Myles Standish State Forest

One of the largest public recreation areas in Massachusetts: nearly 13,000 acres of globally rare pitch pine–scrub oak barrens dotted with 16 kettle ponds south of Plymouth. Swimming beaches at College and Fearing ponds, 15 miles of paved bike paths, equestrian and hiking trails, and hundreds of campsites make it the region's outdoor anchor — and a quiet counterweight to Plymouth's history-heavy waterfront.