Camping at Lorraine Park Campground

Camping at Harold Parker State Forest means Lorraine Park Campground, entered at 133 Jenkins Road in Andover, with 89 sites for tents, trailers and RVs set in the woods near Frye Pond. Sites cost $17 a night for Massachusetts residents and $54 for non-residents, plus $6 for one of the 10 electric sites. In 2026 the campground opened May 7, and the last night to camp was October 25. Reservations go through DCR's ReserveAmerica system.

The Campground

DCR's page for the forest says Lorraine Park Campground offers 89 campsites for tents, trailers or RVs. DCR's planning page places the sites in the forest near Frye Pond, and the campground has been here since the Civilian Conservation Corps built camping areas at Lorraine Park in the 1930s (see history). DCR's facilities list for the forest includes restrooms, showers, a trailer and RV dump station, picnic areas and a playground. It also lists accessible camping.

Fees

• Basic campsite: $17 a night for Massachusetts residents, $54 for out-of-state residents.
• Electric hookup: add $6 a night. DCR says 10 sites have electric.
• Group campsite: $35 a night for Massachusetts residents, $100 for out-of-state groups.

These are DCR's posted fees as of October 2026; check the reservation page before you book.

Season and Reservations

DCR says the camping season at Harold Parker typically runs from early May to Columbus Day weekend. In 2026 DCR stretched it: the campground opened May 7, ran Thursday through Sunday nights only from October 15, and the last night to camp was October 25. Book through the "Reserve a campsite" link on DCR's page, which goes to ReserveAmerica's Massachusetts state parks system.

Swimming From the Campground

Campers have their own beach: DCR lists the Frye Pond Campers Beach as an inland beach inside Harold Parker. In 2026 it was open May 23 to September 7 and unguarded all season, so children need an adult watching at all times. The day-use beach at Berry Pond is a short drive away.

Things to Do Without Leaving Camp

DCR's summer and fall programs center on the campground:

• Nature Center, across from site 81 near the Activities Field, open Friday mornings in season.
• Gone Fishing, drop-in fishing at the Frye Pond bridge on Wednesday afternoons, with rods and bait provided. See fishing.
• Nature Nerds at the Activities Field campfire ring on Thursday mornings.
• Critter Crawl, a three-quarter-mile walk from the Field Pond trailhead next to site 20.

Programs are free. The Bay Circuit Trail and the CCC Trail both cross Jenkins Road. See trails and hiking.

Dogs at the Campground

DCR allows dogs at Harold Parker, and it is one of the DCR properties where dogs may be off-leash, but only on trails, not in the recreational area or campgrounds. In camp, keep dogs on a leash no longer than 10 feet. Full rules on dogs.

Before You Go

• Alcohol is banned in the forest, according to DCR's restrictions list.
• Hunting season overlaps the last weeks of camping; hunters may not hunt within 500 feet of a DCR campsite. Wear bright colors on trails in fall. See hunting.
• Campground office: (978) 475-7972.

Other Campgrounds Near Boston

If Lorraine Park is full, DCR runs campgrounds at Salisbury Beach, Wompatuck State Park in Hingham and Peddocks Island in Boston Harbor. We compare them on camping near Boston.