Monroe State Forest
Encyclopedia
Monroe State Forest is a Massachusetts
state forest
located in Monroe
and Florida
. The forest is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation
(DCR).
, fishing
, and horseback riding.
Features of the park include Spruce Mountain and scenic views of the Hoosac Range
, Green Mountains
, and the Deerfield River
from the Civilian Conservation Corps
-built Raycroft Lookout. Dunbar Brook, which runs through the forest, drops 700 vertical feet in two miles, cascading over boulders and forming countless waterfalls, rapids and pools
.
Researchers have identified 273 acres (110.5 ha) of old-growth sites in the forest. See the list of old growth forests in Massachusetts for specific locations. Species represented there include Eastern Hemlock
, White Pine
, Red Spruce
, and hardwood
s such as Yellow Birch
, Sweet Birch
, American Beech
, American Basswood, and White Ash
.
A small portion of the forest borders the State of Vermont.
As with much of the now-forest land in Massachusetts, the majority of land now part of the Monroe State Forest was farmland in the 19th-century. Cellar holes and stone walls throughout the forest serve as a reminder to these days gone by.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
state forest
State forest
A state forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign state.The precise application of the term varies by jurisdiction...
located in Monroe
Monroe, Massachusetts
Monroe is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 93 at the 2000 census. By area, population and population density, it is the smallest town in the county; and is the second-smallest town by population in the Commonwealth, with only Gosnold having fewer...
and Florida
Florida, Massachusetts
Florida is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 676 at the 2000 census. It is home to the east portal of the Hoosac Tunnel, as well as Whitcomb Summit , the highest point of the Mohawk...
. The forest is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation
Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. As of May 24, 2011 the Commissioner of the DCR is Edward M. Lambert, Jr...
(DCR).
Description
Monroe State Forest is a rugged terrain forest filled with deep valleys and steep mountains. The forest is popular for hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and horseback riding.
Features of the park include Spruce Mountain and scenic views of the Hoosac Range
Hoosac Range
The Hoosac Range is part of both the Berkshires of western Massachusetts and the southern Green Mountains of Vermont; it is part of the greater Appalachian Mountain chain...
, Green Mountains
Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
, and the Deerfield River
Deerfield River
Deerfield River is a river that runs for from southern Vermont through northwestern Massachusetts to the Connecticut River. The Deerfield was historically influential in the settlement of western Franklin County, Massachusetts, and its namesake town...
from the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
-built Raycroft Lookout. Dunbar Brook, which runs through the forest, drops 700 vertical feet in two miles, cascading over boulders and forming countless waterfalls, rapids and pools
Stream pool
A stream pool, in hydrology, is a stretch of a river or stream in which the water depth is above average and the water velocity is quite below average.-Formation:...
.
Researchers have identified 273 acres (110.5 ha) of old-growth sites in the forest. See the list of old growth forests in Massachusetts for specific locations. Species represented there include Eastern Hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
, White Pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
, Red Spruce
Red Spruce
Picea rubens is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and from New England south in the Adirondack Mountains and Appalachians to western North Carolina.-Physical description:...
, and hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
s such as Yellow Birch
Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis , is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, southern Quebec and Ontario, and the southeast corner of Manitoba in Canada, west to Minnesota, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia.It is a...
, Sweet Birch
Sweet Birch
Betula lenta is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southernmost Ontario, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia.-Characteristics and habitat:It is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching 20 m tall with...
, American Beech
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia, also known as American Beech or North american beech, is a species of beech native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario in southeastern Canada, west to Wisconsin and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida in the United States. Trees in the...
, American Basswood, and White Ash
White Ash
For another species referred to as white ash, see Eucalyptus fraxinoides.Fraxinus americana is a species of Fraxinus native to eastern North America found in mesophytic hardwood forests from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, south to northern Florida, and southwest to eastern...
.
A small portion of the forest borders the State of Vermont.
As with much of the now-forest land in Massachusetts, the majority of land now part of the Monroe State Forest was farmland in the 19th-century. Cellar holes and stone walls throughout the forest serve as a reminder to these days gone by.
Recreational opportunities
- Camping (wilderness only)
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Horseback riding trails
- Hunting (restricted)
- Mountain biking
- Cross-country skiing
- Snowmobiling (restricted)
- Swimming
- Walking trails
See also
- List of Massachusetts State Parks
- List of Massachusetts state forests
- List of old growth forests in Massachusetts
