Myles Standish State Forest

About this park

Myles Standish State Forest, established in 1916, spans more than 12,400 acres across the towns of Plymouth and Carver in southeastern Massachusetts, roughly 45 miles south of Boston. It is the largest single publicly owned recreation area in this part of the state, often described as being roughly the size of Manhattan, and much of its recreational infrastructure dates to the 1930s, when Civilian Conservation Corps crews developed the forest's facilities and planted more than 700,000 trees. The forest protects a genuinely rare ecosystem: pine barrens, frost pockets, and coastal plain kettle ponds support 42 documented rare and endangered plant and animal species, making it an ecologically significant property well beyond its recreational value. More than 15 miles of paved bike paths and 13 miles of forest trails wind through the property, and swimming at College Pond, along with several other named kettle ponds throughout the forest, gives visitors a range of freshwater recreation options. Four separate camping areas accommodate tents, trailers, and RVs, and horseback riding, non-motorized boating, and fishing round out the forest's offerings. Several youth camps, including Boy Scout and Girl Scout facilities, operate within the forest's boundaries, alongside the state's MCI-Plymouth correctional facility, reflecting just how much varied land use the forest's sheer scale accommodates within a single property.