Myles Standish State Forest

The forest is part of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecoregion and consists largely of pitch pine and scrub oak forests—at {{convert|26|mi2|km2}}, one of the largest such forests north of Long Island. The forest surrounds 16 lakes and ponds, including several ecologically significant coastal kettle ponds.

Species commonly found in Southeast Massachusetts pine barrens:

• Pitch pine
• Bear oak (scrub oak)
• Dwarf chestnut oak (scrub oak)

• Hillside and lowbush blueberry
• Black huckleberry
• Bearberry
• Birds'-foot violet

• Eastern towhee
• Eastern bluebird
• Pine warbler
• Prairie warbler
• Whip-poor-will

• Persius duskywing (endangered)
• Frosted elfin
• Slender clearwing sphinx moth
• Barrens buck moth
• Melsheimer's sack-bearing moth
• Gerhard's underwing moth
• Barrens tiger beetle (endangered)
• Antlion

• Northern red-bellied cooter
• Eastern box turtle
• Eastern hognose snake

• Fisher
• Deer
• Coyote

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

The forest offers {{convert|15|mi|km|spell=in}} of paved bicycle trails, {{convert|35|mi|km|spell=in}} of horse trails, and {{convert|13|mi|km|spell=in}} of hiking trails. 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.{{Cite web |date=2016 |title=Myles Standish State Forest Map |url=https://www.mass.gov/doc/myles-standish-trail-map/download |access-date=October 17, 2022 |website=mass.gov}}

Camping is offered at five sites, four of which are located at ponds: Curlew Pond, Fearing Pond, Charge Pond, Barrett Pond. A portion of the Charge Pond area is set aside for equestrian camping.

The following table lists the ponds and recreational activities available at each in Myles Standish State Forest.{{cite web |title=Resource Management Plan: Myles Standish Planning Unit |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dcr/stewardship/rmp/mssf-mtholyoke-wbnerr/rmp-mssf.pdf |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation |date=December 2011 |page=17 |access-date=July 6, 2012}}

Image:Yes check.svg = FORMAL ACCESS is available for recreational activity.

NP = Recreational access NOT PERMITTED, habitat protection area.

Cachalot Scout Reservation, a Boy Scout camp, encompasses {{convert|880|acre}} 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.

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

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, 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 in Warren, Maine.

{{Portal|Massachusetts}}

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web |url=https://www.mass.gov/doc/final-landscape-designations-list/download |title=2012 Acreage Listing |publisher=Department of Conservation and Recreation |date=April 2012 |access-date=June 11, 2025}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.mass.gov/locations/myles-standish-state-forest |title=Myles Standish State Forest |date=2017-06-20 |publisher=Department of Conservation and Recreation |access-date=June 11, 2025}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.narragansettbsa.org/camping-program/boy-scout-camping-programs/camp-cachalot/40280 |title=Camp Cachalot |publisher=Boy Scouts of America, Narragansett Council |access-date=January 19, 2014}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/massachusetts/placesweprotect/pine-barren-brochure-final.pdf |title=The Pine Barrens of Southeast Massachusetts |publisher=The Nature Conservacy |access-date=June 10, 2016}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.campsquanto.net/ |title=Camp Squanto |publisher=Old Colony Council |access-date=September 19, 2014}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.girlscoutseasternmass.org/programs/camp-resident-WIP.html |title=Camp Wind-in-the-Pines |publisher=Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts |access-date=September 19, 2014}}

{{cite web |url=http://friendsmssf.com/creationofmylesstandishstateforest.pdf |title=Fifty-second Annual Report of the Commissioners on Fish and Game for the year ended November 30, 1917 |access-date=May 29, 2016}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.mass.gov/eopss/law-enforce-and-cj/prisons/doc-facilities/mci-plymouth.html |title=MCI-Plymouth |publisher=Executive Office of Public Safety and Security |access-date=September 19, 2014}}

{{cite journal |title=1,000 places to visit in Massachusetts |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/12/1000_places_to_visit/ |author=Great Places in Massachusetts Commission |journal=Boston Globe |date=July 12, 2010 |access-date=August 10, 2010}}

{{cite journal |title=Man guilty in 1977 murder |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/11/11/man_guilty_in_1977_murder/ |author=Ellement, John |journal=Boston Globe |date=November 11, 2003 |access-date=October 17, 2009}}

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{{commons category|Myles Standish State Forest}}

• [https://www.mass.gov/locations/myles-standish-state-forest Myles Standish State Forest] Department of Conservation and Recreation
• [https://www.mass.gov/doc/myles-standish-trail-map/download Myles Standish State Forest Trail Map] Department of Conservation and Recreation

{{Protected areas of Massachusetts}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Plymouth, Massachusetts

Category:Protected areas of Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Category:Massachusetts state forests

Category:Campgrounds in Massachusetts

Category:Protected areas established in 1916

Category:1916 establishments in Massachusetts