Douglas State Forest | |
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Location | Douglas, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States |
Coordinates | 42°03′30″N 71°47′13″W / 42.05833°N 71.78694°W [1] |
Area | 5,525 acres (22.36 km2) [2] |
Elevation | 702 ft (214 m) [1] |
Established | 1934 |
Governing body | Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation |
Website | Douglas 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]
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]
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]