Myles Standish State Forest

41°51′23″N 70°40′32″W / 41.85639°N 70.67556°W / 41.85639; -70.67556Area12,029 acres (48.68 km²)^[1]Elevation144 ft (44 m)^[2]Established1916 ^[3]Named forMyles StandishGoverning bodyMassachusetts Department of Conservation and RecreationWebsiteMyles Standish State Forest

Myles Standish State Forest is a state forest located in the towns of Plymouth and Carver in southeastern Massachusetts, approximately 45 miles (70 km) south of Boston. It is the largest publicly owned recreation area in this part of Massachusetts and is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).^[4]

Description

The forest is part of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecoregion and consists largely of pitch pine and scrub oak forests—at 26 square miles (67 km²), one of the largest such forests north of Long Island. The forest surrounds 16 lakes and ponds, including several ecologically significant coastal kettle ponds.

Ecology

Species commonly found in Southeast Massachusetts pine barrens:^[5]

Plants

Trees

• Pitch pine
• Bear oak (scrub oak)
• Dwarf chestnut oak (scrub oak)

Fruit-bearing

• Hillside and lowbush blueberry
• Black huckleberry
• Bearberry
• Birds'-foot violet

Animals

Birds

• Eastern towhee
• Eastern bluebird
• Pine warbler
• Prairie warbler
• Whip-poor-will

Insects

• Persius duskywing (endangered)
• Frosted elfin
• Slender clearwing sphinx moth
• Barrens buck moth
• Melsheimer's sack-bearing moth
• Gerhard's underwing moth
• Barrens tiger beetle (endangered)
• Antlion

Reptiles

• Northern red-bellied cooter
• Eastern box turtle
• Eastern hognose snake

Mammals

• Fisher
• Deer
• Coyote

Activities and amenities

Recreational uses include swimming, hunting, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and picnicking. Day-use areas are found at College Pond and Fearing Pond. Hunting is allowed during the season, and two Wildlife Management Areas within the forest are stocked with game birds in October and November. In the summer, the park offers interpretive programs, such as pond shore walks and cranberry bog explorations.^[4]

Trails

The forest offers fifteen miles (24 km) of paved bicycle trails, thirty-five miles (56 km) of horse trails, and thirteen miles (21 km) of hiking trails. The "Bicycle Trails of Carver" were included in the Massachusetts Department of Travel and Tourism's list of 1000 great places in Massachusetts.^[6] Some popular trails in the park include Bentley Loop Trail, East Head Reservoir Trail, Friends' Trail, Charge Pond Loop Trail, Frost Pocket Loop Trail and Pine Barren's Trail.^[7]

Camping

Camping is offered at five sites, four of which are located at ponds: Curlew Pond, Fearing Pond, Charge Pond, Barrett Pond. A portion of the Charge Pond area is set aside for equestrian camping.

Ponds

The following table lists the ponds and recreational activities available at each in Myles Standish State Forest.^[8]

Pond name	Size (acres)	Maximum depth (feet)	Location in forest	Swimming	Fishing	Boating	Remarks
Barrett	16	17	Southwest
Bumps	20	4	East	No access	No access	No access
Charge	23	17	South
Cherry	2	-	North-central	LA	LA	LA
College	53	24	Central
Curlew	43	31	Northwest				Part of the pond is privately owned land.
Doctors	2	3	Southeast	NFA	NFA	NFA
East Head Reservoir	86	10	Southwest	NP	Boat only		Owned by the Davison Partners. Property line is six rods (99 feet) from high-water mark.
Fearing	24	20	South-central
Grassy	3	-	Southeast	NP	NP	NP
Hooper	3	-	North-central	NP	NP	NP
Little College	3	-	North-central	NFA	NFA	NFA
Little Widgeon	7	5	Northwest	LA	LA	LA
Manters Hole	2	-	Northwest	NP	NP	NP
New Grassy	6	4	Southeast	LA		LA
New Long	23	6	Central	NFA
Rocky	20	19	Northwest	NFA
Round	10	12	Central	LA	LA	LA
Three Cornered	14	4	Central	LA	LA	LA	Located northeast of New Long Pond and southwest of College Pond; water quality impaired due to non-native aquatic plants.
Torrey	3	4	Central	NP	NP	NP
Widgeon	24	12	Northwest	NFA

= FORMAL ACCESS is available for recreational activity.
NFA = Recreational activity is permitted, but NO FORMAL ACCESS is available.
LA = LIMITED ACCESS for low impact recreational use is permitted, sensitive pond shore habitat.
NP = Recreational access NOT PERMITTED, habitat protection area.

Scouting

Cachalot Scout Reservation, a Boy Scout camp, encompasses 880 acres (360 ha) surrounding Five Mile Pond adjacent to Myles Standish State Forest.^[9] Camp Squanto is also located within Myles Standish State Forest^[10] as is Camp Wind-in-the-Pines, a girl scout camp.^[11]

Prison

A state correctional facility, MCI - Plymouth, is also located in Myles Standish State Forest.^[12]

In the news

On May 14, 1977, according to the Plymouth Police Department records, Eric H. Anderson Jr. murdered Ruth Masters (née Ruth Rydberg), a teacher in nearby Hanson, Massachusetts, while she was riding her bike alone on an isolated trail in the park. He was later found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in Maine State Prison in Warren, Maine.^[13]

References

External links