United States
Massachusetts (MA)
Hampshire County
Goshen
Things to Do in Goshen
DAR State Forest

DAR State Forest, Goshen: Address, Phone Number, DAR State Forest Reviews: 4.5/5

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DAR State Forest

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DAR State Forest
4.5
52
#2 of 3 things to do in Goshen
State Parks • Forests
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
52 reviews
Excellent
28
Very good
20
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
0
63impala
Stoneham, MA945 contributions
Great campground
Jun 2021
Absolutely loved the campground. Plenty of trails to hike, great camp sites for rent and plenty of other activities to keep you occupied. The campground fee was cheap at $17 for MA residents. Just be mindful that they require you to buy their firewood.
Written July 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
MassIS300
Pittsfield, MA126 contributions
Great low-key camping location
We stayed at the campgrounds (site 37) from Thursday through Sunday, July 10-13. We weren't sure what to expect - our previous experiences camping have been at more "touristy" destinations. Since this was only an hour up the road from where we lived, we decided to give it a try. We had booked the site back in February, and I'm glad we did because the good sites booked up by spring. We loved our site - very level, in the back of the park away from most of the traffic, near the bathroom/showers but more or less hidden by trees, adjacent to a hiking trail to the beach, and probably the largest site we saw. If we return in the future we're definitely going to return to 37 - we felt we were extremely lucky in our choice.

Some notes:

The gates are staffed until midnight. We had 3 cars, and they requested that any beyond 3 be put in the overflow parking. One evening my wife had to work late and met us there at midnight - leaving a 3rd car at the site. No one said anything, even the next morning when the camp workers were making their rounds.

Relatively quiet park. Happy family noise through about dusk, and then more or less peace. No teenagers yelling or making noise.

Bathrooms more or less clean, and showers are free (although bring sandals - the floor wasn't that great). Keep in mind there is only 1 bathroom w/showers - which is another reason why the neighboring 37 site was so great.

We tried both the public beach and the campers only beach. The public beach was a zoo. LOT'S of people, and I think there were actually a couple of buses that were brought in of "camp kids". We stayed away and went to the campers only beach - next to the campsites (walking distance), sandy beach, roped off, and fairly clean. Primarily camping families again, and low key. Lots of kayakers around as well - had wished we had brought ours.

They sell bundles of fire wood for $5 - we brought our own so didn't need it.

The fire tower is a must see. Beautiful views. You can drive there, but I recommend the hiking trail (about 20 minutes). It's uphill though, so be prepared for exercise. We took "Long Trail" back from the tower - turned out to be about 1.5 miles back - just enough for my 7 year old son.

Nature center was pretty cool too - stuffed moose, bear, owls, bobcats, etc. etc.

