- Willowdale State Forest, Topsfield
Willowdale State Forest offers 40 miles of trails. Part of the forest abuts Bradley Palmer State Park, which is also beautiful. The forest crosses into both Topsfield and Ipswich. I found the trails to be pretty quiet. Along the trail we took we encountered forest, meadows, and river.
2. Harold Parker State Forest, Andover
Harold Parker is the state forest that Max and I frequent the most. I find that it is rarely over-crowded and if busy at all, it is typically busy with people fishing as opposed to hiking. Harold Parker offers 56 miles of trails. Our favorite ponds to walk around/swim in are Fields Pond and across the street Stearns Pond.
3. Leominster State Forest, Leominster
Leominster State Forest is comprised of over 40 miles of hiking trails. The state forest spreads across five towns: Leominster, Fitchburg, Princeton, Sterling, and Westminster. We did not encounter anyone else on the trail when we did this hike and Max enjoyed taking a dip in Paradise Pond. Fair warning- Max once got quilled by a porcupine hiking here off leash a few years ago!
4. Upton State Forest, Upton
Upton State Forest is a 2300 acre forest comprised of mostly hiking and horseback riding trails. There is plenty of parking available and I found all the trails to be really well labeled with many signs so it was impossible to get lost. Every single dog we encountered was on leash. We hiked a loop that included Dean Pond so that Max could swim.
5. Douglas State Forest, Douglas
We really loved this state forest. Douglas State Forest is located where three states meet: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The star attraction at Douglas State Forest would be Wallum Lake, which offers boating and a large beach. There are lake houses scattered along the shore. Max had a blast on our hike and was able to swim in the Whiten Reservoir. The deep forest was beautiful and peaceful. We went on a rainy day and had the trail to ourselves.
