Tolland State Forest is a 4,415-acre DCR forest in the southern Berkshire foothills, wrapped around the long, irregular shoreline of Otis Reservoir. The forest crosses four towns (Tolland and Blandford on the Pioneer Valley (Hampden County) side, and Otis and Sandisfield on the Berkshire County side), but the recreational core, the campground and the day-use beach, sits on a wooded peninsula that pushes north into the reservoir from the Tolland shore.
Otis Reservoir
The reservoir is the centerpiece. At 1,065 acres and about three miles long, it is one of the largest recreational lakes in western Massachusetts, with several small islands and a deeply scalloped, mostly forested shoreline. The state owns the southern and western reaches; the northern shore is a mix of summer cottages and year-round homes.
The day-use area at the state forest has a paved boat ramp suitable for trailered powerboats, a roped-off swimming beach, and a picnic area on the peninsula. Unlike many Pioneer Valley ponds, Otis Reservoir is open to motorboats and water skiing, which gives the lake a different feel from the small, quiet ponds at D.A.R. or Wendell State Forest. Fishing is the other big draw: the reservoir holds bass, perch, tiger muskellunge, and catfish, and is stocked with trout in spring and fall.
Camping
The DCR campground occupies the peninsula on the Tolland side of the reservoir, with wooded sites scattered along loop roads under tall white pine and hemlock. It is one of the larger state forest campgrounds in Massachusetts, with sites typically reservable mid-May through mid-October through the state park reservation system. Several sites are within a short walk of the water; a few are essentially waterfront. DCR lists comfort stations for campers, non-electric RV sites with 35-foot driveways, no dump station, and no walk-ins; reservations are required and only registered campers may enter the campground.
Trails and the wider forest
Beyond the developed core, the forest is mostly woods and old wood roads. Trails are open to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding in the warm months, and to cross-country skiing and snowmobiling in winter; off-road vehicles are permitted on designated routes. The terrain is hilly hilltown country rather than rugged (rolling, wooded ridges between small streams and beaver ponds) and the forest is lightly traveled outside the campground area. Hunting is permitted in season, so blaze orange in November is wise.
The state forest is the largest recreational property in this corner of the hilltowns, and pairs naturally with the quieter walking and view at Glendale Falls in Middlefield to the north or a back-roads loop through Granville to the south.
What to know
- Day-use season. Boat ramp, beach, and campground run roughly mid-May through mid-October. Off-season access to the forest itself is on foot from the gate.
- Parking fee. DCR lists 2026 daily parking fees from May 23 through September 7: $8 for Massachusetts-plated vehicles and $30 for out-of-state vehicles.
- Swimming. At the beach only.
- Boating. Motorboats up to 24 feet are allowed on Otis Reservoir; boats with bathrooms are not allowed.
- Pets. Dogs must remain on leash and are not allowed on the beach.
- Berkshire/Pioneer Valley line. The western half of the forest is technically in Berkshire County rather than the Pioneer Valley, but the day-use core and the campground are on the Tolland (Hampden County) side.