The Cranberry Bog

Massasoit State Park has one cranberry bog left, beside the entrance road near the contact station, and it is the reason DCR calls fall the best time to visit: the bog's leaves turn bright red against the dark pines. Park free at the main entrance lot at 1361 Middleboro Avenue. Two of DCR's suggested hikes, the Adams Trail and the Rico Trail, start right here.

Why There Is a Bog in a State Park

When the state bought Massasoit in 1962, the land included cranberry bogs still being farmed, along with the reservoirs that flooded them for harvest. In 1973 most of those bogs went under water when Lake Rico was created. DCR's plan says the single bog that remains at the entrance "harkens back to the Park's history of cranberry growing." Working cranberry farms still border the park to the east and southwest.

When to See It

DCR's park page singles out fall, when you can see "the contrast of scarlet cranberry bogs and pine trees." Fall weekends are also busy, and hunting is allowed in the park in season, so wear something bright if you walk on into the woods.

Look, Don't Walk

Stay on the road edge and trails. The bog is a cultivated planting, not a trail, and DCR's plan is weighing its future.

What Happens to It Next

DCR's 2023 plan recommends assessing the bog's condition and deciding whether it is better kept in active agriculture, possibly with a cranberry grower or agricultural school as a partner, or restored to natural wetland. The plan also suggests pollinator fields next to it. For now it stays as the landscaped centrepiece of the entrance.

Walks From the Bog

• Adams Trail: DCR starts it near the bog; 2.1 miles one way to Fisherman's Landing on Big Bearhole Pond, moderate.
• Rico Trail: 2 easy miles in the northern end of the park, from the same lot.

See hiking and the trail map.

More Cranberry Country Nearby

Working cranberry farms border Massasoit to the east and southwest, according to DCR's plan. They are private farms, not part of the park, so view them only from public roads.