Douglas State Forest is a publicly owned forest with recreational features located in the town of Douglas, Massachusetts, bordering both Connecticut and Rhode Island. The state forest's 5,525 acres (2,236 ha) include Wallum Lake and a rare Atlantic white cedar swamp, 5 acres (2.0 ha) of which are designated as a Massachusetts Wildland. The forest is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.[3]
History
The state forest was created through the state's purchase of 1,245 acres (504 ha) in 1934.[4] In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps installed major improvements including a picnic pavilion, an administrative building, and water management infrastructure.[5]
Activities and amenities
Forest trails are used for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. A 7.8-mile (12.6 km) section of the 92-mile-long (148 km) Midstate Trail runs through the forest as does a portion of the 22-mile-long (35 km) Southern New England Trunkline Trail. At the southwest extreme of the park, the tri-state marker, where Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are conjoined, may be reached by a short offshoot of the Mid-State Trail.[6]
Wallum Lake offers fishing, swimming, and boating. The forest also offers picnicking, restricted hunting, and a group day-use area.[3]
References
- ^ a b "Douglas State Forest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 7, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ^ a b "Douglas State Forest". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- ^ Beth McKinney, ed. (January 1999). "The Civilian Conservation Corps: A Statewide Survey of Civilian Conservation Corps Resources". Massachusetts Office of Historic Resources. pp. 44–45. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
- ^ "CCC Work in Massachusetts Forests and Parks". Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- ^ "Trail Map" (PDF). Douglas State Park. Department of Conservation and Recreation. 2008. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
External links
- Douglas State Forest Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Douglas State Forest Trail Map Department of Conservation and Recreation
