MASSACHUSETTS - Central

More than 4,000 acres offer visitors swimming, canoeing, and fishing areas. Trails for hiking and cross-country skiing are available. There is a public campground with 150 campsites. There is a swimming beach on Lake Dennison. The campground office hours are 10 a.m.–10 p.m. The regular camping season is from late May to early September. Beach is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Leominster State Forest is a 4,300-acre parcel of forested off of Route 2 (exit 28), and convenient from Boston and Worcester. Parking is available along Route 31. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, parking fees are charged in the paved lots. The forest offers recreational opportunities year round, ranging from mountain biking and swimming in the summer to cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter.
The trails at Leominster State Forest offer a wide variety of terrains. For hikers, The Midstate Trail, a 95-mile long-distance trail that runs from Rhode Island to the New Hampshire border, passes through the western edge of the park. A popular day hike along the Midstate Trail begins at Redemption Rock on Route 140 in Princeton and heads north over a scenic ridgeline which includes Crow Hill Ledges.
The terrain available to mountain bikers ranges from rolling unpaved fire roads to multi-use trails. Hiking trails are off limits to bikers. There is rock climbing at Crow Hill Ledges. Permits are required (no fee) and are available at the park headquarters between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The swimming beach at Crow Hill Pond is located next to two picnic areas with picnic tables, grills, and a modern bathhouse. Lifeguards are on duty from mid-June until Labor Day. All other ponds in the park are off limits to swimming. Kayakers, canoeists and fishing enthusiasts enjoy using Paradise Pond. Several put-ins are available. Crow Hill Pond (swimming beach side) is stocked with trout. Hunting is also allowed in the park. Winter recreation includes cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and snowmobiling. Snow mobiling is limited to the unpaved roads and the multi use trails. There is no camping at Leominster State Forest.

1 Sawmill Road Paxton MA Moore was the site of grist and saw mills from 1747 through the early part of this century. What remains today is stone mill foundations, a restored sawmill, and mountains of glorious rhododendrons, azaleas and mountain laurel. Turkey Hill Brook, dropping 90 feet in less than a quarter mile, was a good mill site, and as many as five separate mills may have been built here. The remnants of the mill-village at Moore give a glimpse of the old rural manufacturing economy.
Recreational opportunities: Canoeing, fishing, hiking, historic site, hunting (restrictions), interpretive program, scenic viewing area, skiing (cross-country), walking trails.

Otter River State Forest is a popular camping and day-use facility in north central Massachusetts. Its developed facilities are centered on Beaman Pond and include 85 campsites, a swimming beach, ball field and picnic areas. Yurt camping is also available. Camping season is mid-May through mid-October. Campground office hours at 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Swimming is permitted from 10am to 8pm at designated buoy areas only.

A unique natural landmark, Purgatory Chasm runs for a quarter of a mile between granite walls rising as high as 70 feet. Popular with picnickers and rock-climbers alike, the Chasm is believed to have its origin in the sudden release of dammed-up glacial meltwater near the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 14,000 years ago. Trails lead to a wide variety of rock formations, with such romantic names as The Corn Crib, The Coffin, The Pulpit, Lovers' Leap and Fat Man's Misery. Recreational uses: walking, hiking, picnicking, hunting, accessible restrooms.

Quabbin Reservoir is one of the largest man-made public water supplies in the United States. Created in the 1930s by the construction of two huge earthen dams, the reservoir is fed by the Swift River and the Ware River. The New Salem and Enfield lookouts offer magnificent views of the reservoir. The Quabbin Interpretive Services Program operates the Quabbin Visitor Center and provides general information. An automated telephone system - 413 323-7221 - provides 24 hour access to current information on fishing, hunting, programs, rules and regulations, and public access. Since this is a public drinking water supply, swimming, wading, and dogs are prohibited. Permitted uses are shoreline fishing, hiking, bicycling walking, bird watching, snowshoeing, hunting, with restrictions, and picnicking. Information: www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/quabbin.htm

Spencer State Forest, a 965-acre area, provides swimming and picnicking facilities on Howe Pond. Other activities offered at Spencer include fishing, canoeing, hiking, Nordic skiing and snowmobiling. The Midstate Trail, a long-distance hiking trail that extends through central Massachusetts to Mount Watatic in the north, runs close to the park. Recreational opportunities: Canoeing, fishing, hiking, historic site, horseback riding trails, hunting (restrictions), picnicking, scenic viewing area, skiing (cross-country), swimming, walking trails.

