Massasoit State Park Mountain Biking Trails

Massasoit State Park is located just a few minutes from route 495 in Taunton, Massachusetts. It's densely forested and has a lot of trails. Massasoit has one lake and three ponds. There is a campground with over 120 sites and a campers’ beach with a few parking spots. A playground was added near the end of park road and this area also has parking for a dozen or so cars. However, most people choose to park near the main entrance off Middleboro Ave. Please do not utilize the RV parking in this area. On busy weekends, it’s critical for the park to manage the RV check-in.

The park is well utilized by mountain bikers. It’s rare to go there and not see at least a few cars with bicycle racks parked in the lot. Local shops have held weekly rides there for years and Massasoit has seen more than a few mountain bike races. The park has a year-round park supervisor that is very supportive of mountain bikers. In 2018 the campground was re-opened and the swimming beach was added. Additionally, the dam near the campground was rebuilt. Many trails lead off of it. When you find yourself at the campground, take any paved road or paved campground road to your next destination.

Massasoit can be ridden all year long except when deep snow makes the trails impassable. There are over 24 miles of trails at Massasoit, including a few miles of dirt roads. Most rides end up being 8 – 12 miles in length and it’s easy to loop in a route. There are no long, extended climbs at Massasoit but many of the singletracks will have a number of short steep punchy climbs. These are made more difficult by loose soil, sand, rocks and exposed roots and are sure to make your heart rate climb. Most of the trails are not overly technical and many are rolling singletrack with tight corners. Although most trails are rated intermediate, expect to find a few difficult sections, mostly steep climbs, making short hike-a-bike sections not unusual. It will take a good rider at least a couple of days to thoroughly explore Massasoit.

Arguably, the most fun trail in the park is the one along the south side of Lake Rico aptly named Along Rico Lake Trail. This twisty turny singletrack will leave you smiling the entire trail. There is also a twisty, turny section of trail though a grove of tall white pines on the southern most section of the park called the Needles. Many a rider makes a wrong turn in this area but hammer what you can. And finally, the best way to finish any ride is to follow along the entire Adams Trail that runs parallel to the main road back to the HQ. All of these trails shouldn’t be missed.

Massasoit lies right on the line between the sandy gravely soil of the Cape Cod area and the more rocky earth of northern Plymouth and Bristol counties. As a result, the trails drain quickly, and the spring's mud season is very short. A good rule of thumb is, don’t ride here if you wouldn’t ride around on your lawn. The park supervisor takes mud season very seriously and will have a chat with you if you if he thinks you are damaging the trails.

Directions:
From Boston, Cape Cod or Worcester: Take Rte. 495 to Exit 5 in Middleborough and follow the signs to the state park.
From New Bedford, Fall River areas: Take Rte. 24 north to Route 44 Exit 13B and follow the signs to the state park.