Eastern Massachusetts hiking/bushcraft

[Mastalerz]

Hey everyone, just wondering if I could get some advice. I live in eastern Massachusetts, more specifically on the Rhode Island border about 5-10 minutes from providence if I take the highway. I have always gone up to New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont for my backpacking, camping, hiking, etc. I have recently been really interested in bushcraft and the more rugged overnights testing my skills. New Hampshire and the white mountain area is about 3 and a half hours from where I live and I'm really looking for some good spots to go locally or at least closer. Especially since these techniques are pretty new to me. I don't want to drive three and half hours, hike out deep into the woods of New Hampshire and struggle so badly I have a horrible trip. Additionally I work 6 days a week so making a day or two out of this is pretty hard to plan/do.

Does anyone know of some good areas around where I live where I could find some good woods to hike out into, do some overnights, maybe have a base camp and really not have to worry about private property or park rangers bothering me or fining me? I don't mind a bit of drive but hopefully it's not over three hours.

I'm so jealous of a lot of you guys having all these beautiful places to hike an camp, some of you even can just go in your backyard basically. I've always loved being in Massachusetts especially having the beautiful northeast region of NH, Vermont, and Maine only a few hours away to go on my vacations but with my new interests and enthusiasm into bushcraft and honing some self sufficient skills I really can not think of any easily accessible areas to to do these things. I was never much into guns or hunting but hearing a lot of you guys/girls talking about just going out with a .22 and hunting some squirrel sounds like some fun.

I really would love a good place to hike out, set up a base camp, maybe spend some overnights, and just get away on my days off. Ever since my last vacation I've been non stop craving some more Mother Nature, a place with possible fishing locations would really be perfect as well.

It's kind of sad that I have to drive so far just to get outdoors and enjoy the area as it is supposed to be naturally.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Nathan

 

[mvaller00]

I know it's been a little while since your post... I actually don't like that far from you and was in the same boat. Looking for ways to get away without having to go 3hours a way. For me, I'm from the New Bedford areal even the Blue Hills are about an hour away. I really wanted something a lot closer. I've found great day hikes in Dartmouth and I've heard and seen some videos of people doing bushcraft work fairly close by near Freetown state forest and or Copicut wood area.

I've even looked in my areas and have gone on some recon hikes (some good, some not so good) by using google maps along with topo maps to find areas. I wanted a place to go on a day off or a quick overnight or too... I feel ya.

-Mike

 

[pinnah]

There hasn't been anything "natural" about going into the woods since the frontier was settled.

There's are 2 really good reasons why you'll get fined for pursuing destructive camping techniques. One, the land you're on is managed by somebody who has a legitimate say in the matter. Might be the USFS. If it's state land in Mass, it will be the DCR. And obviously, if it's private land, it's the owner. Second, destructive practices (aka bushcraft) are destructive unless (and this is a huge if) they are done in places where the land has the ability to recover before the next person arrives.

The really big problem you're facing on public lands like the White Mountain National Forest, Blue Hills and State Parks is that a lot of people bushwack. There is really no place you can crawl into that hasn't seen another person before you and that won't see another person after you. Follow any stream in nearly any public land in New England and you'll find the marks of abused camp sites.

If you want to play "natural" and all that, my suggestion is to find a private land owner and work with them to allow you to hack up some of their stuff. Working forests might not mind or even would like you to pull out some "junk" by their definition and it won't be upsetting to the next backcountry traveler.

The other approach is to commit to learning minimum impact techniques (tent, stove) and supplement that with good fire making skills (can do this in your backyard) and use that to make fires in the few places where you can without damaging things for other people.

Here's how I think of it.... I enjoy it when I walk into a place, off trail and it looks pristine. I consider it my gift to the next guy to leave it that way. It's a way of paying it forward. If you hike in some of the places mentioned in this thread, there's a chance you'll hike where I've hiked. And you can thank me for leaving it looking nice. And hopefully my kids can thank you for doing the same for them. It's good karma.

 

[superpaco]

There hasn't been anything "natural" about going into the woods since the frontier was settled.

There's are 2 really good reasons why you'll get fined for pursuing destructive camping techniques. One, the land you're on is managed by somebody who has a legitimate say in the matter. Might be the USFS. If it's state land in Mass, it will be the DCR. And obviously, if it's private land, it's the owner. Second, destructive practices (aka bushcraft) are destructive unless (and this is a huge if) they are done in places where the land has the ability to recover before the next person arrives.

The really big problem you're facing on public lands like the White Mountain National Forest, Blue Hills and State Parks is that a lot of people bushwack. There is really no place you can crawl into that hasn't seen another person before you and that won't see another person after you. Follow any stream in nearly any public land in New England and you'll find the marks of abused camp sites.

If you want to play "natural" and all that, my suggestion is to find a private land owner and work with them to allow you to hack up some of their stuff. Working forests might not mind or even would like you to pull out some "junk" by their definition and it won't be upsetting to the next backcountry traveler.

The other approach is to commit to learning minimum impact techniques (tent, stove) and supplement that with good fire making skills (can do this in your backyard) and use that to make fires in the few places where you can without damaging things for other people.

Here's how I think of it.... I enjoy it when I walk into a place, off trail and it looks pristine. I consider it my gift to the next guy to leave it that way. It's a way of paying it forward. If you hike in some of the places mentioned in this thread, there's a chance you'll hike where I've hiked. And you can thank me for leaving it looking nice. And hopefully my kids can thank you for doing the same for them. It's good karma.

This is very good advice. And an approach I wish more people would take.

 

[raindog101]

I used to live in Western Mass, and we found plenty of places to bum around when I was a kid. Some nice places up by Quabbin Reservoir, Williamstown, north central and northwestern MA areas. I would recommend scouting out some places around the ski areas out there (Blandford, Brodie, Wachusett, Mt Tom), as most have readily available parking, and public trails on or near the mountain. I would also recommend checking out this site:
http://www.americantrails.org/resources/statetrails/MAstate.html
Some nice info on here, you should be able to find some stuff within 1-2 hours of you. If nothing else pans out, you could always crash the AT out by Dalton, or further south near the CT border (Sages Ravine), or Mount Greylock even. You have many options right in the state. I think you'll find something.

 

[Shotgun]

Another approach, while not as fun, is to get wood from neighbors and family that have cut a tree down or have trimmed some branches. Take it home and practice fuzz sticks, spoon carving, etc. It's not as good as being in the forest but if you're able to do things at home you'll do them more often.