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Wells State Park (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Wells State Park, is a state park located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts
. The park, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, features a campground, swimming beach, trails, and picnic areas. Wells State Park is located off Massachusetts Route 49. The property includes frontage on Walker Pond
, the scenic metamorphic rock
cliff face of Carpenter Rocks, and groves of eastern white pine
. Terrain is rugged with ledges interspersed between wetlands. Woodlands are of the oak-hickory forest
and northern hardwood forest
types.
The park campground has sixty sites and a dump station. The swimming beach is for camperground users only. During the summer, Wells State Park has an interpretive program which includes guided walks, hikes, recreational activities, and evening campfire
programs.
More than 10 miles (16.1 km) of trails traverse the property. Most notable is a route leading to the cliffs of Carpenter Rocks; vistas include the eastern section of Walker Pond and surrounding wooded valley.
Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques.The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census...
. The park, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, features a campground, swimming beach, trails, and picnic areas. Wells State Park is located off Massachusetts Route 49. The property includes frontage on Walker Pond
Walker Pond
Walker Pond is a body of water in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, situated off Route 49 on the way to Wells State Park.-History:The pond took its name from settler Rachael "Walker" Smith, a local resident who raised twelve italian children there...
, the scenic metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
cliff face of Carpenter Rocks, and groves of eastern 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,...
. Terrain is rugged with ledges interspersed between wetlands. Woodlands are of the oak-hickory forest
Oak-hickory forest
The oak-hickory forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem with a range extending from southern New England and New York, west to Iowa, and south to Northern Georgia. Smaller, isolated Oak-Hickory communities can also be found as far west as North Dakota, south to Florida and...
and northern hardwood forest
Northern hardwood forest
The northern hardwood forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem found over much of southeastern and south central Canada, extending south into the United States in northern New England and New York, and west along the Great Lakes to Minnesota and western Ontario...
types.
History
Wells State Park was opened on July 19, 1968. Carpenters rock was named after John Carpenter, who built and operated a nearby saw mill.Recreation
Park recreational opportunities include boating, bicycling, mountain biking, swimming, camping, horseback riding, picnicing, hiking, hunting (in season), fishing, ice skating, cross county skiing. ATVs are not allowed in the park.The park campground has sixty sites and a dump station. The swimming beach is for camperground users only. During the summer, Wells State Park has an interpretive program which includes guided walks, hikes, recreational activities, and evening campfire
Campfire
A campfire is a fire lit at a campsite, to serve the following functions: light, warmth, a beacon, a bug and/or apex predator deterrent, to cook, and for a psychological sense of security. In established campgrounds they are usually in a fire ring for safety. Campfires are a popular feature of...
programs.
More than 10 miles (16.1 km) of trails traverse the property. Most notable is a route leading to the cliffs of Carpenter Rocks; vistas include the eastern section of Walker Pond and surrounding wooded valley.
