Harold Parker State Forest: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 42°37′33″N 71°04′54″W / 42.62583°N 71.08167°W / 42.62583; -71.08167
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{{Short description|Protected area in Massachusetts, United States}}
{{Geobox|Protected Area
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
<!-- *** Heading *** -->
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Harold Parker State Forest
| name = Harold Parker State Forest
| native_name =
| iucn_category =
| other_name =
| iucn_ref =
| category = [[List of Massachusetts State Parks|Massachusetts State Park]]
<!-- *** Names **** -->
<!-- images -->
| photo = Harold Parker State Forest.jpg
| etymology =
| photo_caption = Bridge crossing on one of the forest's many challenging <br>single-track mountain biking trails
| official_name =
{{multiple image |border=infobox
| motto =
| nickname =
| total_width = 320
| image1 = Berry Pond, Harold Parker State Forest, North Andover MA.jpg
<!-- *** Image *** -->
| alt1 = Berry Pond
| image = Stearns Pond, Harold Parker State Forest, North Andover MA.jpg
| image_caption = Stearns Pond
| caption1 = Berry Pond
| image2 = Stearns Pond, Harold Parker State Forest, North Andover MA.jpg
| image_size = 280px
| alt2 = Stearns Pond
<!-- *** Symbols *** -->
| caption2 = Stearns Pond
| flag =
}} Seasonal views of ponds in Harold Parker State Forest
| symbol =
<!-- *** Country *** -->
<!-- map -->
| map = USA Massachusetts#USA
| country = [[United States]]
| map_image =
| state = Massachusetts
| map_size = 320
| region_type = County
| region = [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex]]
| map_caption = Location in Massachusetts
| relief = 1
| district_type = Towns
<!-- location -->
| district = [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]], [[North Andover, Massachusetts|North Andover]], [[North Reading, Massachusetts|North Reading]], [[Middleton, Massachusetts|Middleton]]
| location = [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]], [[North Andover, Massachusetts|North Andover]], <br>[[North Reading, Massachusetts|North Reading]], [[Middleton, Massachusetts|Middleton]], [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex]], Massachusetts, [[United States]]
| municipality =
| nearest_city =
<!-- *** Family *** -->
| nearest_town =
| city =
| coordinates = {{coord|42|37|33|N|71|04|54|W|display=inline,title}}
| landmark =
| coords_ref = <ref name=gnis/>
| river =
<!-- *** Locations *** -->
<!-- stats -->
| length =
| location =
| length_mi =
| location_note =
| length_km =
| elevation_imperial =
| width =
| prominence_imperial =
| lat_d =42 | lat_m =37 | lat_s =11.1 | lat_NS = N
| width_mi =
| width_km =
| long_d =71 | long_m =4 | long_s =49.5 | long_EW = W
| highest =
| area_acre = 3320
| area_ref = <ref name=2012acreagelist/>
| highest_location = | highest_region = | highest_country =
| elevation = {{convert|141|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=gnis>{{cite gnis|599023|Harold Parker State Forest}}</ref>
| highest_elevation_imperial =
| elevation_avg =
| highest_lat_d = | highest_lat_m = | highest_lat_s = | highest_lat_NS =
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| elevation_max =
| lowest =
| dimensions =
| lowest_location = | lowest_region = | lowest_country =
| designation =
| lowest_elevation_imperial =
<!-- dates & info -->
| lowest_lat_d = | lowest_lat_m = | lowest_lat_s = | lowest_lat_NS =
| authorized =
| lowest_long_d = | lowest_long_m = | lowest_long_s = | lowest_long_EW =
| created =
<!-- *** Dimensions *** -->
| designated =
| length_imperial = | length_orientation =
| established = 1916
| width_imperial = | width_orientation =
| named_for =
| area_imperial = 3000
| visitation_num =
| area_unit = acre
| visitation_year =
| area_note =
| visitation_ref =
<!-- *** Features *** -->
| governing_body =
| geology =
| biome =
| administrator =
| operator = [[Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation]]
| plant =
| animal =
| owner =
<!-- website, embedded -->
| style =
| website = [http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/harold-parker-state-forest.html Harold Parker State Forest]
<!-- *** History & management *** -->
| embedded =
| established = Unspecified
| date =
| management = [[Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation]]
| management_location = | management_region = | management_country =
| management_elevation_imperial =
| management_lat_d = | management_lat_m = | management_lat_s = | management_lat_NS =
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| owner =
| leader =
<!-- *** Access *** -->
| public =
| visitation = | visitation_date =
| access =
<!-- *** Free fields *** -->
| free = | free_type =
<!-- *** Maps *** -->
| map = Massachusetts Locator Map.PNG
| map_caption = Location of Harold Parker State Forest
| map_background =
| map_locator = Massachusetts
| map_locator_x =
| map_locator_y =
<!-- *** Website *** -->
| website = [http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/harold-parker-state-forest.html Harold Parker State Forest]
<!-- *** Footnotes *** -->
| footnotes =
}}
}}

