Bike Rides Routes

Cape Ann Escape route: From the Gloucester commuter rail station, head toward the harbor and follow signs for Route 127. Bear right onto East Main Street. Take the cutoff to Rocky Neck Avenue, on the right. To get to the Eastern Point Lighthouse, turn left onto Eastern Point Boulevard and follow to Lighthouse Cove. From East Main Street, turn left onto Farrington Avenue, and left again onto Atlantic Road (Route 127A). Remain on 127A, which becomes Route 127 when you arrive in downtown Rockport. Follow signs for 127. The entrance to Halibut Point State Park is on your right. Stay on 127 back to the Gloucester commuter rail station.

Topsfield Tour route: From the Ipswich commuter rail station, turn left onto Topsfield Road and left onto Asbury Street. Bear right onto Highland Street, which becomes Arbor Street. Turn right onto Main Street (Route 1A), then an immediate right onto Cherry Street and a left onto Cedar Street. Turn right onto Topsfield Road (Route 97) and keep left onto Wenham Road. Bear right onto High Street, turn right onto Main Street, and left onto Haverhill Road (Route 97). Turn right onto Pond Street, right onto Boxford Street, and left onto Linebrook Road. Bear right onto High Street and turn right onto North Main Street. The road will change to Market Street and then Topsfield Road.

South Shore Exploration route: From the Nantasket Junction commuter rail station, pick up the sidewalk that runs along the tracks and turn left onto Kilby Street and then right onto Rockland Street. Turn left onto Nantasket Avenue (Route 228) and then right onto Atlantic Avenue. Follow past Cohasset Harbor and veer right on Margin Street. Make a left onto Elm Street and a left on Border Street. At the T junction, turn left onto Gannett Road and right on Hatherly Road. Follow through town and turn left onto Turner Road. Turn right at the stop sign and circle the peninsula until you reach Lighthouse Point. Turn right onto Jericho Road and left onto Beaver Dam Road. Veer left on Front Street, which becomes Kent Street, then New Kent Street, and finally Driftway. At the traffic circle, merge onto Old Oaken Bucket Road (not Route 123). Turn right onto Mount Blue Street, which takes you into Wompatuck State Park. Through the gates, veer right onto Union Street. Follow Union out of the park. Union will become Main Street in Hingham. Turn right onto North Street and right onto Summer Street, and then bear left onto George Washington Boulevard, which takes you into Hull and Nantasket Beach. To get back to the commuter rail station, take George Washington Boulevard and turn left onto Rockland Street and right onto Kilby Street.

Great Brook Farm Ramble route: From the Lincoln commuter rail station, turn left onto Lincoln Road and then right onto Codman Road. Turn right onto Concord Road (Route 126); Walden Pond is on your left. Cross Route 2 and turn right onto Heywood Avenue and left on Lexington Road in Concord. Turn right on Monument Street and cross the Old North Bridge and Concord Battleground. Turn left onto Bedford Road (Route 225) and right onto Maple Street. Take a left on East Street, a right at Rutland Street, and a left on North Road, which will take you to Great Brook Farm State Park and the dairy farm. Turn right onto Lowell Road and an immediate left onto Curve Street. Bear left onto Westford Street (Route 225), right onto Cross Street, right onto South Street (unmarked), and left onto West Street. Turn right onto Pope Road, left onto Strawberry Hill Road, and left onto Barrett’s Mill Road. Turn right on Lowell Road and follow back through Concord. Turn right onto Heywood Avenue, left onto Walden Street, left onto Codman Road, and left onto Lincoln Road.

Cranberry Country Adventure route: From the Plymouth commuter rail station follow signs for Route 3A and head south. Turn right onto Russell Street and right onto Summer Street. Fork left onto Billington Street, past a cranberry bog. Continue on the main road, which becomes more and more secluded, for about eight miles. When you enter Myles Standish State Forest, hang a sharp left onto Lower College Pond Road (unmarked). After a mile, fork left at the large triangular intersection, then go straight after the stop sign. Turn right onto Long Pond Road after two and a half miles, right onto Halfway Pond Road, and left onto Bourne Road. Turn left at Head of the Bay Road and left onto Bournedale Road. Make a sharp left on Herring Pond Road. Turn left onto Route 3A, and right onto Old Country Road. Turn right on Route 3A, and then right on Ellisville Road. Turn right on 3A again, and then right onto Center Hill Road. Make another right on 3A, a right onto Old Beach Road, and a left on Manomet Avenue. Turn left on Strand Avenue and right on Manomet Point Road. Turn left on Taylor Avenue, left on White Horse Road, and right on Rocky Hill Road. Turn right on Warren Avenue (Route 3A) and follow back to the commuter rail station.

Before setting out, consider purchasing a road map. Rubel BikeMaps, a Cambridge-based company, publishes regional bicycle maps that include recommended bicycle trails and roads for cycling, as well as locations of bicycle shops, bed-and-breakfast inns, swimming holes, and ice cream stands.

Bicycles can be rented from Landry’s Bicycles, 890 Commonwealth Ave., for $35 for the first day, $15 for each additional day (includes helmet and lock). Call 617-232-0446 for more information. Bicycle rentals are also available at Boston Ski Market, 860 Commonwealth Ave., for $25 a day (includes helmet and lock). Call 617-731-6100 for more information.

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Photos by Vicky Waltz.

Vicky Waltz can be reached at vwaltz@bu.edu.