Monroe State Forest
{{short description|State forest in northwestern Massachusetts}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Monroe State Forest
| photo =
| photo_caption = Spruce Mountain vista
| photo_alt =
| map = USA Massachusetts#USA
| map_size = 280
| map_caption = Location in Massachusetts
| relief = 1
| label = Monroe State Forest
| location = Monroe and Florida, Massachusetts, United States
| nearest_city =
| coordinates = {{coord|42.7050363|-73.0056410|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| area = {{convert|3750|acre}}
| elevation = {{convert|2717|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{cite gnis|607736|Spruce Mountain}}
| established = 1924
| named_for =
| administrator = Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| visitation_ref =
| website = {{Official website}}
| embedded =
}}
Monroe State Forest is a Massachusetts state forest with recreational features located in the towns of Monroe and Florida. A small portion of the borders the state of Vermont. The forest is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
History
The majority of land was once farmland. 19th-century cellar holes and stone walls can be found throughout the area. The state forest was established in 1924. Workers with the Civilian Conservation Corps were active here in the 1930s. Their contributions included the construction of the Raycroft Lookout, a stone platform offering dramatic vistas of the Deerfield River.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/civilianconserva00berg#page/n97/mode/2up |title=The Civilian Conservation Corps: A Statewide Survey of Civilian Conservation Corps Resources |publisher=Prepared by Shary Page Berg (Beth McKinney, ed.) for the Massachusetts Office of Historic Resources |pages=87–88 |date=January 1999 |access-date=March 7, 2017}}
Natural features
The forest's rugged terrain of steep mountains and deep valleys include Spruce Mountain as well as Dunbar Brook, which drops 700 vertical feet in two miles, cascading over boulders and forming countless waterfalls, rapids and pools.
=Old growth forest=
Researchers have identified {{convert|273|acre}} of old-growth forest sites in the park. Species represented include eastern hemlock, Eastern White Pine, red spruce, and hardwoods such as yellow birch, sweet birch, American beech, American basswood, and white ash.{{cite web |url=http://www.primalnature.org/ogeast/ma.html |title=Massachusetts |work=Old Growth in the East: A Survey |first=Mary Byrd |last=Davis |date=January 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919193728/http://www.primalnature.org/ogeast/ma.pdf |archive-date=September 19, 2011 |access-date=August 27, 2013}}See the list of old growth forests in Massachusetts for specific locations.
Activities and amenities
The forest has trails for hiking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. Fishing and restricted hunting are permitted. Scenic views of the Hoosac Range, Green Mountains and Deerfield River can be found at the Raycroft Lookout, a stone platform reached by ascending a steep path.
References
{{Portal|Massachusetts}}
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External links
- [https://www.mass.gov/locations/monroe-state-forest Monroe State Forest] Department of Conservation and Recreation
- [https://www.mass.gov/doc/monroe-state-forest-trail-map/download Monroe State Forest Map] Department of Conservation and Recreation
{{Protected Areas of Massachusetts}}
Category:Massachusetts state forests
Category:Civilian Conservation Corps in Massachusetts
Category:Parks in Franklin County, Massachusetts
Category:Florida, Massachusetts