Home | Places We've Been | Nearby Campsites | Getting Started | Recipes! | Camping Style | Packing | Resources
Laurel Lake Campground
Erving State Forest
Erving, MA:
- Dates: July 27–29, 2001.
- With: The Kropfs
- Vibe: Densely wooded sites within walking distance to a small swimming lake.
- Pros: Quiet, Sites nicely spaced, real forest feel; pleasant lake with a nice beach and good swimming
- Cons: Minor stuff: pit toilets; showers were somewhat distant from our site; 156 miles (as the crow flies) from New York.
- Verdict: Just another terrific Massachusetts state campground! Well worth the distance from NYC.
This free script provided by JavaScript Kit
Steve's Review:
As a child, my family and I camped several times in Western Massachusetts. Heading west from Boston on Route 2, the scenery is pretty pedestrian. All of a sudden, when you get to Erving, it all changes. There's a stretch of Route 2 along the Miller's River where you can always see trout fishermen in waders, and in the fall, there's something about the colors, the light and the motion that makes the overall effect absolutely intoxicating! From there, you cross over the vast Connecticut River Valley and begin the slow and dramatic climb up to the glorious Berkshire Hills.
Although we never stopped in Erving on these family trips, it always made quite an impression on me.
As it turns out, my dear college friend, Aaron, grew up (and now lives) a dozen miles from Erving, in Amherst. One of the things we share in common is our love of the outdoors (He used to be an Outward Bound instructor!). We figured out early on that we had camped in many of the same places as kids. Aaron always spoke highly of Laurel Lake.
Now that we have families of our own, it seemed like a logical place to meet up for a joint camping trip. It's a lovely spot! The 29 campsites are on a one-way road on the hillside above the lake. There's not a lot of traffic on the road because the day-use area traffic uses the two-way road by the lake. The forest is dense, so it is difficult to even see the lake from camp.
Aaron and Jana have a daughter who is just a few weeks older than our little guy, who's almost two. The other guy is four, so the three of them had a great time together. The lake is pretty gentle and the beach area is shallow, so the adults were able to relax when the kids were in the water.
There are a couple of hiking trails and several unpaved roads through the park, but the terrain is mellow. Other than swimming, there's not a ton of things to do here, so families with active kids may prefer other parks. We had a great time, though.
—SBW
