October Mountain State Forest

First off no same day reservations or walk ups allowed, second it yells you that the fee is $17.50 per site, I expected a little added extra fee for booking etc.... check out was $58.50 per night. I would have if they weren't so manipulative about it.

I tent camped here in night while exploring the fishing in Western Massachusetts.

The campsite was peaceful and quiet and mostly tucked into the hillside.

I did see the electrical station at the entrance but the sound didn’t reach where I was staying at site 33. To avoid that sound, I would suggest sites further up the road.

The sites offered medium privacy. Site 33 was built into a slope in the hill, so it required walking up a short set of stairs, but the tent site was level.

I didn’t explore the hiking trails but it seems very convenient that you could leave into the trails right from the campground.

For any fly fishing folks, this campground is very close to the Housatonic (catch and release only!)

We stayed here October 2016 and had a great time.

The bathrooms were clean and well-maintained.

Campsite #3 was level and plenty big for our fiberglass camper and our tent. (And car)

Hiking was MOST EXCELLENT!!!
We got to walk to the Appalachian trail. (First time for me)

There was an absolutely GIANT beaver dam.

The trails were completely perfectly maintained with some 2x6 boards over the muddy bits so our boots didn't get wet.

The leaves were starting to turn, but it was a bit early in the season to get really fantastic foliage.

We stayed here October 7 2016 and had a wonderful hiking experience.

The campground is a bit noisy with machinery, but we didn't mind.

It cost me $52 because I am not a Massachusetts resident, per night. I got site number one you can hear the hum of the electric station. The Ranger said he doesn’t even notice it anymore. The trails are pretty it’s Labor Day weekend I’m lucky to have a spot. Would not recommend it.

Absolutely beautiful! Highly recommend renting a yurt while staying at October Mnt. Clean and super comfortable

Beautiful area to hike. Quiet off the beaten path. There are 3 yurts available May-October (no dogs allowed in the yurts☹️. There are several tent sits available. Dogs are welcomed here! Every site has a fire pit and a picnic table.Highly recommend staying here if you are in the area!

The pros: bathrooms are clean with three stalls (women). Free showers. Good location for hunting

Cons: what site you get makes all the difference. There are Many, I would say most, Sites that you feel very exposed (Like I would jot be comfortable staying there) and out in the open. Just plopped next to someone on the grass. I want to feel like im in the woods. Look for the sites that go off to the side (not on the loops) like 39-40. Additionally, there is a station nearby that offers a constant hum and during the week there are trucks going in and out of before 7am. The closer to the street side the worse it is. The far off sites (like 39-40) the sound is still there but more distant. Sites are closer together and on the smaller side

**General Notes: **

We had a nice time overall  this place is A quirky little campground that feels like an X-Files Location.  

This is a smallish campground which is divided into two sections: RV (lower area near entrance) and Tent (upper area).  However, there are tents allowed in the RV section as well.   RV area is wide open with no privacy and Tent area is more wooded with more privacy.  All sites are very close to one another.  

We stayed at site 37 in the upper tent area. 

Pros:

1.Nice  & helpful staff

2.Very clean bathrooms with very clean shower

3. Access to stunning hiking trails, including the Appalachian Trail

Cons:

1. Several of the upper area tent sites are basically on a ramp.  It was almost comical how slanted the site(s) was.  Things would slide off the picnic table often and we tried to level the table but then our feet could barely touch the ground when sitting - adorably comical. 

2. In other reviews, you will read about the hum from power station which is directly across the street from the site … it's real.   We had it less at site 37 than the lower sites. 

3. There would also be a train that would pass by - trains can be charming but this one seemed to stop often near by and rev it's engine for about an hour … it was very strange. 

4. You may see in another review (which I think is no longer up now?) that there are a fair amount of Daddy Long Legs.   There are.   A lot.  We know that bugs are a part of camping, absolutely  … but this was almost boarding on, well  …  an X-Files episode.  They are  e v e r y w h e r e.   Some standing guard as if they want to stay out you way.  Others rushing around as if they are trying to get home because they realized they left the gas on.   We always are mindful of our tent zippers and so we had no visitors inside our tent … but they were very abundant.

This campground is at the base of October mountain. The sites are varied from grassy meadows by the entrance to wooded canopys uphill. Facilities were good, cleaned frequently. Great trail system starts right at the edge of the campground also. Great over all experience for this first timer.

A clean and for the most part quiet camp spot. However it is near an electrical plant that has a hum all day & night—makes for great white noise when sleeping.

There is a road that seems to house construction vehicles that were busy going by early evening and early morning.

The park is great if you are traveling and need to pull off the interstate to rest your head and get a shower. The bathrooms were very clean.

The staff were all incredibly nice and helpful. I felt safe in this campground.

The photos people posted are deceiving as they are taken from other places and not right in the campsite.

I would stay here again when passing through but would not make it a multi day stay.

For some, the strange people who haunt certain grounds are a plus. For the rest of us, they are just a regular feature of the land west of the great Massassippi River. Anyway, being some of the first people to hit a campground like this one early in the season certainly has it’s benefits. For one, the bathrooms are cleeean as hail, and this place is really well-appointed. Pooping in relative comfort basically makes this glamping. They even have a big ole nice sink to wash your dirty dishes (and whatever other unmentionables, if you nasty), clean water spigots, RV sites with hookups, plenty of wood for sale, forage, or barter, and flat campgrounds with concrete fire pits with built in grill grates and wooden picnic tables. All amenities are within close walking distance, which is also a plus. The trails in October Mountain State Forest are very pretty, with some grand vistas to pull over if you’re some sort of nature pervert or lookie loo. Good fishin’ and mushroom hunting and other things white folks like to do in these parts, too.

Now let’s get to the cons:

bugs- this place, at the end of May is positively swarming with mosquitoes and gnats, even in the 2 rainy and cold-ass nights we spent there, the flies were everpresent. It’s Hitchcockian; and I don’t want to make any accusations or cast aspersions, but these insects are prejudiced, at best.

massholes- these are a given. I’m one so I know.

rangers- because this is a state park, you will have ranger patrols consisting of, um, rangers, some of whom might be more interested in what’s in your coozie than others, because, you know, rules. That said, we had no enforcement issues, but then again the camp ground was empty. Otherwise, unless you’ve got one of the few yurts onthe property, the campsites aren’t far enough apart that you ever really feel secluded. They’re not too bad, though, plenty of room.

This place, overall, is a good time if it’s not below 60 and wet.

The campground has 3 sections, located on different tiers of a hill. The lower level has RV sites, middle has tent sites, and upper has a few yurts. Each level has a bath house (3 toilet stalls and 1 shower in the lower level; it was run-down but clean enough). Outside the entrance station (near the RV sites) is a HUGE power station that emits a hum constantly. Super annoying and an eyesore. You’ll see many vehicles drive-by with boats or ATVs in tow as the state forest also has areas suitable for their use. Accessible from the campground are a few hiking trails. Monument Mountain is a popular hiking spot about 20 minutes away and Bash Bish Falls State Park is about 45 minutes away. Note: Massachusetts does not allow alcohol in their parks.

You have to check out the marsh trail it is absolutely stunning. The camp ground is very close to the local supper market and not much further from a hospital

Our specific site was a little close to others, but not all were like that. The facilities were clean and the campground was fairly quiet. There are tons of hiking and driving trails around the area to keep yourselves occupied. The whole area is a really nice area.

Some of the sites are very visible and a few are tucked away into the woods with privacy. Most are pretty close to their neighbors. Although we were here on Wednesday and Thursday during the summer and the campground was pretty quiet after 9PM. The rangers are super friendly and the bathrooms are clean.