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A big linkup of Great Brook Farm and Russel Mill.


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Map Key

19.8

Miles

31.9

KM

60%

Singletrack

287' 87 m

High

126' 38 m

Low

890' 271 m

Up

883' 269 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

15%

Max Grade (9°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

Overview

Russel Mill is an excellent place to go for a ride, but it's small, and hard to get more than a short ride in. Great Brook Farm offers the miles, but it's mostly easy and unremarkable. This link up tries to get the best of both worlds.


The Ride starts and stops from the ice cream stand lot in Great Brook Farm, however you do need to pay to park there Yto could easily start and stop from the Russel Mill lot by the soccer field, which is free.

The ride warms up on some easy stuff, tries to hit the highlights of Great Brook Farm (Tophet Loop West and Stone Row) as well as linking in almost all of Russel Mill, with a bit of road riding.

Need to Know

Remember the ice cream shop at Great Brook Farm is open in the summer, so bring money for post ride treats!

Description

Start off at Acorn, across the street from the Lowell Street Lot. Follow the trails Boy Scout style, and take ever right you come across, this will take you around the perimeter of the Acorn trail system. After 4 right hand turns, Acorn South will meet up with Curve Street. Cross Curve Street and follow Old Morse Road (It's a private road, but is clearly marked as a trail easement on the DCR's Great Brook Farm map). At the mini rotary, turn left, and follow the road a little while longer until you find a trail leading into the woods on the left, take it.

At the T intersection take a right, and follow Fern Loop back to another intersection and take another right. This will spit you out onto Lowell Street. Take a left onto Lowell Street and follow it for a short ways, then take a right onto North Road. Follow North Road past the parking lot, to the start of Pine Point Loop. Back on the dirt follow Pine Point Loop to the start of Heart Break Ridge.

After all the road and easy trail riding, Heart Break Ridge will be lots of fun. Enjoy the ride out on Heart Break Ridge and the even more fun ride back on Tophet Loop West. Back on Pine Point Loop head back to the road by finishing the loop. On the way back hit Keyes Loop and Beaver Loop, two enjoyable short trails.

Cross the road and hop on Woodchuck, taking a short detour around Garrison Loop, and then turning right into the Thanksgiving Forest. Follow the trail streight through the Forest and out onto the road. Follow the mapped rout on the road to Russel Mill.

Great Brook Farm provides the miles to this ride, but Russel Mill brings the fun! Start out on Blue Heron Loop, and take a left towards the pump track. After you've had your fun, leave the pump track by Yellow Finch, then a right onto Red Bird Connector and a left back onto Blue Heron Loop. This will take you to Wild Turkey.

Wild Turkey offers some nice, approachable riding and it's unexpected rolling turns and flowing terrain are a real treat. After Wild Turkey, follow Lower White Owl to Upper White Owl for more fun flowing riding. After that take Green Birdhouse Loop to Orange Goose Loop.

Enjoy the turns, skinniness and drops on Orange Goose Loop, this is probably the most technical trail on this ride, and definitely the most fun. When the trail is over, turn right onto Green Birdhouse Loop and take it out of Russel Mill. Follow the mapped rout back to Great Brook Farm.

Contacts

Shared By:

Andy Griffin

Trail Ratings

  4.6 from 7 votes

#1643

Overall
  4.6 from 7 votes
5 Star
57%
4 Star
43%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1,643

Overall
22 Views Last Month
10,120 Since Nov 9, 2013
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult

14%
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43%
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43%
0%

Photos

Entrance to Trail, marked only by a white blaze.
Jul 28, 2017 near Carlisle, MA
Lots of these bridges on the Tophet Swamp trails.
Jul 28, 2017 near Carlisle, MA
Mini Pumptrack great for practicing new riders.
Jul 8, 2020 near Chelmsford, MA
Russell Mill Pump Track
Sep 17, 2013 near Chelmsford, MA
A small field near the soccer field with some practice features.
Jul 8, 2020 near Chelmsford, MA
Heartbreak Ridge starts with a steep winding climb, shown here.
Jul 28, 2017 near Carlisle, MA

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