Please remember when reading these are personal opinions. You are welcome to post a comment or register and write your own review of a State Park.
Places the Mattogno’s have visited:
D.A.R. State Forest in Goshen
We’ve been to the D.A.R. Forest. We haven’t gone camping there – YET, but we have been to the picnic and swimming area. People seem to use it as a day park. They bring big lunch and cook out in the grills. Some people bring hammocks to hang from the trees. I’m not sure I understand that totally but it’s been a long time since I did a full day trip to a lake.We would recommend this picnic beach area. Go early, it fills up fast. Cost $5 for parking. No floating devices allowed. Life gaurds on duty. Restroom and changing building available. Not super clean, but what you would expect for a beach bathroom.
We’d go back. We’d really like to try out their campground.
Natural Bridge State Park in North Adams
Here at this park there is a waterfall that carved bridge through the marble. I liked the park. If you find yourself in North Adams for some reason, it’s definitely worth a look see. I wouldn’t tell people to drive an hour and a half to see it.
The park was small. I wanted it to be much grander. Worth a look if you are in the area, but I would go with other stops in mind. It wouldn’t fill the day. It cost us $2 for parking.
We’d only go if we had other things going too or lived in the area. Our adventure there
Dunn State Park in Gardner
I met some friends here with little kids. Nice beach area, kinda on the small side. There was a nice playground for the kids and a separate area with swings.
A nice building with a place to sit inside. Some educational stuff on birds and other wildlife in the area. The bathroom were well taken care of, very clean. There was a place to change, clean and taken care of.
We were able to take the kids for small hike on the edge of the water.Very nice. There were some other people fishing there.
It was off season when we went, but it lists itself as having a $5 parking cost.
I’d go back to spend the day (if I was going to pay the parking).
Erving State Forest in Erving
We tried out there picnic/swimming area on Laurel Lake. There were great picnic tables all along water and through the woods near the beach. Seemed to have a lot of them.
They have a nice beach. Life guards on duty. Restroom and changing building available, but it’s a walk up hill to get there. Not super clean bathroom, but what you would expect for a beach bathroom.
We would go back.
Mt. Sugarloaf State Reservation in South Deerfield
Here you can hike or drive up the mountain. There are picnic tables but no grilling areas. There is a tower you can climb the stairs of and look out over the valley. It’s beautiful. Cost $2 for parking if you drive up. It’s not a bad hike.
Not a place you would go for the day unless you were having a cookout. We always went with a small picnic or snack for the kids. It’s a stop on a trip or a place to go if you live near by.
We’d go back.
Norwottuck Rail Trail in Northampton
This is a bike/walking path. It’s near our home so we absolutely love it. It’s not too busy at least not when we’ve been. It runs from Northampton to Amherst (for now 2007). They are working on expanding the trail. It has free parking. Our girls love it. We don’t get too far on it with them (still a little young to go too far).
We’d go again.
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