| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Douglas State Forest, MA/CT/RI tri-state border, MA |
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 | Trails: |
Midstate Trail, Tri-State Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking in lots on both sides of Route 16 in Douglas. My vehicle was the only one there for the sunrise start and early afternoon finish. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Wooden bridge over one stream; no other visible water crossings on this route. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails in excellent shape, with clear signage, plenty of yellow triangles denoting the Midstate Trail, and no blowdowns. Only tricky spot was finding the southbound continuation of the Midstate Trail after the Douglas Shelter- there were no visible blazes or signs, but trial and error led me to another series of yellow triangles before long. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a couple on the groomed snowmobile trails closer to Wallum Lake. Many of the trails in Douglas State Forest would be great for them. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This was an out-and-back on the Midstate Trail from Route 16 in Douglas, MA to just past the RI border (where the North-South Trail diverged right from the wide forest road into the woods). I also took a side trip on the aptly-named Tri-State Trail to visit the monument where you can stand in MA, CT, and RI at the same time, or find other ways to celebrate a stone post in the woods. Snowshoes were absolutely mandatory for the northern 2 miles of the Midstate Trail, and for the Tri-State Trail. There was plenty of Type 2 fun getting through 6 inches (sometimes more) of untracked powder. The return trip was somewhat easier, though as the temperatures warmed up, my snowshoes were definitely sinking in to a greater depth than they had before. Thank goodness for snowmobiles, which made for nicely packed trail and fast travel through much of the area closer to Wallum Lake. I had originally planned to go all the way to Buck Hill Rd. in RI before turning around, but when I saw no tracks with 3.5 miles to go on the North-South Trail, I quickly abandoned that idea. Route details on Unnecessary Climb! |
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 | Name: |
Jason |
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 | E-Mail: |
kurlando7@hotmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-02-10 |
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 | Link: |
 https://unnecessaryclimb.wordpress.com/midstate-trail-route-16-to-ri-border/ |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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