Otter River State Forest is a popular camping and day-use facility in a beautiful area of north central Massachusetts. Its developed facilities are centered on Beaman Pond and include 85 campsites, a swimming beach, ball field and picnic areas. Yurt camping is also available. Otter River State Forest was the first area acquired by the State Forest Commission in 1915.

Some of the forest area was cleared in the nineteenth century for small farms. After the state acquired the land, it was reforested with groves of pines which were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The CCC also built the first campground sites in the area. The vegetation is now a transition zone between three forest types: oak and hickory, northern hardwood, and the pines. The forest is home to numerous wild flowers and shrubs, deer, chipmunks, catbirds, warblers and vireos.