Massachusetts · Mountain biking

Secondary Trail (orange) esker ridge

0.2 mi
round trip
30 ft
climb
Singletrack
surface
Out and back
route
Jun–Oct
best months

Secondary Trail (orange) esker ridge is a short, moderate mountain biking route in Bedford, Massachusetts, about a mile from the town center. The trail is an out-and-back that runs along an esker ridge, with a low point of 137 feet and a high of 171 feet. The climb is gentle, with a total gain of 30 feet over a 0.34-mile round trip, and the steepest stretch comes early, at about 5% grade. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bedford show May highs around 70°F and September highs around 74°F, while winter brings regular snow days from December through February. Milk Crate, another mountain biking spot, is less than a mile away. The Circuit Trail Bedford (Inner) and the Burlington Landlocked Forest Yellow Loop are both within about a mile and a half, and the Foundation Boulder climbing area is about 1.8 miles off.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit Secondary Trail (orange) esker ridge

    Best months: June–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      36° / 18°

      13 wet · 8 snow

    2. Feb

      39° / 19°

      11 wet · 7 snow

    3. Mar

      47° / 27°

      13 wet · 6 snow

    4. Apr

      59° / 36°

      13 wet · 2 snow

    5. May

      70° / 46°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      78° / 55°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      84° / 61°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      82° / 60°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      74° / 52°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      62° / 40°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      51° / 31°

      12 wet · 2 snow

    12. Dec

      41° / 23°

      13 wet · 6 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bedford, MA, 1.5 mi away at 160 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive

Bay Circuit TrailPhoto: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bay Circuit Trail

~15 min drive

0.10-mile easy singletrack out and back in Massachusetts with 5 ft gain.

RIDE

Milk Crate

~1 min drive

Hard out and back trail in Massachusetts, 0.72 miles, 64 ft gain.

RIDE

Old Manse Trail

~9 min drive

0.25-mile out-and-back singletrack in Massachusetts with 45 ft gain.

Bay Circuit TrailPhoto: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bay Circuit Trail

~16 min drive

0.38-mile easy singletrack out-and-back with 28 ft gain in Massachusetts

RIDE

Rt 3 Overlook

~11 min drive

Hard singletrack trail in Massachusetts, 0.22 miles, 14 ft gain.

RIDE

Yellow Rabbit

~10 min drive

0.68-mile out-and-back singletrack in Massachusetts with 77 ft of elevation gain.

Bay Circuit TrailPhoto: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bay Circuit Trail

~18 min drive

0.25-mile easy singletrack in Massachusetts with 30 ft of elevation gain.

RIDE

Wicked Roll

~22 min drive

0.11-mile out and back singletrack in Massachusetts rated black diamond difficulty.

RIDE

Root Ball

~21 min drive

0.28-mile moderate singletrack out-and-back with 28 ft gain in Massachusetts

Mass Central Rail TrailPhoto: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mass Central Rail Trail

~23 min drive

3.13-mile easy rail trail in Massachusetts with 223 ft of elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors