Harold Parker State Forest is a publicly owned forest with recreational features encompassing more than in the
towns
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
of
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
* Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Ando ...
,
North Andover
North Andover is an affluent town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 30,915.
History
Native Americans inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European c ...
,
North Reading
North Reading (pronounced, as is with Reading as () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,554 at the 2020 census.
History
The area was first settled in 1651 when the town of Reading received a special ...
, and
Middleton,
. Ponds, swamps, rolling hills, glacial erratics and rocky outcroppings can be found in the
state forest
A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory.
Background
The precise application of the terms vary by jurisdiction. For example:
* In Australia, a ...
, which features more than of backwoods roads and trails as well as remnants of 18th-century farming and milling operations. It is managed by the
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission is ...
.
[
]
History
The forest was among the state's earliest acquisitions of logged-over land for purposes of reforestation. It was established in 1916, and named for the Massachusetts State Forest Commission's first chairman, Harold Parker, who died that same year. The Civilian Conservation Corps was active at two camps in the forest from 1933 until 1941. The corps' work included the damming of small streams, creating many of the small ponds that dot the forest's landscape.[
]
Activities and amenities
Trails: The forest's logging roads and trails (which includes a section of the Bay Circuit Trail
The Bay Circuit Trail and Greenway or Bay Circuit is a Massachusetts rail trail and greenway connecting the outlying suburbs of Boston from Plum Island in Newburyport to Kingston Bay in Duxbury, a distance of .
Landmarks include Henry David ...
) are used for hiking, walking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.single track
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
trails at Harold Parker provide an opportunity to enjoy the flow of the woods. Most of the riding is geared toward the intermediate mountain bike enthusiast. According to the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) the single track riding rates; 30% easy, 30% moderate, and 40% difficult with some rocky sections.[ The trail encompassing Salem Pond, the Yellow Diamond Trail, is located off Middleton Rd. and is one of the best mountain bike experiences on the North Shore, and additionally there are over twenty miles of moderately hard cross country trails interweaving throughout. Hunting is allowed in the State forest during hunting season in Massachusetts, but according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation from Jenkins Road west to Rt 125 is hunt free.][ Entering the State Forest can be easily done from Rt. 114 in ]North Andover, Massachusetts
North Andover is an affluent town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 30,915.
History
Native Americans inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European c ...
or from Rt 125 in Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 387. As of th ...
. The 3,000 acres will take a few days of riding to fully explore, and getting lost is easy to do. However detailed maps of Harold Parker are available online for free at the NEMBA web site,[ and the trails are well marked by DCR.][ To help you get aquatinted try joining a group ride, easily found in the Jenkins Road parking lot.][
Color Coding of Trails at Harold Parker:
* White=easy
* Orange=intermediate
* Pink=Difficult
]
References
External links
Harold Parker State Forest
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Harold Parker State Forest Map
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Friends of Harold Parker State Forest
{{Protected Areas of Massachusetts
Massachusetts state forests
Protected areas of Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Protected areas of Essex County, Massachusetts
Campgrounds in Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
North Andover, Massachusetts
Middleton, Massachusetts
Civilian Conservation Corps in Massachusetts
1916 establishments in Massachusetts
Protected areas established in 1916