Myles Standish State Forest, Carver, Massachusetts Myles Standish State Forest is the largest publicly owned recreation area in southeastern Massachusetts, offering an extensive trail network across itsover 12,000 acres. The forest features 13 miles of hiking trails that travel deep into a forest of pine and oak trees, withdesignated hiking trails ranging in length from 2.5 miles to 8 miles. Difficulty varies from easy to challenging; the East Head Loop is a 2.6-mile easy path hugging the shoreline of East Head Pond, while the Pine Barrens Path is 8 miles one-way and rated difficult. Most trails are out-and-back or loop styles traversing mixed terrain. The standout feature is thelargest pitch pine and scrub oak forest north of Long Island at 26 square miles, offering a unique ecosystem found nowhere else in New England. Dozens of coastal kettle ponds dot the landscape among the 12,000 acres of forests, andthe forest includes the third-largest pine barrens in the world. Trails feature kettle ponds, wild cranberries, mosses, and pine pitch forests. Wildlife includes white-tailed deer, wild turkey, red squirrel, gray fox, northern red-bellied cooters, and over 130 bird species.