I Fucking Love Boston - @iFnLuvBos: Bike and Hike Blog - Martin Burns Wildlife Management Area (Newbury, MA)

I was heading south back towards Boston recently and on a whim I decided to explore the Martin Burns Wildlife Management Area. I had my bike in the back of my vehicle and was aware that an old trolley line coming out of Newburyport had been converted into a rail trail. The trail runs the length of the park and is very flat, very straight and unpaved. It’s an easy ride for just about anyone - bring your bike (or the whole family) to Newpburyport, enjoy a casual ride through the woods and then have lunch in town. Now that's a formula for a perfect New England fall day!

The hilly, rocky terrain throughout much of the park is scattered with poorly drained low areas that are seasonally wet. The landscape has ebbed and flowed with the times. Ancient rock walls meander in all directions; making ghosts out of the orchards and pastures that thrived here centuries ago. Much of the area was clear-cut and then became overgrown - which resulted in a devastating fire. A large portion of the park is in a stage of rehabilitation – “In 2007 land managers began an ambitious program to create young-forest habitat, rejuvenate old-field habitats that were being over-topped with trees, and suppress exotic invasive plants in favor of food-producing native shrubs.” All this effort has created a much healthier and vibrant landscape that keeps fields open and connected to woodland areas where species like the American Woodcock (aka the Timberdoodle…hehe) is making a comeback.

As for me, the average hiker/biker, I enjoyed all the different types of fauna that resulted from these efforts. I’ve been on many a hike in woodland areas that are beautiful and peaceful, but often repetitive in nature. I don't want to see the same stupid pines trees over and over on a hike - I want swamps, lakes, streams, views, fields and all. With all the variety that this park offers, it makes for a fine place to watch plants lurch towards their death as winter approaches...

Martin Burns Wildlife Management Area is not densely packed with trails that crisscross each other all over the terrain. The trails are rarely marked and some of them get real overgrown and swampy and then lead to nowhere. But it all makes for a colorful New England adventure…

One important thing to note – you will hear gunfire in the fall. There’s a shooting range on the grounds and pheasant hunting on Saturdays is popular in October and November. Wear orange if you can so you don't die.

I wouldn't recommend these 1555 acres to a hardcore mountain biker - there simply aren’t enough tricky trails to keep a technical rider happy. But it’s just fine for a casual ride…