'''Harold Parker State Forest''' is a [[Massachusetts]] [[state forest]] located in portions of four [[New England town|towns]]: [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]], [[North Andover, Massachusetts|North Andover]], [[North Reading, Massachusetts|North Reading]] and [[Middleton, Massachusetts|Middleton]]. Ponds, swamps, rolling hills, glacial erratics and rocky outcroppings can be found in the {{convert|3000|acre|adj=on}} forest. The forest features more than {{convert|35|mi}} of backwoods roads and trails as well as remnants of 18th-century farming and milling operations. The park is managed by the [[Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation]].<ref name=dcr>{{cite web|url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/harold-parker-state-forest.html |title=Harold Parker State Forest |work=MassParks |publisher=Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of Conservation and Recreation |accessdate=August 6, 2013}}</ref>
'''Harold Parker State Forest''' is a publicly owned forest with recreational features encompassing more than {{convert|3300|acre}} in the [[New England town|towns]] of [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]], [[North Andover, Massachusetts|North Andover]], [[North Reading, Massachusetts|North Reading]], and [[Middleton, Massachusetts|Middleton]], [[Massachusetts]]. Ponds, swamps, rolling hills, glacial erratics and rocky outcroppings can be found in the [[state forest]], which features more than {{convert|35|mi}} 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]].<ref name=dcr/>

==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.<ref name=ccc/>

==Activities and amenities==
==Activities and amenities==
*Trails: The forest's logging roads and trails (which includes a section of the [[Bay Circuit Trail]]) are used for hiking, walking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.<ref name=dcr/>
'''Trails:''' The forest's logging roads and trails (which includes a section of the [[Bay Circuit Trail]]) are used for hiking, walking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.<ref name="dcr" />
*Ponds: Fishing and non-motorized boating are available at 11 ponds including Bear, Berry, Brackett, Collins, Delano, Field, Salem, Stearns and Sudden.
*Camping: The 89-site campground offers campers hot showers and access to swimming. Beaches, camping and restrooms are wheelchair-accessible.
*The forest also offers picnicking and restricted hunting.


'''Ponds:''' Fishing and non-motorized boating are available at 11 ponds including Bear, Berry, Brackett, Collins, Delano, Field, Salem, Stearns and Sudden.
== Mountain Bike Trails ==

The [[Single track (mountain biking)|single track]] trails at Harold Parker provide an opportunity to enjoy the flow of the woods around you. 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.<ref>{{Cite web
'''Camping:''' The 89-site campground offers campers hot showers and access to swimming. Beaches, camping and restrooms are wheelchair-accessible.
| url = http://www.nemba.org/trails/massachusetts/harold-parker-state-forest

| title = Harold Parker State Forest
The forest also offers picnicking and restricted hunting.
| website = NEMBA
;Mountain Bike Trails
| access-date = 2016-02-28
}}</ref> The trail encompassing Salem Pond, the Yellow Diamond Trial, 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.<ref>{{Cite web
The [[Single track (mountain biking)|single track]] 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.<ref name=nemba/> 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.<ref name=nemba/> Entering the State Forest can be easily done from Rt. 114 in [[North Andover, Massachusetts]] or from Rt 125 in [[Andover, Massachusetts]]. 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,<ref name=nemba/> and the trails are well marked by DCR.<ref name=dcr/> To help you get aquatinted try joining a group ride, easily found in the Jenkins Road parking lot.<ref name=nsnemba/>
| url = http://nsnemba.org/trails/harold-parker/
| title = North Shore NEMBA » Harold Parker
| website = nsnemba.org
| access-date = 2016-02-28
}}</ref> Entering the State Forest can be easily done from Rt. 114 in [[North Andover, Massachusetts]] or from Rt 125 in [[Andover, Massachusetts]]. 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 North Shore NEMBA web site [http://nsnemba.org/trails/harold-parker/]. 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:
Color Coding of Trails at Harold Parker:
Line 112: Line 84:


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<references />
<ref name=2012acreagelist>{{cite web |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dcr/ld/acreage.pdf |title=2012 Acreage Listing |publisher=Department of Conservation and Recreation |date=April 2012 |access-date=March 31, 2017}}</ref>

<ref name=dcr>{{cite web |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/harold-parker-state-forest.html |title=Harold Parker State Forest |work=MassParks |publisher=Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs |access-date=August 6, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name=ccc>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/stream/civilianconserva00berg#page/n47/mode/2up |title=The Civilian Conservation Corps: A Statewide Survey of Civilian Conservation Corps Resources |publisher=Prepared by Shary Page Berg (Beth McKinney, ed.) for the Massachusetts Office of Historic Resources |pages=37–41 |date=January 1999 |access-date=March 31, 2017}}</ref>

<ref name=nemba>{{cite web |url=https://www.nemba.org/trails/massachusetts/harold-parker-state-forest-andover |title=Harold Parker State Forest |publisher=New England Mountain Bike Association |access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name=nsnemba>{{cite web |url=https://www.nemba.org/chapters/nsnemba |title=North Shore NEMBA |publisher=New England Mountain Bike Association |access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref>

}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/harold-parker-state-forest.html Harold Parker State Forest] Department of Conservation and Recreation
{{commons category|Harold Parker State Forest}}
* [http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/harold-parker-state-forest.html Harold Parker State Forest] Department of Conservation and Recreation
*[http://friendsofharoldparker.org/ Friends of Harold Parker State Forest]
* [http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dcr/parks/trails/harold.pdf Harold Parker State Forest Map] Department of Conservation and Recreation
* [http://friendsofharoldparker.org/ Friends of Harold Parker State Forest]


{{Protected Areas of Massachusetts}}
{{Protected Areas of Massachusetts}}


[[Category:Massachusetts state forests]]
[[Category:Massachusetts state forests]]
[[Category:Andover, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:North Andover, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Middlesex County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Middlesex County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Essex County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Essex County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Campgrounds in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Campgrounds in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Andover, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:North Andover, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Middleton, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Civilian Conservation Corps in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1916 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1916]]

Latest revision as of 11:21, 2 October 2022

Harold Parker State Forest
Bridge crossing on one of the forest's many challenging
single-track mountain biking trails
Berry Pond
Berry Pond
Stearns Pond
Stearns Pond
Seasonal views of ponds in Harold Parker State Forest
Map showing the location of Harold Parker State Forest
Map showing the location of Harold Parker State Forest
Location in Massachusetts
Map showing the location of Harold Parker State Forest
Map showing the location of Harold Parker State Forest
Harold Parker State Forest (the United States)
LocationAndover, North Andover,
North Reading, Middleton, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°37′33″N 71°04′54″W / 42.62583°N 71.08167°W / 42.62583; -71.08167[1]
Area3,320 acres (13.4 km2)[2]
Elevation141 ft (43 m)[1]
Established1916
OperatorMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteHarold Parker State Forest

Harold Parker State Forest is a publicly owned forest with recreational features encompassing more than 3,300 acres (1,300 ha) in the towns of Andover, North Andover, North Reading, and Middleton, Massachusetts. Ponds, swamps, rolling hills, glacial erratics and rocky outcroppings can be found in the state forest, which features more than 35 miles (56 km) 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.[3]

History[edit]

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.[4]

Activities and amenities[edit]

Trails: The forest's logging roads and trails (which includes a section of the Bay Circuit Trail) are used for hiking, walking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.[3]

Ponds: Fishing and non-motorized boating are available at 11 ponds including Bear, Berry, Brackett, Collins, Delano, Field, Salem, Stearns and Sudden.

Camping: The 89-site campground offers campers hot showers and access to swimming. Beaches, camping and restrooms are wheelchair-accessible.

The forest also offers picnicking and restricted hunting.

Mountain Bike Trails

The single track 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.[5] 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.[5] Entering the State Forest can be easily done from Rt. 114 in North Andover, Massachusetts or from Rt 125 in Andover, Massachusetts. 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,[5] and the trails are well marked by DCR.[3] To help you get aquatinted try joining a group ride, easily found in the Jenkins Road parking lot.[6]

Color Coding of Trails at Harold Parker:

  • White=easy
  • Orange=intermediate
  • Pink=Difficult

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Harold Parker State Forest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Harold Parker State Forest". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  4. ^ "The Civilian Conservation Corps: A Statewide Survey of Civilian Conservation Corps Resources". Prepared by Shary Page Berg (Beth McKinney, ed.) for the Massachusetts Office of Historic Resources. January 1999. pp. 37–41. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Harold Parker State Forest". New England Mountain Bike Association. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  6. ^ "North Shore NEMBA". New England Mountain Bike Association. Retrieved October 12, 2020.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harold Parker State Forest.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harold_Parker_State_Forest&oldid=1113616732"