Location

Hartford Street, Medfield MA

              781-784-0567

 

Rocky Woods

 

Difficulty--

Easy:30%, Moderate:50%, Difficult:9%, Caution:1%

Description

The Rocky Woods Reservation is located just a few miles from route 128 in Medfield Massachusetts. Directly across the street is Fork Factory Brook. (See below.)

Rocky Woods is a Trustees of Reservations property. At 491 acres it quite large and hosts well over six miles of rolling woodland trails. There are very few singletracks in Rocky Woods. Most of its trails are well maintained jeep roads that climb and descend a couple of hills. Riding here is a non-technical experience. Perfect for a workout especially if you like to climb hills. The Loop Trail which starts right at the parking lot is a good introduction to the reservation as it's mostly flat. It would be perfect trail for families with young kids on singlespeed bikes.

It will only take you a short ride to realize why the place is named Rocky Woods. You'll never see so many so many rock outcroppings in one place. Bring a camera. On one ride here I saw deer, turkey and a flock of ducks in one of the many ponds. One of the ponds, Echo Pond, is crossed by a boardwalk. While Chickering Pond has a nice picnic area. There is no swimming in any of Rocky's ponds.

Rocky Woods is a very pleasant place to ride. Not technical, but a workout. Remember those hills. I enjoy riding here, but for an entirely different experience cross Hartford Street and ride at Fork Factory Brook.

Fork Factory Brook

 

Difficulty--

Easy:25%, Moderate:60%, Difficult:15%, Caution:4%

Fork Factory Brook is much smaller, only 135 acres. However, it's completely different from Rocky Woods. It contains about 2.5 miles of trails but they're all tight twisty singletracks. Fork Factory's trails are fun to ride in both directions. The contrast between the two areas is startling. And for a complete day's riding I'd recommend doing both.

Fork Factory Brook's singletracks edge aroundf a hayfield on Long Acre farm and then dive into the woods for a trip to the site of an old mill. The singletracks wind around, rarely going for more than a few yards without a twist or a turn and some are quite tight. IE: Your shoulders will come in contact with a lot of brush as the surrounding woods are encroaching onto a number of the trails. This makes for a completely different experience than the wide open hilly trails in Rocky Woods.

        TTOR Website

Directions

From the north or south: Take Route 95 to exit 16B and follow route 109 1.6 miles. Turn right on Hartford Street and follow it for 3.6 miles.  The parking area for Rocky Woods and Fork Factory Brook will be on your right.

 

There is a $3.00 parking fee on Sundays. (Free for TTOR members.) But parking is free during the week.

 

Mountain Biking is permitted from May 1 to February 28. The trails are closed to bikes from March 1 to April 30th due to muddy conditions.  They are also closed to bikes in the winter when the snow is deep enough for cross country skiing

Nearby NEMBA Shops & Links         Bike Barn      Bicycle Link     Dave's Bike Infirmary      Wheelworks      Landry's      EMS    The Bikeway Source    SEMASS NEMBA      BV NEMBA   Greater Boston NEMBA

Cautions

Be careful when you're near the parking area.You'll see lots of Kids and dogs. And they are very curious. Also, yield to equestrians when you see them.