Reviewed by: Alex , from Glastonbury

Summary:
advanced riding, but still really fun. tons of trails. i ride there so much and it doesn't get boring. by the time you ride all the trails, you can start over and ride them all again and it is still fun. Not very crowded, unlike birch and case, and i really like it like that.

Recommended Route:
Go up to insane asylum, but beware, there are really weird people that go up there. Go down red trail from there - bikerag.com for topo maps.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Birch Mounatain

Reviewed by: pm , from ct

Summary:
This is a huge area with over 25 miles of riding im sure. Large loops of singletrack, with great rock obstacles, rock gardens, long downhills. ONe of my favorite rides.

Recommended Route:
The goat trail (red), trail from the green gate up through wastlands, yellow, new white - see bikerag.com
for topo map and recomended routes

Other recommended trails in the same area:
middlesex

Reviewed by: Sean , from East Hampton

Summary:
I found all this back in my dirt-bike days. There's TONS of stuff in the State Forest- and as mentioned before, don't hang around after dark. Very Blair Witch...
The abadoned mining thing is really wide and open- lots of cool jumps and stuff. I usually end up in my Jeep out there. There are also 2 old Nike missle sites from the cold war days that are pretty fun.
Another good spot is Great Hill. Enter Meshomasic from Clark Hill Rd. in East Hampton, then park at the blue-blazed trail crossing. Go left onto the blue trail and stay on it! At the end is an AWESOME overlook- you can see past Hurd and past Meriden in the same view.
IF you are feeling hardcore, the blue trail keeps going down a hill for about a mile before ending on a dirt road in Cobalt.
The nike missle sites start the same way- go up Clark Hill rd in E. Hampton. Keep going until you reach a T in the road, go left. Keep going to the next T (it's a haul), turn left and go up hill. At the top, there's a yellow gate on the left. Go see for yourself!
To get to the other site, go the same way, but at the second T keep goin straight. Then take a left at the next T and go to the top of the hill. Big yellow gate on left, adventure.

Recommended Route:
Start at Exit off Route 2 (as mentioned before), park in lot and go through gate, go down trail and find tube under highway, go straight through trailhead-type-area, turn left and go up road through blown open metal gate, and your in abandoned mining operation.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Meshomasic is huge. In my Jeep I have covered huge expanses of land there. There's too many good areas and roads to take- just go and start somewhere!!!

Reviewed by: Kevin , from Glastonbury, CT

Summary:
my favorite ride. borrowing from mad river glen's slogons "if you are learning to ski, dont do it here" and "ski it if you can" the same can be said about the mountain biking and meshomasic state forest. Can be very technical and easy to get lost. I have been riding there for over ten years and i still can get lost. If you have any thoughts about going any where else, please do.... Not many people go to the forest and selfishly i would like to keep it that way.. If you have to ask stick with Case/Birch Mt and the West Hartford Res.

Recommended Route:
numerous- difficult to describe routes

Other recommended trails in the same area:
case/birch mountain-

Reviewed by: Lope , from Westchester

Summary:
This place is huge with excellent riding. Plenty of uphills and downs, both technical. The clown face trail is a great descent with lots of rocks and a few big drops. The newly cut silver trail is a bit unpolished but has great potential. Tons of rocks!!! Very tough to stay on your pedals. Lots of trails here - can ride for hours. Will definately re-visit. Compares but not equal to Case and Nepaug.

Recommended Route:
Park on left just past powerlines on Clark Hill Road.
Take yellow trail up hill till woods rd. jct. Cross woods road and stay on yellow. After short climb to clearing their is a decent descent to "insane asylum". This was actually the headquaters for a military operation during the cold war that was responsible for commanding the missle bunkers to the west, protecting Pratt and Whitney and the sub base. But I digress.
From there stay on yellow, what I believe is the clown face trail. Continue on yellow until 4 - way woods road intersection. Look for newly cut silver trail. Then loop back.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Case Nepaug West Hartford Westwoods