The Cirque
- 0.4 mi
- round trip
- 228 ft
- climb
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Oct
- best months
The Cirque is a short, moderate mountain biking route in western Massachusetts, about 3.5 miles from South Williamstown. It is an out-and-back ride of roughly 0.86 miles, with a total climb of 228 feet from a low point of 1,579 feet to a high of 1,730 feet. The steepest stretch comes early, at about 0.16 miles from the start, where the grade reaches 18 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Pownal, Vermont, show July highs around 81°F with lows near 57°F, and September still runs in the low 70s by day. That station sits about 620 feet lower than the route's high point, so temperatures on the climb run cooler. Several other mountain biking routes lie close by. Green Wave is about 0.2 miles away, and the POC Trail and Learning Curves are each about 0.3 miles off. For a change of pace, the Shepherds Well Trail is about 1.3 miles away.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit The Cirque
Best months: April–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.
Jan
31° / 12°
Feb
33° / 13°
Mar
42° / 22°
Apr
56° / 33°
May
68° / 43°
Jun
75° / 52°
Jul
81° / 57°
Aug
78° / 55°
Sep
72° / 49°
Oct
59° / 39°
Nov
47° / 29°
Dec
36° / 20°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pownal 1 Ne, VT, 6.6 mi away at 1,110 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive
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Green Wave
Next door
0.11-mile easy singletrack in Massachusetts with 70 ft of elevation gain.
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Learning Curves
Next door
0.86-mile hard out-and-back trail in Massachusetts with 577 ft elevation gain.
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Trail C
~19 min drive
0.71-mile expert singletrack in Massachusetts with 169 ft elevation gain.
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Hops & Vines
~20 min drive
Moderate
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Pine Valley
~30 min drive
2.12-mile out-and-back trail in Vermont with 230 ft of elevation gain.
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Green Wave
Next door
0.59-mile easy singletrack loop in Massachusetts with 263 ft elevation gain.
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Dome Trail
~9 min drive
1.67-mile out-and-back singletrack in Massachusetts with 1,153 ft gain
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Trail D
~19 min drive
0.18-mile expert singletrack in Massachusetts rated double black diamond.
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Hops & Vines
~20 min drive
0.91-mile out-and-back trail in Massachusetts with 113 ft of elevation gain.
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Red Mill Access
~31 min drive
1.30-mile out-and-back trail in Vermont with 101 ft of elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
