Myles Standish State Forest

May 30, 2020 Sunny

The Myles Standish State Forest is located in the towns of Plymouth and Carver and is the largest public open space in this part of the state. It was established in 1916, and according to the state brochure, “such luminaries as Daniel Webster, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson visited this forest to camp, fish, hunt, and enjoy the beautiful landscape that is
now open for all to enjoy.”

We only visited a small part of the park to walk around East Head Pond. Unfortunately we didn’t visit the “kettle ponds” formed by glaciers, nor did we see the pine barrens, which are “characterized by an open canopy of scattered Pitch Pines with an understory of scrub oaks and shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry, and crowberry.”

We started the loop trail in a clockwise direction, and it offered some great views of the pond right away.

Much of the trail is soft and the forest has a mix of trees including pines.

Unfortunately, part of the loop was closed, so we had to walk along College Pond Road for a bit and then reconnect with the trail.

Reaching the top of the pond, we turned east and then headed around the other side. A few short sections had boardwalks that helped us pass through some muddy sections.

We found a few turtles sunbathing on a log.

As we neared the main parking area again, we found a large, swampy area.

Just before the end of the walk, we found a small dam where a family was fishing.

Just at that moment we also saw two swans and two large turtles (maybe one foot long).

Myles Standish State Forest has a lot to offer and certainly deserves another visit. Even this short walk shows some of the unusual landscape you find near the coast.

The walk around the pond was pleasant enough but most sections looked the same, and some parts were a bit muddy.
We only saw a small part of the massive park. Hope to return to enjoy more of it.
Honestly, I don’t remember this very well because it was just like all the other state parks we went to. I’m just gonna give it 3 stars.
The trail was just like any other, a path around a lake.
it was fun! I had to go to to the bathroom. We saw swans and turtles.