This accessible area has a 100-car parking area and offers fishing, swimming and picnicking on 400-acre East Brimfield Reservoir. Boating access is from ramps located on US Army Corps of Engineers-maintained ramps on Route 20.

This 2660-cre forest offers visitors a natural diversity of flora and fauna. The focal point of the forest is located at 205 Westboro Road in Upton, where visitor parking, the main trail head and park information is available. This is a carry-carry-out facility. While the forest is unstaffed, it is open to the public year-round at no charge. Trail users can enjoy hiking, casual walking, horse back riding, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling. Off Highway Vehicles (OHV’s) are prohibited.
Recreational opportunities: hiking, horseback riding trails, hunting (restrictions), mountain biking, skiing (cross-country), walking trails.

Rising above the forest to a height of 2006 feet, Mount Wachusett stands as a unique landmark within the central New England landscape. From the summit, a clear day reveals views of Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire, the Berkshires to the west, and the Boston skyline to the east. The 3,000-acre Wachusett Mountain State Reservation surrounds the summit and offers a wealth of natural and recreational resources. Recreational activities at the reservation including hiking, nature study, hawk watching, picnicking, skiing, and hunting. The reservation offers 17 miles of hiking and walking trails.
Wachusett Mountain is part of an extensive greenway area, including Leominster State Forest, Massachusetts Audubon's Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary and Minns Wildlife Sanctuary. It is also the location of the largest known area of Old Growth Forest east of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts, with trees dating over 350 years old. Evidence of the glacial activity which shaped the mountain can be seen at Balance Rock. The mountain access road is open to personal vehicles from Memorial Day through the last Sunday in October. Operating hours for the roadway during this season are 9 a.m. till sunset daily.

This 1,470-acre park features hiking and cross-country ski trails, in addition to picnic areas. A visitors center offers park information and rest facilities.

This park consists almost entirely of water: the 592-acre Whitehall Reservoir. The area offers boating, fishing, a public boat ramp, and hiking trails. Watercraft speed limit is 12 MPH. Personal watercraft (includes Jet Ski/Wave Runners) are prohibited. Please remove aquatic vegetation from boats, engines and trailers before entering and exiting the lake. Please no waterskiing, boarding or tubing. Snowmobiles may be used for ice fishing during day light hours.

Bordering both Connecticut and Rhode Island, this popular 5,907-acre state forest offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Visitors can enjoy swimming, boating and fishing at Wallum Lake and hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling on miles of woodland trails. Facilities include two pavilions, boat ramp, swimming beach, picnic area and restrooms.
The Midstate Trail, a long-distance hiking trail that extends through central Massachusetts to Mount Watatic in the north, runs through the forest. Douglas State Forest also includes a rare example of Atlantic White Ceder swampland. A 5-acre portion of this swamp is designated as a Massachusetts Wildland. It is accessible to the public via a boardwalk trail.

This 119-acre park features a 20-acre pond, walking trails, swimming, fishing, picnicking, public programs, and play equipment. Private canoes and non-motorized boats are allowed on the pond. In the winter the trails are open for cross country skiing. Ice skating is allowed on the pond and often there is a fire blazing in the visitor center’s fireplace. All activities offered by the park are accessible to people with disabilities. Parking fees are $5 for cars. Annual passes are $35 for Massachusetts residents and $45 for out of state residents.

The forest’s 984 acres stretch to the south and west in the watershed of the Quabbin Reservoir. Please Note that NO pets are allowed on Watershed Property. Groves of pine and stands of maple, birch and hemlock invite the visitor along the wooded roads. The road along Fever Brook is outstanding for its scenery. A wildlife sanctuary compromising 140 acres has been set aside in the center of the forest, attracting migrating and native wild fowl. In the southwest section is the forest's chief geological feature, the Gorge. Limited-service campsites are available on a first come/first serve basis. Recreational uses include fishing, hiking, hunting, and cross-country skiing.

Trails criss-cross the landscape of this preserve, which is ideal for bird-watching. Areas for fishing and cross-country skiing also are available.