Den Rock Park

Features:
Dominating the park is Den Rock, an ancient outcropping of granite with numerous fissures and a cliff perfect for technical rock climbing.

Some areas have suffered from the excavation of material for constructing I-495. Here, tree growth is in early stages of succession, and small shrubs provide excellent habitat for various mammals and birds of prey. Deer, fox, coyote, beaver, hawks, and many songbirds are seen regularly.

In addition to the blue peripheral trail several miles of well-worn trails crisscross this park and lead to the climbing rock and also to the Shawsheen River.

History:
Purchased in 1877 for a cemetery but then changed into a city park in 1896, Den Rock was improved in the 1930s by workers with the Civilian Conservation Corps who installed rock steps, two amphitheathers, a boardwalk, and numerous trails. In 1995 an Andover town meeting approved rezoning property abutting the park from industrial to residential. Subsequent residential development produced significant additional protected open space on the park's western border. In the summer of 2003, the Student Conservation Association created an attractive stone pathway leading from Andover's Stirling Street into this park.

Two citizen groups are active in Den Rock Park. The Friends of Den Rock works to improve the public's access to the park through sponsoring guided walks, periodic cleanups, and rock-climbing demonstrations. The Lawrence Trails Committee has installed a blueblazed peripheral walking trail. To obtain additional information about either group contact Groundwork Lawrence, 60 Island Street, Lawrence, MA, 01840, 978-974-0770.
 
Size:
120 acres

Location:
Stirling Street in Andover; Route 114, opposite North Andover Plaza

Parking:
Stirling Street; small lot along Route 114; North
Andover Plaza