Savoy, Mountain State Forest is a Massachusetts state forest located primarily in the towns of

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...

and Florida, with portions extending into neighboring

Adams Adams may refer to: * For persons, see Adams (surname) Places United States *Adams, California *Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California *Adams, Decatur County, Indiana *Adams, Kentucky *Adams, Massachusetts, a New England town ...

and North Adams. Situated along the Hoosac Mountain Range, it features four ponds (North, South, Bog, and Burnett), and seven hill and mountain summits, including Lewis Hill (2177 ft), Flat Rock Hill (2195 ft), Spruce Hill (2566 ft), and Borden Mountain (2505 ft). Also within the forest are at least two notable waterfalls, Parker Brook Falls and Tannery Falls, the latter of which is a drop. The forest is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

History

Savoy, Mountain State Forest was created when the state purchased of abandoned farmland in 1918. Much of the land was reforested with Norway and blue spruce by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The CCC also built concrete dams at Bog, Burnett and Tannery ponds, replacing older dams. A total of of

old growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological feature ...

have been identified in the state forest near the Cold River and Tannery Falls. Trees in the old growth include

eastern hemlock ''Tsuga canadensis'', also known as eastern hemlock, eastern hemlock-spruce, or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as ''pruche du Canada'', is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It is the state tree ...

red spruce ''Picea rubens'', commonly known as red spruce, is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec and Nova Scotia, west to the Adirondack Mountains and south through New England along the Appalachians to wester ...

yellow birch ''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the ...

, and

sugar maple ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prima ...

. They range from 150 to 400 years in age.

Activities and amenities

*Ponds: North Pond and South Pond offer swimming, showers, restrooms, picnicking, and a boat ramp for non-motorized boating. Bog Pond also has a canoe launch. *Camping: The forest has 45 campsites and four log cabins available for rental. *Trails: Trails are available for hiking, mountain biking, birding, and cross-country skiing. *The forest also has interpretive programs, fishing, and restricted hunting.

References

External links

Savoy Mountain State Forest
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Savoy Mountain State Forest Map
Department of Conservation and Recreation {{Authority control Massachusetts state forests Civilian Conservation Corps in Massachusetts Parks in Berkshire County, Massachusetts Campgrounds in Massachusetts Florida, Massachusetts Savoy, Massachusetts Old-growth forests Protected areas established in 1918 1918 establishments in Massachusetts