car-free access to Middlesex Fells?

[elusiveat]

Anyone been up that way by bicycle?

My usual access point is to bike to the parking long near Wrights Tower, but I imagine that would be one of the more crowded areas. Wondering if there are other Somerville-bike-accessible points that folks have explored.

Comments

[gingicat]

I'm curious as well.

[ron_newman]

Easy. From Davis Square, take College Avenue to the end. Right on George Street in Medford, left on Main Street, straight *through* Medford Square onto Forest Street (bikes can do this, cars can't). Through the rotary at the end of Forest Street onto Fellsway West (Route 28). Once you get past Elm Street in Medford, Route 28 is closed to car traffic on weekends, and is a great place to bike or walk.

[kent37]

I have occasionally ridden up Mystic Valley Parkway to Winchester and into the Fells from there. The trails in that part of the park are more challenging than the ones near Wrights Tower.

[beinneighe]

I was curious too, so I asked our neighborhood discord and got this advice:

> You could park over by Medford High School
> There is a section of the fells that falls on the other side of South border road
> Lots of walking paths through the woods, albeit through less hilly terrain

> A few of the trails do reach South border road, so you can cross it (carefully!) To get to the main section
> Alternatively, there are scattered entrances along south border road the further northwest you go;
> however, I'm not sure how easy it is to secure a bike at them

[bikingandbaking]

And to get there from Davis by bike: up College Ave, left on Boston Ave, right on Harvard, when it dead-ends in West Medford, turn right, cross the tracks and immediate hard left on Playstead. When that runs into Winthrop, there's an entrance to the Lawrence Woods (the Fells south of S. Border Road) straight ahead. (Or if you hate Powderhouse, get down to Mass ave (either bike path or streets), take Mass Ave up into Arlington, right on Bates, which turns into Harvard, follow previous directions.)

There's a bunch of construction on Winthrop St, although you can still bike along it, it's just more of a pain -- the high school and several other entrances to the woods are along there, turn right from Playstead if you want to get there. There's a nice sign showing a blazed one-mile walking path through the woods behind the high school. This is about three miles from Davis Square.

There's definitely bike racks at the park along Playstead, a half-mile or so before you hit the Fells entrance. And I'm sure there's some at the high school. (I bike around this neighborhood because I live there, but I can walk into the woods so have never actually looked at the bike parking options.)

If you want the other side of south border road, I'm again not sure where to lock a bike, but follow previous directions, but turn left on Winthrop, right on Highland and climb. The intersection with the light is South Border Road -- you can turn and go to one of the lots, or you can continue climbing and turn right on Hillcrest Parkway, which has gotten a bit crazy with people trying to use the limited street parking to get into the Fells at times, but has several entrances.

[3rdragon]

We went to the section by Medford High School in mid-March, and there were people but it wasn't crowded. The weather is much nicer now, though, and people have been stuck inside a lot longer.

[fredrikegerman]

I'd suggest an alternative route of Ram's Head Road to the lower fells; the paths continue to several of the parking areas of the western fells along south border road. But you can do quite a bit of hiking / biking / running before you even reach South Border Road. This is the area south of south border road, between Medford High School and the hospital.

[ron_newman]

One thing to be aware of if you ride to the Fells: Pond Street, from Fellsway (Route 28) to Woodland Road in Stoneham, is under reconstruction. This is the road that goes by the Stone Zoo entrance.

The paved surface has been removed, and the roadway is grooved (milled). It's rideable, but not the most pleasant experience.