Bike magazine's 2009 Best technical Trail

Described by many as the East Coast's answer to Moab, this technical wonderland is rapidly becoming the best friend of Boston area bike shops. While the boulder-ridden maze of trails in the northern reaches of the Lynn Woods Reservation was once considered manageable on a 4-inch cross-country bike, in recent years it has gained a reputation as one of New England's most explosive minefields of drivetrain-devouring granite slabs, slick roots and rock infested runouts.

The main lines were formerly known as the Bow Ridge trail, but in recent years housing developments have encroached on the area north of Walden Pond (not to be confused with the pond immortalized by Henry David Thoreau, which is located west of here), making riding an out-and-back affair filled with sharp detours up and over granite boulders—leading many riders to choose full-face helmets, armor and bikes with at least 6 inches of travel. And more travel means more aggressive line choices—riders who previously carved lines around rocks are now riding straight over boulders and seeking drops and gaps. The terrain makes for a veritable playground, with drops ranging from 3 to 20 feet, gaps, wall rides and some blistering-fast downhills.

Though other sections of Lynn Woods south of Walden Pond are covered in XC trails and fire roads, the massive "Boneyard" mural best sums up the granite-filled battle zone to the north. Painted on the side of a cliff, the mural depicts hundreds of skulls and bones and carries the message: "Take the knowledge that you will someday be these bones and enjoy now all that is precious." The Lynn Woods Reservation—precious, indeed.