At 16,500 acres, october mountain is the largest state forest in massachusetts. here visitors can camp, hike and enjoy the outdoors while they visit nearby Tanglewood and other berkshire region points of interest. 47 campsites dot a sunny hillside and offer a great base to explore this vast forest.

Otter river state forest is a popular camping and day-use facility in a beautiful area of north central massachusetts. its developed facilities are centered on beaman pond and include 85 campsites, a swimming beach, ball field and picnic areas. yurt camping is also available. otter river state forest was the first area acquired by the state forest commission in 1915.

This 1,000 acre park is open on a seasonal basis from memorial day through labor day. pearl hill's campground offers some of the largest and most private campsites in massachusetts, all beneath a canopy of stately pines. there are 51 campsites, now served by a new bathhouse, and a day use area which includes a five-acre pond created by the seasonal damming of park hill brook, with a beach area on the pond. the area offers miles of hiking trails, abundant swimming opportunities and great antiquing.

Pilgrim memorial sp is one of the most heavily visited parks in the state parks system.  nearly one million people a year come from all over the world to visit the town where in 1620 europeans first made a home in new england and to see plymouth rock.  this simple glacial erratic boulder on the shore of plymouth harbor has become a world famous symbol of the courage and faith of the men and women who founded the first new england colony.  a landscaped waterfront park provides scenic views of plymouth harbor. the mayflower ii, a replica of the ship that brought the first pilgrims to massachusetts, is anchored at the park.

Streams, waterfalls and flowering shrubs abound in pittsfield state forest. 65 acres of wild azalea fields are a profusion of pink blossoms in june. the forest has two camping areas and two picnic areas. fishermen frequent scenic berry pond, one of the highest natural water bodies in the state at 2,150 feet in elevation. the vista from the top of berry mountain, accessible by auto road from april to december, is a striking panorama and a great place to watch the sun set.

Ponkapoag golf course was built in 1936 and is a renowned, donald ross, 36-hole facility. it features a putting green, driving range, snack bar, pro shop, and power carts. tee times on a first come, first served basis. lessons are available.

Open year-round, dawn to dusk. formerly used as a landfill and a drive-in theatre, the site of pope john paul ii park was once a barrier between the people of dorchester and the neponset river waterfront.

A unique natural landmark, purgatory chasm runs for a quarter of a mile between granite walls rising as high as 70 feet. popular with picnickers and rock-climbers alike, the chasm is believed to have its origin in the sudden release of dammed-up glacial meltwater near the end of the last ice age, approximately 14,000 years ago.

Quabbin reservoir is one of the largest man-made public water supplies in the united states. created in the 1930s by the construction of two huge earthen dams, the reservoir is fed by the three branches of the swift river, and seasonally by the ware river. quabbin's water covers 39 square miles, is 18 miles long and has 181 miles of shoreline. when full, quabbin holds 412 billion gallons of water.

It was here in west quincy that america's large scale granite quarrying industry was born in 1825 when, after an exhaustive search throughout new england, solomon willard selected the area as the source of stone for the bunker hill monument in charlestown. with his development of the revolutionary construction techniques that made hard quincy granite a practical building stone, willard earned the title "father of the granite industry". the granite railway, a civil engineering landmark, was established in 1826. it was designed and constructed by railway pioneer gridley bryant, and many of his inventions are still in use today. quincy became known nationwide as "the granite city". the last active quarry closed in 1963; in 1985, the then metropolitan district commission purchased 22 acres including granite railway quarry. trail connections to the blue hills reservation are protected by recent parkland purchases.

Open year round, dawn to dusk. bathhouse open july to september. quincy shore reservation offers a variety of recreational opportunities. quincy shore drive links wollaston beach with caddy memorial park and moswetuset hummock. the 2.3 mile beach is popular for its jogging/bicycling trail and swimming. caddy park on the southern end of the beach has over 15 acres of fields and marsh as well as a play area, lookout tower and picnic tables. moswetuset hummock, on the beach's northern end, is a national historic site. once a summer campsite of native americans during the 1600's, it is a mixture of woodland trails and open marshland. the site which has a short loop trail, offers views of quincy bay and 144-acre squantum marsh.

