Freetown/Fall River State Forest

What an awful, awful, awful place to even contemplate mountain biking. Before I launch into my tirade, I'd like to reference a ride I did here back in 2011. Back then, I gave this place a rather scathing review and unfortunately, my opinion hasn't changed since then. It's only grown worse.

On an outrageously hot day, I decided to give this place another shot. Bad idea.

The trails are nothing more than gutters filled with rocks. Once you get out of the saddle, it's almost impossible to get enough momentum to push forward again. At slow speeds, the rocks just bounce you back. At fast speeds, they buck you off. I imagine a full suspension rig might help slightly, but honestly it's probably not worth it. The trails are just so rocky that they're nearly impossible to even ride. Freetown Fall River State Forest will make you give up biking.

To add insult to injury, there are virtually no trail markers. The few that are visible give you a sense of why this place is so awful. Seriously, who names a trail 'Bent Rim?' Even better, why did I ride down there? The rocks on the trails are punishing and relentless. There's no break between them to spin out your legs and catch your breath. Nothing on the DCR map even slightly indicates how difficult these trails are. Freetown/Fall River State Forest is an awful place where hopes and dreams are shattered.

Now let's talk about the awful condition of these 'trails.' I must have passed about 100 spent shotgun shells during my ride. There are countless wrappers, cans, bottles, paper, etc. permeating the woods and trails. It doesn't appear like anyone maintains the forest itself. Then, there is an incredible amount of dead fall on the main trails. These aren't just little branches blown down by a storm either. These are massive tress blocking any progress on the trails--one right after the other. Freetown/Fall River State Forest will cut you down like a dead tree.

The only slightly redeemable aspect of this ride are the trails in the Bioserve to the south. They meander along some scenic wetland which were very dry because of the recent drought. This made it easier for me to navigate on the bike. These trails crossed along Blossom Road in Fall River, just below the intersection of Wilson and Bell Rock Roads. Other than that, my experience in the Freetown/Fall River State Forest was torturous at best.