adventures

Sign Up

Share link

Share via email

Embedded widget

Get the Ride with GPS mobile app!