Feel free to ask if you have questions.
Written July 13, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
elizabethqueen
Hartford, CT225 contributions
Beautiful wooded location for car camping
Jul 2012 • Couples
DAR State Forest is a very nice campground in a heavily wooded setting with many hiking trails as well as a beach area, nature center, and wildlife viewing area. The campsites vary in size and level of privacy. We tent camped in a large and fairly private site with only one other campsite in view (across) . The campground has a no alcohol policy, but be discreet and no one will bother you. You have to purchase the wood on site for your fire, but it is only ten bucks for 3 good, dry bundles. Lots of families with kids come here but once quiet time hits at 10pm, it is very tranquil. Bathroom facilities were fine --- clean and accessible --- they even had Purell hand sanitizer. Water is readily available and distance will vary depending on your site location. Park rangers were helpful and asked if we needed more wood, and also told us about a "birds of prey" demo that was occurring at the nature center one night. Also you can bring your dog to DAR, but not to the beach area. Overall a very enjoyable experience at DAR.
Written July 30, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
CTVisitor33804
Hartford, CT5 contributions
Campground Too Noisy for Me
Jun 2018 • Solo
D.A.R. has a beautiful campground. Well maintained. The staff were nice when I checked in. However, I was looking for some peace and quiet the night before a kayaking outing and this was not the place for that on a weekend night in the summer. Lots of loud talking from a number of larger family groups at nearby sites and little kids running around everywhere. My site (#23) was good sized, clean, and level, but was unfortunately diagonally across from a bath house with the world's loudest flushing toilet and lots of loud conversation. A seemingly drunk disoriented man stumbled through the middle of my campsite looking for the bath house as I was packing to leave (3 hours after I arrived I decided to go home where it would be quieter). I camp in state parks, private campgrounds, and even crowded music festivals throughout the northeast a lot (20-25 nights a year) and typically don't encounter this level of activity and noise. Seemed like a family friendly place to get out, cook some food, let the kids run around, and just hang out and socialize if that's what you're looking for. Unfortunately, this was not the right place to just relax and enjoy the sounds of nature and some peace and quiet at my campsite - at least not on this particular day.
Written June 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
BeeGrrrl
Somerville, MA64 contributions
Great standard car-camping experience
Jun 2011 • Friends
I've been coming to the DAR campground for years with friends. It's a very easy place for stress-free car camping, especially if you live nearby. Book in advance, and try to choose a campsite that is more secluded. Some are very private and others are practically on top of each other. The bathroom facilities have always been in good condition, and the park rangers keep an eye on things but aren't too heavy-handed. It's primarily a family place, but it can be fun for young people too. Alcohol isn't allowed, but if you're drinking from a plastic cup, they aren't going to ask. I wouldn't go expecting to "party" but if you're respectful of quiet hours, it's a good place to have a chill, good time with friends.
Written June 20, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Wendy D
Plainfield, CT19 contributions
Awesome!
We LOVED our tent camping trip here! Beautiful forest setting with large fairly private, wooded campsites. PROs: The on-site lake with campers-only beach was pristine! We could clearly see the bottom even when in neck deep. There were several hiking trails and most were well maintained. On-site nature center has family/kids activities on the weekends, though we didn't get a chance to attend any. Bathrooms were very clean, well stocked, and in good condition. Two showers are available for free and are amazing! Large, clean, lots of hot water (my family of four showered back-to-back and the hot water never waned), and fantastic shower head. It is a state park, so is also super cheap at $14 a night! CONs: it is in a forest, so bring lots of bug spray! Also, keep all food and toiletry items locked away in locked car or in provided receptacles as you are in BEAR country! While eating dinner on our last night we saw a bear watching us in the forest about 40 yards from our picnic table (about 30 yards from our tent)! Awesome and unnerving at the same time...
Written June 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Cathy2882
Massachusetts15 contributions
Every time we go to DAR, we don't want to leave!
We have gone camping here a couple of times with our young son (5 now). We always have a great time. The park is kept very clean, including the bathrooms, showers and the beach. My son's favorite part is the Nature Center where they do activities for kids (and the young at heart) on the weekends. The firetower and "balancing rock" are really cool to see. We hike to each every time we go. I couldn't say enough good stuff about this park. We just came back from a 10 day trip there and are going back next month for a 5 day trip.
Written July 26, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jan D
Massachusetts20 contributions
Oak and Beech Forests
May 2015 • Family
We stayed for Memorial Day weekend in Site #37, which was large, flat and surrounded by beautiful green forest. It was a very private site, but a quick walk to the nearby bathroom which was always clean and stocked. Many of the sites were very private, especially on the outer ring. Site 37 is a hike from the camper's beach; we had our small grandchildren with us and chose to drive and park in the lot near the boat launch. Each site appeared to have a nice large fire ring, and a cast iron BBQ grill as well. Both grills adjusted so you could vary the heat. The picnic tables were large and long. It was easy to scavenge for wood since it's early in the season. I was actually surprised that we could have a campfire since we've been having Red Flag days due to the drought in the area. No sign of bears. There were bear lockers at each campsite. The campground was quiet at night; nothing rowdy. Overall, a lovely time!
Written May 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Asheley W
CT7 contributions
Great place to camp
Aug 2012 • Couples
My husband and I went to DAR State Forest for a weekend camping trip. The camp sites were clean and each has a picnic table and fire pit with grill grate on top. Some of the sites offer more privacy than others but the majority seem pretty average. We were at site 11 and seemed as though we had less privacy than most - no tree coverage between us an neighbors on either side. But we were a quick walk to the bathrooms and showers which were clean enough. The campers only beach was small but clean and beautiful to sit and look at the lake or jump in for a swim. This is a big family camping spot so there were lots of kids running around but nothing out of control. There were some great hiking trails and it seemed like all the kids were riding bikes around the campground roads. A quick drive from the campground is a general store that sells ice which was very convenient. Great place to go but we'll be looking to try some other camping spots in the future.
Written August 19, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Mike L
Northampton, MA356 contributions
Don't let the name fool you
Sep 2017 • Couples
Despite the unfortunate name, this place is idyllic and lovely. The large, quiet lake allows swimming and canoeing, there are beaches, places to camp and picnic, and trails through beautiful forests. The trails range in difficulty from wheelchair accessible to slightly challenging. Well worth a visit.
Written September 4, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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