Douglas State Forest
Map showing the location of Douglas State Forest
Map showing the location of Douglas State Forest
Location in Massachusetts
Map showing the location of Douglas State Forest
Map showing the location of Douglas State Forest
Douglas State Forest (the United States)
LocationDouglas, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°03′30″N 71°47′13″W / 42.05833°N 71.78694°W / 42.05833; -71.78694[1]
Area5,525 acres (22.36 km2)[2]
Elevation702 ft (214 m)[1]
Established1934
Governing bodyMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteDouglas State Forest

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

  1. 1 2 "Douglas State Forest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ↑ "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Douglas State Forest". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ "CCC Work in Massachusetts Forests and Parks". Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Trail Map" (PDF). Douglas State Park. Department of Conservation and Recreation. 2008. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
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