Massasoit State Park is a public recreation area located on the southeast side of the city of
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, with some parklands spilling into the adjacent
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
of
Lakeville. The
state park encompasses more than 1200 heavily wooded acres that include six lakes and ponds (
Lake Rico
Lake Rico is a freshwater lake within Massasoit State Park in Taunton, Massachusetts. The lake takes up about nearly a quarter of Massasoit State Park. There are many coves, Much of its coastline is heavily forested, although there is a non-design ...
, Furnace Pond, King's Pond, Middle Pond, Little Bearhole Pond, and Big Bearhole Pond) and numerous
cranberry bogs.
[
]
Features
The park has an extensive trail system for walking, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and equestrian use. A launch for non-motorized boats is located at the north end of Lake Rico. A fisherman's landing is found on Big Bearhole Pond. Hunting is available on a restricted basis.[
]
2008 lightning strike
A lightning strike in 2008 disabled the park's underground electric system, resulting in the closure of much of the park.[ Interior sections were reopened to vehicular traffic in 2015, with the reopening of the park's 126-site campground in remaining as a long-term goal, according to officials.][
The park later reopened completely in 2018.Baker-Polito Administration Reopens Massasoit State Park Campground.]
Retrieved May 20, 2020
References
External links
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Massasoit State Park Trail Map
Department of Conservation and Recreation
{{authority control
State parks of Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts
Massachusetts natural resources
Parks in Bristol County, Massachusetts