Quinsigamond state park consists of two sites located on lake quinsigamond in worcester: regatta point and lake park. the 25 acre regatta point area offers facilities for swimming, sailing, picnicking and fishing. the area is used extensively for sailing and rowing crew regattas.

Open year round, dawn to dusk. lifeguards are on duty from late june to early september. revere beach, the oldest public beach in america, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996. today, this beach boasts miles of shoreline which welcomes throngs of visitors every summer. along the boulevard there is a bandstand for summer concerts, a bathhouse and many shade shelters. revere beach is very accessible by public transportation which makes it a popular spot for people from all around metro boston.

Robinson state park serves as a major day use area for the springfield region.  donated to the state in 1934 by john c. robinson, the facility includes over 800 acres with five miles of frontage on the westfield river.

The dillaway-thomas house at roxbury heritage state park was built in 1750 and served as headquarters for general john thomas and the continental army during the siege of boston in 1775. the house has been restored to show how it changed over two centuries and now offers exhibits which interpret both the past and present history of roxbury and its people and cultures. a new park adjacent to the dillaway-thomas house provides a scenic overlook of downtown boston.

Open year-round, dawn to dusk. rumney marsh, a 600+ acre reservation, is located within the rich saugus and pines river estuary. this expansive saltmarsh provides habitat for an array of wildlife including migratory birds and marine life. the reservation also provides recreational opportunities such as boating, fishing, walking, and bird watching. it is designated as an "area of critical environmental concern".

The park office is located off of rte 122 near the long pond boat ramp. The recreation area is located off of rte 122a in mid-central massachusetts.

Salisbury beach is one of the state's most popular ocean beaches, stretching 3.8 miles along the atlantic ocean. this 521-acre park offers swimming, boating, fishing, and camping, and is very popular with trailer campers. facilities include a 484-site campground with renovated bathhouses, an extensive day-use parking lot, three new comfort stations for the beach- going public with boardwalks over the dunes, and a new playground and pavilion area. the facility also has two boat ramps on the merrimack river at the campground's southern edge.

Within the rolling northern hardwood forests of sandisfield state forest is york lake, featuring a popular day use area with a 300-foot beach for unguarded swimming, a picnic area and a boat launch ramp.

Sandy point is at the very southern tip of plum island, a classic atlantic ocean barrier island. the 77-acre park is among the state's most beautiful and popular coastal beaches. it is also an important nesting area for the piping plover, a threatened species, and the least tern, a species of special concern in massachusetts. passive recreational activities include walking, beachcombing, fishing and birding. access is through the abutting parker river national wildlife refuge.

Savoy mountain state forest makes it easy to leave the everyday world behind. scenic north and south ponds, with wooded edges and hills rising in the distance, offer tranquil places to fish, picnic and swim. 45 campsites and 1 group site are located in an old apple orchard. four log cabins overlook south pond, available for year-round rental.

The schooner ernestina is a one hundred year old ship designated by the department of the interior as a national historic landmark. originally built at the james and tarr yard in essex, massachusetts and launched february 1, 1894 as the effie m. morrissey, she has sailed on through the century to become one of six remaining essex-built schooners.

Scusset beach is located on cape cod bay at the east end of the cape cod canal. it is a popular swimming and camping area. the 98-site camping area is very popular with trailer campers. for salt water anglers, the area offers a popular fish pier, a 3000 breakwater and 1.5 miles of frontage along the canal. a picnic area and bicycling along the canal are also available. the reservation is also a popular spot for watching the variety of boats and ships passing through the canal.

This quiet year-round campground at the beginning of cape cod has over 285 sites in a wooded setting (camping site 1; camping site 2). yurt camping is now available. more than 15 miles of roads and trails provide hiking and equestrian access to over 700 acres of pitch pine and scrub oak landscape. parking access to the beach at scusset state reservation is provided in camping fee.

J.a. skinner state park is more than 400 acres of forest on mount holyoke, at the western end of the holyoke range. it offers breathtaking views of the connecticut river valley. the summit is accessible by hiking the road or hiking trails year-round.