Favorite roads west of Rt. 1. All routes begin and end at North Reading Middle School (next to high school), parking lot adjacent to tennis courts -- far rear corner. Short route visits Middleton and Boxford. Medium route continues to Georgetown. Long route crosses the Merrimack River in West Newbury and re-crosses from Amesbury to Newburyport.
The short route is a beautiful loop over to Thunder Bridge, a small swimming hole on the Ipswich river that is popular with the adventure seeking, bridge jumping, crowd. There is a short (.8 mi) section of packed dirt/gravel road, starting at mile 11.3, on N. Liberty St. where slower speeds are advised. The medium and long routes continue north to Georgetown where the medium route splits from the long to continue on North St., to Jewett/Jackman St. in east Georgetown where the long route rejoins for the trip back to Thunder Bridge At the bridge, the medium and long rides merge with the short ride for the return to N. Reading. Crossing Boxford: The medium and long routes outbound cross Boxford straight across for approx 1.5 mi from the right turn onto Dale St. (mile 13.1) using Dale St / Ipswich Rd until you must turn left on Highland Rd. The long route after splitting from the medium ride in Georgetown, heads north to cross the Merrimack River over the Rocks Village Bridge in West Newbury. In Merrimac, Amesbury, the ride parallels the Merrimack River to the "Chain Bridge" and back through Newburyport to Byfield and Georgetown where it remerges with the medium route.
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