Mt Blue Campground

The Great Outdoors

Search for an RV in Franklin County, and you can choose from amongst a wide array of rental RVs to find the one that fits you best. Once you've done that, head out on the road to try your hand at driving a motorhome rental; it's a unique experience and one of the reasons why RV camping vacations are so popular. Your first stop should be Bigelow Preserve which is home to a wide variety of rare plant species settled amongst shrub marshes, raised bogs, and beech-birch-maple and spruce-fir forests. The forests have tens of miles of hiking trails, and you can canoe or kayak in the open waters. This, along with the resident wildlife, creates an amazing opportunity for nature and wildlife observation; don't forget to bring your camera.Mt. Blue State Park is a year-round outdoor recreation area where you can swim or fish, picnic, or go hiking or mountain biking. It is open during daylight hours, but you should check with the park management before going as the opening and closing times can change with the seasons. In the winter, this is a good destination for you to enjoy snowshoeing, ice skating, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing. Keep your RV rental nearby, and you can finish your winter activities by returning to a warm environment and the lap of luxury without having to travel far.Mahoosuc Public Reserve Land is a rugged and challenging landscape that includes valleys and majestic summits; it's part of the Appalachian Trail, but if you make it to the summit, your reward will be unobstructed views in all directions. If this is a little more than you're looking for, there are shorter trails with great scenery that includes gorges and waterfalls; you can also take a self-guided ride along the scenic auto byway that meanders through the park and has several locations where you can stop to observe the area or just take a break. The park is a multi-use area that provides habitat for rare plants and wildlife which add to the scenery, and timber resources for local businesses. The cutting of the timber is managed to promote the ecosystem's health and provides funds to help cover operational costs.

Exploring The Area

Once you've had your fill of outdoor adventures and you're ready to reward yourself (you should), head for the town of Strong where you'll find an enjoyable array of restaurants in the town and surrounding area. Start with an ice cream cone served by a local snack bar located across the road from an urban park; there's outdoor seating, or you can head to the park with your prize. A local cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and brunch in an old house that has a friendly atmosphere. Orders are taken at the counter and then delivered to your table. Everything is good here, portions are large, and the cafe has home-baked pastries; if you eat here, try the spinach/bacon salad with nuts, locally sourced vegetables, and a side of maple dressing.When you're camping at Mt Blue Campground, the town of Jay is about half an hour's drive away. The small town has an urban park with a short easy trail through fields and woods that leads to a picnic pavilion. The pavilion looks down on a quarry that produces the white granite that Jay is renowned for. There is a rail trail where you can hike (biking the trail might be difficult due to sand in some locations) and a farm where you can purchase homemade jams, organic dairy products, and baked goods such as the scones they are famous for. Jay's restaurant scene is no less impressive with cafes, pizzerias, and other options to choose from. One of the seafood venues is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has a cozy atmosphere.