Savoy Mountain State Forest

Savoy Mountain State Forest is a Massachusetts state forest located in Savoy and Florida. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Description

Savoy Mountain State Forest is a remote park along the Hoosac Mountain Range popular for fishing, camping, and hiking.

Features of the park include 45 campsites and 4 log cabins available for rental, 4 ponds (North, South, Bog, and Burnett), and 7 hill and mountain summits, including Lewis Hill (2177 ft), Flat Rock Hill (2195 ft), Spruce Hill (2566 ft), and Borden Mountain (2505 ft). Also within the forest are at least two notable waterfalls, Parker Brook Falls and Tannery Falls, the latter of which is a 100' foot drop.

History

Savoy Mountain State Forest is located atop the Hoosac Mountain Range in northwestern Massachusetts. The Hoosac Range is an extension of the Green Mountains of Vermont, and is the first mountain barrier encountered rising west of the Connecticut River Valley. "Hoosac" is an Algonquin word meaning "place of stones". Settlement of these remote towns of Florida and Savoy by farmers began in the early 19th century. The construction of the Hoosac Tunnel (1851-75) for railroad transportation created a momentary population boom. After its completion the tunnel workers left. Many moved down in the valley to Adams or North Adams to work in the woollen mills, or headed west to join in the great land rush for better farmland. Savoy Mountain State Forest was created in 1918 with the purchase of 1,000 acres (4 km²) of this abandoned farmland. During the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) reforested much of this area with Norway and Blue Spruce, and built new concrete dams at Bog, Burnett and Tannery Pond to replace older dams. Today, apple trees interspersed throughout the campground and stonewalls are some reminders of the once vibrant farming history. [http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/mgrc.htm "Department of Conservation and Recreation: Savoy Mountain State Forest"] Retrieved July 3, 2006.]

Recreational opportunities

*Boating (non-motorized)
*Camping
*Canoeing
*Educational/Interpretive Programs
*Fishing
*Hiking
*Historic Site
*Hunting (restricted)
*Mountain Biking
*Nature and Birding Trails
*Picnicking
*Restrooms
*Scenic Viewing Area
*Showers
*Skiing (Cross-Country)
*Swimming
*Walking Trails

External links

*Park Website: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/svym.htm
*Trail Map (Summer): http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/savoy-summer.gif
*Trail Map (Winter): http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/savoy-winter.gif
* [http://www.berkshires.org/ Berkshire Visitor's Bureau]

References