Franklin State Forest

The Franklin State Forest (not to be confused with the Franklin Town Forest on the other side of town) is an 880+ acre tract of land [1] ideal for hiking and biking that seems to be massively underused by the town residents. The main trailhead on Grove St. [2] is a bit rocky and hilly right by the entrance — nothing technical — but it gets better the farther in you go. The trails are quite a bit smoother if you enter on Forge Hill Rd by the YMCA [3].
Dirt biking is allowed May to November [4] and hunting is allowed October to February [5]. Mountain/​dirt bikers can access the trails from the SNETT to the south [6]. There is also no shortage of geocaching if that’s what suits you.
I’ve knocked down the rating a bit due to the difficulty of navigating the trails deeper in the woods (you’d better have a trail map) and because I’m always a bit dubious about exploring the woods in hunting season. If you’re comfortable with those factors then this is a great area to explore year-​round.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy loop then I recommend starting from the Grove St. and ensuring that you do not walk past the powerlines; this loop should be less than two miles.
Here’s a link to the trail map [7]:
Note about hunting copied-​and-​pasted straight from the town website [4]:
«Note: Hunting is allowed in the state forest. A state sign explains that late fall is when hunters are likely to be on the property. While some species may be taken by liscensed hunters on a year-​round basis, most hunting activity occurs between October 1 and February 29. The most intense hunting however occurs during deer season between the last Monday of November and the 3^rd Saturday in December.»
[1] State forest info:
[2] Grove St. entrance:
[3] Forge Hill Rd. entrance:
[4] Dirt biking info:
[5] Hunting info:
[6] Mountain biking info:
[7] Trail map:

I don’t feel good ragging on a town forest, but this one is pretty lame. They allow motorized vehicles May onward, but we saw several in April, tearing up the trails. It’s hard to find place without some natural beauty, and this place has its moments, but looking over your shoulder wondering if you’re going to get mown down by a kid on a BMX who can’t really see because his helmet is mud-covered…well, yeah. Right near a huge YMCA.
Makes me appreciate the wealth of other outdoor options available to people who like to walk in the woods. And, I suppose the folks who need petrochemical-​fueled vehicles to be outdoors, they’re allowed on the planet too. But, ugh.