[onajeep]

does anyone have a trail map for the trail of tears thas they could just post or email to me at [email protected]? That would be great because i unfortunatly dont have enough time to just get lost and find my own way through the trails. help would be appreciated, Jeff

 

[JRUSHE]

Forgive my ignorance but where exactly is this trail? Been hearing about it a lot lately...would like to check it out.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Bikerag.com

navigate around to Trail maps-massachusetts. Nice resource

 

[TrailGuru]

Here's a generic site's descrip: http://www.capecodbikeguide.com/tot.asp

 

[Wiz]

Trail of Tears: Map & Location

does anyone have a trail map for the trail of tears thas they could just post or email to me at [email protected]? That would be great because i unfortunatly dont have enough time to just get lost and find my own way through the trails. help would be appreciated, Jeff

Check out the Review Trails (here) section - good info; there are no real good maps of the layout, however no worries of getting lost for any long periods of time...there is a basic topo layout map at the Race Lane trailhead. From the North: Head South on Rt. 3 to the Cape and the Sagamore Bridge, Route 3 turns into Rt 6, Go to Exit 5 off of Rt6 (about 10 mins from bridge), take right off of ramp, follow to fork 1/10 mile, bare right onto Prospect St.(Rt 149), stay on road till get to old style rotary (by grass field airport) take right on Race Lane, go about 1.5 miles (past pond on left & pond on right) after top of rise start looking for "Barnstable Conservation" the Brown Sign on right. Good safe parking lot (you'll most likely drive by it first time) remember to be careful later when leaving the lot in your auto, the cars fly around the blind corner. Anyway, I ride here all the time and it is awesome roller coaster style XC trail. Not tech, but is a work out for sure.The whole thing runs just under 20 miles of single track, but you can pick and choose.

I ride solo mostly, but there are a few differant group rides, one for sure is Wed & Friday at 5Pm all year long (except this winter, Cape got 96" of the white, it was pretty tough riding for like 12 weeks. i rode New years & not really again until March

Hope this helps - it's worth the trip over the Bridge, just make sure you use common sense about traffic times and days during the Summer months, I'd hate to hear you screaming sitting in traffic on a Friday or Sunday afternoon. The place is empty Mon-Fri. see you out there.

 

[02Slayer]

Another lot closer to the highway

As soon as you get off Rt. 6, you'll hit 149 at the stop sign at the end of the offramp. If you hop on the service road right there which is lined up with the powelines you can see, there is a parking lot and trailhead about 50 yards from the highway. Go around the gate and down the dirt road about 100 feet and hop into the woods on a little trail to the left. That'll hook up with a nice loop that heads toward Sandwich if you bear right at the little intersection (it also crosses back under the powerlines for the majority of the trail) or go back towards the airport by going left. I like to head all the way down to Sandwich and then snake back.
I actually made the first GPS map of TOT for the Town of Barnstable about 10 years ago when it became clear that the local secret was out and it was going to be mapped anyway. ( I had a friend that worked at the town's GIS office, and he paid me to map out a bunch of the town's conservation areas. Not a bad side job that summer!) I grew up in Marstons Mills and used to head into the area by going down a dirt road I think is called Crooked Cartway, across from Old Mill Rd. on Race lane. Back then, the GPS unit was a large metal framed backpack full of electronics with an external antenea that I had to hold up while I was hiking. The top of the antenea had a dish/disk on the end of it about the size of an XL dinner plate. To think now you can slip a little cell phone sized unit in your pocket and be on your way. I was delayed many times on the hike when I lost the minimum # of satelite links and had to wait until I established a link. It took about 10 hours to loop all around. The last time I made it out there I found a few "new" trails, which I enjoyed a lot. Have fun and get ready to pedal - its not technical but it goes on as long as you care to keep pedaling. One good thing about TOT is the powerlines - you can always get back to the parking lot quick if you can find your way to the power lines. Have fun.

 

[JRUSHE]

good stuff man....thanks for the info!

 

[onajeep]

I live in sandwich

i live in sandwich and dont have my lisence yet so i have to ride. Its not far but i come to the crooked cartway entrance so u gotta ride a bit to get to the good trails.

 

[nebam]

Did y'all check out this link to the map??? Sweet.

http://www.capecodbikeguide.com/tot_map.asp

 

[nebam]

Oh, this is even better, in PDF format
http://www.town.barnstable.ma.us/tob02/Depts/RegulatoryServices/Conservation/TrailGuides/WBARN.PDF

 

[Wiz]

As soon as you get off Rt. 6, you'll hit 149 at the stop sign at the end of the offramp. If you hop on the service road right there which is lined up with the powelines you can see, there is a parking lot and trailhead about 50 yards from the highway. Go around the gate and down the dirt road about 100 feet and hop into the woods on a little trail to the left.

A closer place to start from Rt 6, yes, but a little tough for a newbee..it's like in the middle of the mapped loop (instant good riding, though). A lot of locals start here, it's I just can't stand that parking lot. I Hate: the highway feedback, the frigg'n dogsh*t, busted bottles, wet sh*trags, rubbers, stink'n smell & the powlines humming above. I used to start there...but after seeing so much glass on the ground (car windows?), I just drive a couple of miles further and use one of the several other trialheads. The Main, I mentioned is a nice place to start for the first timer, sure its flat for a mile or so, but hey, its sweet singletrack. For me at least, it's a nice place to gear up, warm up...then geardown & chill with a post brew. It's all about riding, for sure man, but that powerline parking lot makes me sick to think about what pigs humans can be. Last year, the illegal dumpings were gross!

