Mount Grace State Forest

Mount Grace State Forest is a publicly owned forest with recreational features located in the town of Warwick. The state forest centers around Mount Grace, which at 1,621 feet (494 m) is the third highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River after Mount Wachusett and Mount Watatic. It is bordered by portions of Warwick State Forest to the east and west and is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.[2][3]

Mount Grace State Forest
View from the firetower on Mount Grace
Location in Massachusetts
LocationWarwick, Franklin, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°41′47″N 72°20′49″W
Area1,578 acres (6.39 km2)[1]
Established1920
Governing bodyMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteMount Grace State Forest

History

Mount Grace is said to be named after the baby daughter of Mary Rowlandson, a woman captured by Wompanoag warriors during King Philip's War, who according to legend buried her deceased infant at the foot of the mountain during the march to Canada.[2]

By the turn of the 20th century, the mountain had been largely deforested, and conservationists, including former Warwick resident Dr. Paul W. Goldsbury, promoted the idea of having the state purchase it to create a state forest. Picnic and skiing facilities were built beginning in 1930,[4] after legislation for the purchase passed in 1920.[5] Crews with the Civilian Conservation Corps contributed summer and winter recreational features that included a 4.7 miles (7.6 km) snowshoeing trail.[6]

The summit's 68-foot (21 m) fire lookout tower was built in 1939. It is accessible to the public and offers impressive views of the surrounding areas. It is the third tower to have been constructed on Mount Grace.[7]

Activities and amenities

Forest trails used for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing include a portion of the long-distance Metacomet-Monadnock Trail. The forest also offers picnicking and restricted hunting.[2]

References
  1. "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  2. "Mount Grace State Forest". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  3. "Mount Grace State Forest Map" (PDF). MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  4. Charles Morse, Warwick, Massachusetts: Biography of a Town (Cambridge: Dresser, Chapman, and Grimes, 1963), p. 179
  5. Massachusetts (June 4, 1920). "Chapter 606. An Act to Establish Mount Grace as a State Forest" (PDF). Acts, 1920. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  6. "The Civilian Conservation Corps: A Statewide Survey of Civilian Conservation Corps Resources". Prepared by Shary Page Berg (Beth McKinney, ed.) for the Massachusetts Office of Historic Resources. January 1999. pp. 81–82. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  7. "Warwick Fire Tower". National Historic Lookout Register. American Resources, Inc. and Forest Fire Lookout Association. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
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