Orange sits in the north of central Massachusetts, in the quiet country of the North Quabbin, where the Millers River runs through a valley of mill buildings, farms and low forested hills. It is a modest town of about four thousand people, with a small main street, a skydiving school at its airport and a long industrial history, and Athol, a slightly larger neighbour of about eight thousand, lies a short ride to the west. For a rider it is a handy place to start a ride, with fuel, coffee and supplies close at hand.
The town lies on Route 2, the Mohawk Trail, a historic road across the northern Berkshires that was one of the first scenic highways in New England. East of Orange, it runs as a fast, modern road; west of here, it climbs into hill country, with long bends, forest views and some tight hairpins in the Berkshires. Traffic can be heavy at weekends, particularly in October, when thousands of visitors come to see the autumn colour, so aim for early mornings or weekdays. The side roads south, toward the Quabbin Reservoir, are quiet, narrow and winding, with frost heaves and patched asphalt, and give a very different, more intimate ride through forest and farmland.
The region's story is bound up with water and mills. In the nineteenth century, the Millers River powered paper mills and factories, and Orange became known for manufacturing, including sewing machines. The biggest event in the region's recent history, however, was the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir in the 1930s and 1940s, when four towns were flooded to supply drinking water to Boston, a heartbreaking loss for the families who were moved. The reservoir, one of the largest in the country, is now surrounded by protected forest that has turned into one of the wildest places in southern New England, and a visitor can walk the roads that once led to the drowned villages.
Nature here is serene. The forest holds bald eagles, which were reintroduced to the Quabbin in the 1980s and now nest around the shore, as well as moose, bobcats, deer and wild turkeys, which stroll across the roads. In autumn, the hills blaze with red and orange maples, and the air smells of leaf mould and woodsmoke. In winter, the area is cold, with ice and snow, and the rural roads can be treacherous.
Fuel is available in Orange and Athol. Bring a warm layer even in summer, as evenings in the hills are cool, and keep an eye out for deer and wild turkeys on the road at dusk.