Otter River State Forest, MA

 Otter River State Forest is located in north-central Massachusetts just north of Templeton. The park is well-maintained and the state has recently spent some money on improvements. All the roads are newly-paved and the bathhouse is the most modern one we have found at a Massachusetts park. The main activities here are hiking and swimming in the small pond. The campground was not designed for larger RV's - sites are on the small side and many are quite uneven and hilly.

Date of visit: Aug 2017

We visited Otter River in late August and found lots of empty sites. Shown here are are sites 7 and 9.

Sunny sites are hard to come by here. One of the exceptions is site 12 which borders on a small brook behind it.

Normally Massachusetts limits stays to 14 days, but site 17 had the appearance of having been occupied for bit longer than that.

Site 18 offers some privacy.

Many of the sites here are really only suitable for tents. In some cases, such as here on site 19, a van, pickup camper or popup trailer might work out.

Site 32A is a large, private site not too far from one of the bathhouses.

These three sites, 38, 39 and 41, are more open than most and being closer together would be good for a large family or group of friends who want to camp near each other.

With a view of the pond in the distance, sites 49 and 48 are quite pleasant.

These two sites, 50 and 51, are definitely for tenters only - small and very uneven ground.

Site 64 is nice site right beside the campers' swimming beach, making it a good choice for a family with children.

One must walk down a short but steep hill to reach site 67 from its parking spot.

Sites 74 and 75 have the disadvantage of being in the upper loop of the campground which is near the highway. Traffic noise from the road is quite loud in this area.

Site 78 is one that offers a little sun and a grassy area.

There are three group camping sites - this is site B.

There are two older style bathhouses in the campground.....

....as well as this centrally-located new bathhouse with hot showers.

At the rear of the new bathhouse is a sink where campers can wash their dishes.

Don't have much camping gear? Not a problem, you can rent one of four yurts.

Beamans Pond, although small, has two swimming beaches: the near one is in the park's day-use area while a separate beach for campers is on the far shore.

There are several miles of hiking trails at Otter River, including this two-mile trail.

Fees

76 sites (no hookups): $27 ($17 for MA residents)

Yurts: $60 ($45 for MA residents)

Tel: 978-939-8962

Open late May - early October

Amenities

 Activities

 Hiking, fishing, swimming

Entrance gate coordinates: 42.621059, -72.075054

Elevation: 912ft ~ 278m

Campsite Map