New England has more than 150 state forests, and while most visitors stick to the coastline or the classic foliage drives, some of the region's best scenery sits an hour or less from major cities. A new roundup of the region's ten finest state forests makes a strong case for going inland — and staying year-round.
Massachusetts does particularly well in the list, with four entries. Harold Parker State Forest, under an hour from Boston, packs 11 ponds and roughly 3,300 acres of hemlock and white pine into a small space; the 2.2-mile Brackett Pond and Bear Pond Loop is the pick of its hikes. Myles Standish, just west of Plymouth, is the largest public recreation area in the southeast of the state at 12,400 acres, with pine-oak barrens, cycling and horseback trails, and even horse camping at Charge Pond. Down near the Rhode Island border, Douglas State Forest centres on Wallum Lake — good for swimming, trout fishing and kayaking — while the 3.8-mile Midstate Trail Waterfall Loop hugs the shoreline. Savoy Mountain, perched at nearly 1,800 feet in the Berkshires above North Adams, offers over 50 miles of trails, including the 5.2-mile Tannery Falls Trail.
Vermont contributes the two biggest wild spaces. Groton State Forest sprawls across 26,000 acres east of Montpelier, with a short climb to Owl's Head delivering views over Lake Groton and the Green Mountains; nearby Peacham is a quiet spot for foliage, stargazing and antiques. C.C. Putnam, about 12 miles from Montpelier, is the state's fifth-largest forest at over 17,500 acres, and the 3.4-mile Stowe Pinnacle trail climbs more than 1,000 feet for a proper mountain payoff.
New Hampshire and Connecticut round out the list. Wantastiquet Mountain, just over the river from Brattleboro, is a compact 520 acres crowned by a 1,335-foot summit with views down the Connecticut River Valley. Remote Connecticut Lakes State Forest, near the Canadian border in Pittsburg, sits between two lakes and is one of the region's most reliable places to spot moose. In Connecticut, Topsmead State Forest pairs meadows and stone walls with a 1920s Tudor Revival mansion on the National Register of Historic Places, while Paugussett, on Lake Zoar north of Bridgeport, is known for the waterfall-studded Zoar Trail.
What makes these forests appealing for travellers is the low barrier to entry: no entrance-hassle national parks, no long drives, and activities ranging from swimming and canoeing to snowshoeing in winter. Most sit within day-trip distance of Boston, Hartford or Montpelier, and several are adjacent to small towns worth an overnight — Brattleboro, Peacham, Plymouth. Autumn is the obvious draw, but spring wildflowers, summer lake swims and quiet snow-covered trails make these worth building an itinerary around at any time of year.
Story via Islands.
