Parking

Myles Standish State Forest Cranberry Road P. O. Box 66 South Carver, MA 02366 1.508.866.2526 Camping Reservations: 1.877.422.6762  (1.877.I Camp MA) Specify reservation is for Horse Camping in the Charge Pond Equestrian Campground.

Horseback Riding & Horse Camping! Camping - Hiking - Bicycling - Mountain Bike Riding - Snowmobiling - Swimming - Horseback Riding & Driving - Hunting and Fishing in season. Camping of all types opened on April 10, 1999. Reservations for Horse Camping should be made with the crew at the Forest, telephone number is to the left. There should be plenty of space. If they tell you the park is full call Bob & Pat Desroisers at 1.508.763.3298 and talk to them. Don't take no for an answer. Email them, nevana@aol.com. Proof of negative Coggins and rabies vaccine must be shown at check-in. Ride on over 90 miles of trails right from your campsite!

Myles Standish is a multi-seasonal, multi-use State Forest also encompassing the Myles Standish Wildlife Management Area. Approximately 15,000 acres of diverse land from cranberry and pine barrens to lush, deep pine forest. This area is rich in history, there are Alden Road and Priscilla Road, Mast Road and Howland Road that all hark to the "Pilgrims" that are the most famous first inhabitants of this area. In addition to the expected ancient ways there are 15 miles of paved bike trails that travel throughout the Forest. There are several crystal clear ponds for boating (no motors), fishing and swimming. There are many campsites, but you need to make reservations as they are full all season.

The one exception to this is the Horse Campground (photo below) at Charge Pond. The is a newly reopened area comprised of 14 sites and a wonderful, clean bathhouse with hot water and showers. You will have to bring your own fencing and equipment as the sites are primitive but this is heaven for horse campers. This is also the only Mass. State Forest to offer horse camping that I know of. This is available due to the efforts of Bob & Pat Desroisers of Freetown, MA. They worked hard to get this approved and did most of the site work themselves, clearing the sites and painting the bathhouse as well as doing a lot of plumbing. Water is available at most sites and the rest is a short walk, less that 100 feet. Even I can do that!

Site 12, Charge Pond Campground

Myles Standish Wildlife Management Area

A large part of the land area that we call Myles Standish is actually a "Wildlife Management Area". There are dozens of these areas all across the State of Massachusetts. The land is purchased and maintained with funds derived by the sale of hunting, fishing and sporting licenses and a tax on sporting goods. Tack and riding equipment is not included in this tax. When horse folks use these lands we are the guests of the sportsmen who support them. In no way do we have a right to use these areas. No general fund taxes are used here. If you want to support the maintenance of Wildlife Management Lands, buy a sporting license. You don't have to kill anything and your money goes toward the land that you use for riding. Remember when riding on Wildlife Management Lands, hunting, fishing and trapping is allowed, it's even encouraged and they have a right. Horses are guests, the sportsmen are our hosts. You may not agree with them but they are doing their thing on their land, horse people should be half as organized, dedicated and well funded!

Staging Areas in Myles Standish State Forest

Cutter Field Road is as far into Myles Standish as you can get, the end at Camp Squanto is only 6 miles from the Sagamore Bridge! Cutter Field Road is in the Myles Standish Wildlife Management Area, there is a little about these areas above. There are several long fields that are stocked with quail in the fall for the hunters. Just go into the Forest from Long Pond, go left onto Upper College Pond Road past Gate 30 and continue on straight. Do not take the detour to the right which is Halfway Pond Road. The road forks but with the bridge closed you can only go left now, so go left on Fearing Pond Road to Fearing Pond. This is where the Hanson Riding Club used to have it's rides. The road forks to the right at the Pond and goes up a hill and makes a SHARP right, this is Cutter Field Road. Go down Cutter Field until the road drops into a small hollow and makes a little S turn, we park at the top of the hill. The Gate 30 lot and the Cutter Field parking spot are the only places (usually) that I park when using the Forest. Gate 30 is just about smack in the middle and Cutter Field is on the Southeast or Bottom of the Forest. I will sometimes park out by Federal Pond but usually only when the Forest is busy and a trailer would be in the way at Gate 30. Why do I call it Gate 30? All the gates have a number stenciled on them, the gate to that lot is Gate 30, it's right next to Gate 29 which is across Three Cornered Pond Road. Three Cornered Pond Road is the only road that goes (almost) all the way across the Forest, from Mast Road in the East to West Line Road in the West. Another place to park is the Equestrian Parking Area on Halfway Pond Road. It's a half mile up a dirt road and right behind the Barrett Pond Campground. I don't care for this spot because it isn't visible from the street and if riding alone nobody would see your trailer there if something happened. There has been a student from UMass, I think, doing a study of the bluebirds in the fields off Cutterfield Road. You will notice many nest boxes and they should be occupied in the Spring and Summer. I used to mistake the Bluebirds for Tree Swallows. My logo is a Barn Swallow.

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