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Roxbury State Forest

Roxbury, Washington County 5,509 acres

A dirt road winding through late fall foliage on the Rice Block.

General Description:

Roxbury State Forest is made up of 3 blocks.  The Rice and Vogt Blocks are on the eastern slope of the Northfield Range and include Rice Mtn. elevation 3,060 ft.  It is primarily a hardwood forest with significant slopes and many headwater streams that flow southeast to the Connecticut River.  The Cram Hill Block is on the other side of the Roxbury Valley and sits atop Cram Hill and surrounding rolling hills.  The forest is managed for multiple uses, including timber management, dispersed recreation, and wildlife habitat protection.

Unique Features:

One unique aspect of Roxbury State Forest is its history with the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps.).  The access road on the Rice Block was built by the CCC’s, containing many impressive culverts and at one time 3 significant bridges.  The CCC’s built at least two other significant access roads within the forest, as well as building a dam on the Cram Hill Block, complete with a log cabin style leanto for camping.  The men of the CCC also planted many trees and treated 800 acres with timber stand improvement within the forest.

Recreation Overview:

The short trail to the CCC dam and pond is the only maintained trail within Roxbury State Forest.  The rest of the forest is suitable for remote camping, backcountry hiking, skiing and snowshoeing.  Hunters may find it a challenge, but there is good habitat for white tailed deer, moose and black bear within Roxbury State Forest. • Links to pages about the available recreation on FPR’s recreation activities pages. If possible, use anchored information. External links are not recommended.

Additional Information:

The Rice Tract Road, which goes up the Flint brook drainage, has seen significant work in the past decade to provide reliable access and to protect and enhance water quality.  Almost a quarter mile of road was constructed to remove the need for two large stream crossings.  In addition, a bridge upstream that was damaged during tropical storm Irene was replaced with a larger concrete bridge that will provide access for both forest management and recreation.  

Roxbury State Forest Long Range Management Plan