I’m a city boy now, or at least I’m a country boy who lives in the city. I grew up riding my bike over dirt trails, up impossibly steep inclines, and through tangled thickets unfit for two-wheeled travel. Recently, however, bike riding is done on side streets where I can encounter the least motorized traffic.

Not too long ago, my friend Rick told me about the bike trail not too terribly far from our house. My first reaction was to openly mock my friend for several reasons.

1) The absurdity of getting into his car and driving 15 minutes to ride his bike
2) The goofy looking contraption attached to the back of his car to transport his bicycle to the trail
3) I’m just that kind of friend who enjoys mocking his other friends
4) The very notion of riding a mountain bike 200 miles from the nearest lump that could possibly be considered a mountain

After some gruff talk questioning my manhood, Rick convinced me to give it a try. And it… was… fantastic! I had no idea this kind of trail existed in the heart of Florida. It turns out, they’re all over, if you just know to look.

DeSoto trail is terrific. There are nice, flat, paved trails for beginners, which is about what I expected. But there are also trails that require borderline masochism to ride. Steep inclines, followed quickly by equally steep drop-offs pepper the course. Roots jut out at unsafe angles here and there. The whole trail is a circle, or more accurately, it starts and ends at the same place. To call the circuitous, meandering five mile path a circle would be a grave insult to my 9th grade geometry teacher.

The moral of the story is that outdoor adventure is never that far away, the fear of injury is an inherent part of the joy of mountain biking, and that I can still mock Rick for the goofy bicycle carrier permanently affixed to the back of his Taurus station wagon.

Quiz: What trail is eleven miles long, nearly flat, and perfect for pedestrians, bicyclists, inline skaters, wheelchairs, and cross-country skiers alike? Hint: It passes through the towns of Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable (all in Massachusetts). Answer: You guessed it, the Nashua River Rail Trail. (Okay, maybe having the answer as the article title made that a bit too obvious.)

In the late 1800s and early 1900s many railroads were constructed to connect cities around Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Nashua River Rail Trail was once the Hollis branch of the Boston and Maine Corporation railroad. Probably due to the rise in automobiles, many of these plans were abandoned, and many of the lines that were completed stopped running. The Hollis branch saw its last run in 1982 and was purchased by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in 1987. Mass Highway worked to convert the track to a 10-foot wide paved surface that officially opened as the Nashua River Rail Trail on October 25, 2002.

This trail is really perfect for a leisurely ride or stroll because it is incredibly flat due to the requirements of the trains that formerly passed through. No motor vehicles are allowed, thus the atmosphere is generally quiet or bubbling with casual conversations. Because the trail is wide, those looking to ride quickly can do so without endangering other travelers.  From Dunstable to the Groton Center there is an additional five-foot-wide gravel equestrian path.

The official access points to the trail are Ayer Center, Groton Center, Groton Sand Hill Road, and Dunstable (which is right on the border of Hollis, New Hampshire). It can feel quite accomplishing to travel it end to end, and you can reward yourself by stopping for some ice cream in Pepperell. The trail offers many scenic overlooks and rest stops. The foliage season is around the corner, and this is a particularly wonderful time to appreciate the landscape that the Rail Trail has to offer. This trail is great for groups of family or friends but equally satisfying for any individual. For a pleasant afternoon outdoors, the Nashua River Rail Trail is the perfect solution.