Myles Standish State Forest is a state forest located in the

towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

and Carver in southeastern

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, approximately 45 miles (70 km) south of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. It is the largest publicly owned recreation area in this part of Massachusetts and is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

Description

The forest is part of the

Atlantic coastal pine barrens The Atlantic coastal pine barrens is a now rare temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the Northeast United States distinguished by unique species and topographical features ( coastal plain ponds, frost pocket), generally nutrient-poor, often ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

and consists largely of

pitch pine ''Pinus rigida'', the pitch pine, is a small-to-medium-sized pine. It is native to eastern North America, primarily from central Maine south to Georgia and as far west as Kentucky. It is found in environments which other species would find unsuit ...

and

scrub oak Scrub oak is a common name for several species of small, shrubby oaks. It may refer to: *the Chaparral plant community in California, or to one of the following species. In California *California scrub oak (''Quercus berberidifolia''), a widespr ...

forests—at , one of the largest such forests north of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

. The forest surrounds 16 lakes and ponds, including several ecologically significant coastal kettle ponds.

Ecology

Species commonly found in Southeast Massachusetts pine barrens:

Plants

Trees

Pitch pine ''Pinus rigida'', the pitch pine, is a small-to-medium-sized pine. It is native to eastern North America, primarily from central Maine south to Georgia and as far west as Kentucky. It is found in environments which other species would find unsuit ...

* Bear oak (scrub oak) * Dwarf chestnut oak (scrub oak)

Fruit-bearing

* Hillside and lowbush blueberry *

Black huckleberry Black huckleberry is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *''Gaylussacia baccata'', native to eastern North America *''Vaccinium membranaceum ''Vaccinium membranaceum'' is a species within the group of Vaccinium commonly referred t ...

* Bearberry * Birds'-foot violet

Animals

Birds

* Eastern towhee * Eastern bluebird *

Pine warbler The pine warbler (''Setophaga pinus'') is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. Description These birds have white bellies, two white wing bars, dark legs and thin, relatively long pointed bills; they have yellowish 'spectacles' ar ...

Prairie warbler The prairie warbler (''Setophaga discolor'') is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. Description These birds have yellow underparts with dark streaks on the flanks, and olive overparts with rusty streaks on the back; they have a ye ...

* Whip-poor-will

Insects

* Persius duskywing (endangered) *

Frosted elfin ''Callophrys irus'', the frosted elfin, is a species of Lycaenidae that is native to North America. Description The wingspan ranges from .

* Slender clearwing sphinx moth * Barrens buck moth *Melsheimer's sack-bearing moth * Gerhard's underwing moth *Barrens tiger beetle (endangered) *

Antlion The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae ...

Reptiles

Northern red-bellied cooter The northern red-bellied turtle (''Pseudemys rubriventris'') or American red-bellied turtle is a species of turtle in the Pseudemys (cooter) genus of the family Emydidae. Description A fairly large river turtle, it averages about in length and ...

Eastern box turtle The eastern box turtle (''Terrapene carolina carolina'') is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. ''T. c. carolina'' is native to the eastern part of the United States. The eastern box turtle ...

Eastern hognose snake The eastern hog-nosed snake (''Heterodon platirhinos''), also known as the spreading adderAlbert Hazen WWright, A.H., and species:Anna Allen WA.A. Wright (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. (in 2 volumes). Ithaca and L ...

Mammals

Fisher Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral. Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to: Places Australia *Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland *Elect ...

*Deer *Coyote

Activities and amenities

Recreational uses include swimming, hunting, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and picnicking. Day-use areas are found at

College Pond College Pond is a natural kettlehole pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts, located in the Myles Standish State Forest northeast of East Head Reservoir, Three Cornered Pond, New Long Pond and Barrett Pond, and north of Fearing Pond Fearing Pond, ...

and

Fearing Pond Fearing Pond, also erroneously named on some maps as Fearings Pond (pronounced to rhyme with ''bearing''), is a natural kettlehole pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The average depth is ten feet and the maximum depth is . It is located in the south ...

. 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.

Trails

The forest offers fifteen miles (24 km) of paved bicycle trails, thirty-five miles (56 km) of

horse trail A bridle path, also bridleway, equestrian trail, horse riding path, ride, bridle road, or horse trail, is a trail or a thoroughfare that is used by people riding on horses. Trails originally created for use by horses often now serve a wider r ...

s, and thirteen miles (21 km) of

hiking trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

s. The "Bicycle Trails of Carver" were included in the Massachusetts Department of Travel and Tourism's list of 1000 great places in Massachusetts. 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.

Camping

Camping is offered at five sites, four of which are located at ponds:

Curlew Pond Curlew Pond is a natural warm water pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts, located in the Myles Standish State Forest Myles Standish State Forest is a state forest located in the towns of Plymouth and Carver in southeastern Massachusetts, approx ...

Charge Pond Charge Pond is a warm water lake in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The lake has an average depth of and a maximum depth of . It is located within a camping area in the southernmost section of Myles Standish State Forest, south of Fearing Pond, southwes ...

, Barrett Pond. A portion of the

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. = 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 A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

camp, encompasses surrounding Five Mile Pond adjacent to Myles Standish State Forest. Camp Squanto is also located within Myles Standish State Forest as is Camp Wind-in-the-Pines, a girl scout camp.

Prison

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

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 Hanson is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Part of Greater Boston, Hanson is located 20 miles (32 km) south of Boston and is one of the inland towns of the South Shore. The population was 10,639 at the 2020 census. ...

, 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 The Maine State Prison was erected in Thomaston, Maine in 1824 and relocated to Warren in 2002. This maximum-security prison has a capacity of 916 adult male inmates with an average daily population of 900. History The state legislature establis ...

Warren, Maine Warren is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,865 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of East Warren, Warren and South Warren, the latter home to the Maine State Prison and minimum security Bolduc Correcti ...

References

External links

Myles Standish State Forest
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Myles Standish State Forest Map
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Myles Standish State Forest Map
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Friends of Myles Standish State Forestwww.nature.org
{{Authority control Plymouth, Massachusetts Protected areas of Plymouth County, Massachusetts Massachusetts state forests Campgrounds in Massachusetts Protected areas established in 1916 1916 establishments in Massachusetts