I actually made the first GPS map of TOT for the Town of Barnstable about 10 years ago when it became clear that the local secret was out and it was going to be mapped anyway... It took about 10 hours to loop all around.

That is very cool!

One good thing about TOT is the powerlines - you can always get back to the parking lot quick if you can find your way to the power lines. Have fun.

[/COLOR]

And plenty of Cape Cod sand to bring home!

A lot of people have helped with keeping this place cool... thanks to Slayer and many many others - There is a good vibe in those woods!

 

[02Slayer]

You are right about that powerline lot

[/COLOR]

And plenty of Cape Cod sand to bring home!

A lot of people have helped with keeping this place cool... thanks to Slayer and many many others - There is a good vibe in those woods!

I definitely agree with you on the lot, it really is a sad commentary on what takes place a bit off the beaten path. My wife and I were disgusted with some of that stuff we saw. Just thought I'd throw in a quick option but the traihead you suggested is a nice place to head in. That's very close to where I grew up and my parents still live in town. We used to ride our BMX bikes out there about 20 years ago! I never made it through all the trails back then, so re-exploring it after college on a mountain bike was a blast from past for me. Now my wife and I ride there occasionally when we come down to the Cape to visit family and friends. We really enjoy riding there. There is also a great NEMBAfest event there in the late summer held at Camp Lyndon in Sandwich. We went last summer and wound up meeting some guys from Long Island that were really cool and we rode an 18 mile loop with them. They have since come up to Gloucester (where I currently live for a while) and we took them out up there. We have plans to ride with them down on Long Island on the 4th of July weekend. There is a good vibe out there, enjoy it.

 

[sctrix1]

Mass. Border?

Looking for trails close to the Ny Mass Border. Any ideas?
TRIX

 

[Talisman]

You should review the trails at Bikerage.com.

 

[Al the repo man]

howdy folks al, a local yokal from sandwich just came off the trail, good 5hr ride around out there at the trail of tears just my only thing is being really involved in search and rescue, the trails really arent marked all that well i know there is red and green but somebody who doesnt have a good sense to them and could have a little bit of a situation out there. but really was a fun ride.
al

 

[newmarketrog]

ya, i grew up on the cape and have put thousands of miles in out in those woods. if ya do the whole loop including otis atwood with out ever doubling over anything and no fire roads it's close to 22 miles. add the stuff in sandwich old and new and ya got a killer 35+ mile ride that most fit folks couldn't finish. i used to organize the cape nembafest when i lived there and cut/marked many of the trails over the years. great riding all over the cape from end to end. i hope to bring back my new years cape cod off road 50 miler which starts at tot and connects town trails to lowell holly/ryder conservation areas to crane wildlife to otis to bourne town forest to canal to green briar conservation land to sandwich trails and back to tot. a good 75+ miler is adding in all of the yarmouth stuff as well. the 50 miler is a great one and will be suited for riders that are fit and who don't, "take the winter off", from riding. i'll post it here if i can make it happen.
rog

 

[jab1362]

I'm in sandwich, are you the one who cut the trails on the other side of Great Hill Road?
If you do the ride let me know, I ride a 29er SS there all the time. You guys did a great job on the trails.

 

[newmarketrog]

I'm in sandwich, are you the one who cut the trails on the other side of Great Hill Road?
If you do the ride let me know, I ride a 29er SS there all the time. You guys did a great job on the trails.

i am the one, i must confess, with the help of some others here and there. i too have ridden 1 speed 29er in there for 5 years, killer workout in there. i've brought lots of friends in there that came out enemies. people have trouble with many trails in there cuz it's relentless. all of the climbs that switch back and forth from the lowest points to the highest points are of my design. glad you like it.
i'll post the 50 miler for sure and i'll post of any longer rides i do down there. i also ride nickerson in brewster, by far the most beautiful and interesting riding on the cape imho. theres a winter loop we do in there that's close to 20 miles, almost all singletrack. a few of us are doing a good ride at harold parker on sunday at 9am and i may be on the cape riding on monday.
rog
rog

 

[Wiz]

i may be on the cape riding on monday.rog rog

Ya you ride all winter, cause your commuting via that IF 29er thing; when your not bagging 75+ BC ski days. :rockon:
I'll be in touch when the Notch fills up w/the white stuff, i can at least take the lead at that sport...once in a while...:ciappa:
Due to the (new) cooler temps, I'm getting off this yellow thing & back to work'n for my fun. Took a 6 week hiatus from MTB'n since that Oregon guy handed it off to me...that SoB just wants my beer belly to expand.

 

[newmarketrog]

is that chris? ya, snowin already up north. sunday river opens up tomorrow, i may head up in the a.m. should be good spring conditions as it's gonna be in the 50's. just got outta the water from a super fun surf session at the wall. nice clean waves, only a couple of folks out and 33 degree air temp-perfect. been ridin a butt load as well. how you been?
we'll make some turns for sure. sell that crotch rocket, it'll slow ya down!
rog