Exploring Massachusetts State Parks

Peaceful Mausert’s Pond at Clarksburg State Park

Massachusetts is blessed with an abundance of natural places protected by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

This past summer, I was lucky enough to camp and explore three of these special places. My first stop was Otter River State Forest in Baldwinville, which is in the north-central part of the state. This beautiful area is only a few hours outside Boston and makes for an easy weekend away in the deep forest. Checking in at the ranger station, the first thing I noticed was the pretty and serene Beaman Pond.

This delightful little pond has a small beach and plenty of shoreline for fishing.

From the pine-shaded campground, the Wilder-McKenzie Nature Trail, a nature trail, leads to nearby Lake Dennison Recreation Area. This beautiful, easy path through the pine forest is a lovely way to spend a few hours. Towards the north end of the out-and-back trail, another pond emerges! The day I visited, the dragonflies were swarming around the reeds and lily pads, hunting mosquitoes—their favorite prey!

This was my second trip to Otter River, and it has become one of my favorite quick camping getaways. I am sure to return!

Mid-summer, I decided I needed another camping trip, and this time I went further west to Clarksburg State Park, just north of North Adams. This state park is about 3.5 hours from Boston, but once you get on Route 2, it is a pleasant drive into the Berkshires with beautiful scenery and mountain views. The campground, like Otter River, is older, so some sites are smaller, but it's still very peaceful even on a busy summer weekend.

The highlight for me was camping and exploring beneath the canopy of very old, stately trees. Between summer thunderstorms, I hiked through the cool, mossy forest.

A blanket of ferns spread over the forest floor and into an adjacent meadow.

Walking by Mausert’s Pond, I startled a Great Blue Heron fishing for its lunch. The Shoreline Trail hugs the pond on one side and the forest on the other, making for excellent bird watching.

During a break in the storms, dragonflies zoomed around the cattails and other tall plants along the shore in the warm summer sunshine.

This was my first time in this corner of the state, and what a beautiful area! The park is close to North Adams, which had a wonderful farmers’ market on the Saturday I was there, as well as numerous shops and restaurants.

Clarksburg was a wonderful discovery, and I think a winter snowshoeing trip will be in the plans in the upcoming months!

Mohawk Trail State Forest was my third camping excursion of the summer. After a busy summer of working with children at camp, it is nice to escape into nature with just my husband. Mohawk Trail State Forest is right on Route 2 in Charlemont, about 2.5 hours from the Boston area.

Our campsite was right on the Cold River, and I had so much fun exploring all the pools and eddies. So many interesting rocks, small fish darting about, and even freshwater snails!

The state forest sits in a notch and on a peninsula formed by the Cold and Deerfield Rivers, providing many miles of hiking through old-growth forests. While road noise is apparent at the campground, it is easy to find a quiet spot further into the woods by heading out onto one of the trails.

Hiking on one of these trails through stately pines, we saw a flurry of activity on the ground that quickly flew to a branch above our heads. The beautiful guardian of the forest - a Barred Owl! Keeping a close eye on us, it posed for some quick photos (from a distance), making sure we did not encroach on its breakfast. After thanking Owl for the pictures, we hastily moved past to continue our walk.

This was not our only wildlife encounter. The morning before, while relaxing by the breakfast campfire, I happened to glance back toward the campground road and was greeted by the sight of a beautiful black bear silently padding down the road, not giving us a second glance. Unfortunately, the camera was not at the ready, so alas, no photo proof! However, it was a good reminder that Massachusetts is bear country, and a clean campsite is a must!

Thanks to the open view over the river, we were able to sleep under the most wonderful blanket of stars!

Mohawk Trail State Forest has cabins and a campground. The cabins are the only way to stay in a Massachusetts campground in the winter, and we decided before we even left that we would plan a winter return trip.

Massachusetts is home to so many natural wonders, from the seashore in the east to the mountains in the west. Our state lands are wonderful treasures to explore and cherish, and I hope this blog has inspired you to wander and see for yourself the beauty of the state.

For more information on Massachusetts state parks and forests, please visit the DCR website for information, maps, and other details