Maudslay State Park

(7 reviews)

2.9 mi

Newburyport is one of my favorite places, so much so that I got married in town. This park is such…read morea beautiful place to be by the water, whether it be strolling, relaxing, reading, etc.

Such a fun place to watch the fireworks, take a boat ride, grab something to eat and do a bit of…read moreshopping while watching the sunset.

Lots of boats on the river.

See all

Cashman Park

4.5

(2 reviews)

1.8 mi

Fun by a…read moreriver Cashman Park has been around since 1922, and was originally a place to rest and enjoy the beautiful views or the Merrimac River. It has grown over the years and still offers the lovely views but now has a wide range of activities for both kids and adults. The park has paved walking paths that go around and through the park and along the river. It also has a convenient boat launch as well as tennis, basketball, soccer, softball fields and a cute little playground for children. Lot of tables and benches make this a wonderful place for a family picnic and since it is only a short walk from the center of town a very nice place to get away from the noise and crowds of Newburyport. Lot of birds can be seen at various times on the Merrimac River including, ducks, swans, ospreys, hawks and even an occasional bald eagle. A wonderful park that has grown over the years and now offers a lot of different activities. But it's never lost the originally purpose of a quiet place of peace with great views of the river.

I love this park. There's a nice walking trail along the river that connects to the rail trail,…read moreplenty of benches and it's great for all ages. Plenty of green space to kick back for a picnic and watch ducks, a tennis and basketball court and a great playground with three areas for kids of all ages. It's located close enough to walk downtown but far enough away that you don't need to worry about kids running into traffic. There are boat ramps as well for river access.

See all

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

4.6

(36 reviews)

4.3 mi

I very much enjoyed visiting this place! If there are no guards on duty, you can pull in and pay…read morethe entrance fee using the machine. We parked and took a walk by the ocean. We then drove about 1/2 mile and parked to explore some of the walking trails. The place is super popular with birdwatchers and nature lovers. A very lovely day.

Even though the visitor center was closed we were still able to take an auto tour all the way to…read morethe Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautiful fall day with lots of walking paths to explore. Very cool place highly recommend.

See all

Plum Island Beach

4.0

(47 reviews)

2.1 mi

Plum Island Beach, in Newburyport, is a great & lowkey beach on the North Shore to go to!…read moreThe beach is clean & pretty quiet, mostly locals. Much less congested compared to the popular beaches in MA & no traffic jams. I usually only come here if I'm planning a trip to see my friends in Newburyport ;) Not sure how much the parking is; I park at a friend's house. Very calm beach ONLY THING IS, avoid going in the month of July, OR be very careful of the greenhead flies! They are everywhere here during that month & their bites hurt lol. Not sure if greenheads are only specific to this beach in particular, however, I've only really ever experienced this here.

Visited plum island beach river side of it. I was sad to see how much they let things go there but…read morestill charge $15 to park?Trash on the beach / glass. The wooden wall way was closed off on the parking lot side and on the beach side the stairs/ramp removed. The view is still beautiful. They no longer have life guards on duty..

Old abandoned life guard chairs..

See all

Moseley Woods

(2 reviews)

0.8 mi

Moseley Woods is a dog lovers park where dogs are allowed off the leash and no entrance fees. The…read morepark is open from April to November. If you're a pet parent this is your place on the shores of the Merrimack. "Sweeties" a fan! The park is no secret to the locals because you will see them daily with their dogs. The park is 200 yards from "chain bridge" (first suspension bridge in America) in Newburyport. The 18-acre wooded park is an easy 1.1-mile loop on the Merrimack River with lots of trees for shade on hot days. Moseley offers a playground, benches, picnic tables, and porta potties. When hiking on the trails be careful of exposed tree roots and parts of the trail that can be a bit steep by the river.

Love here we are from Maine we are glad we are here come here if you have a dogs thank you moseley…read morewoods

See all

Hale Memorial Park

3.7 mi

This is a great little park if you are in the neighborhood. It is probably a quarter or a third a…read moremile round. It has a couple benches and plenty of grass to sit on. It is very very quiet and almost never has more than a w visitors. There are a couple fountains and little areas where you can sit and relax. A great place to start you day with a coffee and paper, read a book, or do a cool down walk after a run through downtown Newburyport. From downtown it is about a 5-10 minute walk, (in the direction of Plum Island).

Gillis Bridge

3.5

(2 reviews)

2.8 mi

I've had a decades long relationship with northern Essex County, but always being a passenger…read moreinstead of a diver I had some erroneous concepts about borders and boundaries. For instance I thought north of the Gillis Bridge was New Hampshire. Well, after my last visit I not only disabused myself of that misconception as a driver, but as a walker. As drawbridge for automobile traffic it's an average span, but as Elmer's review from 2010 notes, it's a (now) great, but not perfect bridge for pedestrian traffic. There is a small parking lot on the Salisbury side at the Eastern March Trail trailhead which has 1.4 miles of beautiful salt marsh scenery. There is a walkway leading south to the west side of the bridge, under it with several paintings and "Humphrey" a whale made from rebar, then north to the east side of the bridge and the pedestrian walkway. I crossed about 9am in mid-August so there wasn't a ton of automobile traffic on the bridge. That helped with my mild vertigo, but the walkway is only about 4 feet wide and the railing seemed to be about 3 to 3.5 feet high. The plus side is even when it's foggy you get some spectacular views of marinas and harbor. At the south end of the bridge you do the reverse of the north end - north on east side, west under bridge, south on west side which then leads you to the Clipper City Rail trail that has more public art than one could hope for and which terminates at the Newburyport T station. If one is staying in the vicinity of the harbor, one could easily walk to the station and travel into Boston.

There's plenty to see at the Gillis Bridge, which crosses the Merrimack River via US-1 between…read moreNewburyport and Salisbury, Massachusetts. (see photos) While the bridge itself provides good service to vehicular traffic, it's pedestrian access leaves much to be desired. Constructed in 1976, the bridge was named after gas station owner, Andrew Jackson "Bossy" Gillis, who served several (not always consecutive) terms as Mayor of Newburyport from the 1920's to 1960. A network of bike trails converge at the Gillis Bridge. The East Cost Greenway is like the I-95 of bike trails, connecting (at least on paper) the Canadian border at Calais, Maine, with Key West, Florida. In addition, the Old Eastern Marsh Trail, the Newburyport Harborwalk Rail Trail and the Clipper City Rail Trail all connect to the bridge. An upcoming construction project in 2011 on the Salisbury side will add a pathway under the bridge as an alternative to crossing busy 4-lane US-1. Unfortunately, there's only one narrow sidewalk on the Eastern side of the bridge, and walking across the draw span is a little spooky. But there are interesting parks at either side of the Gillis Bridge that are worth visiting. On the Salisbury Side, informative signs tell the history of rail and road bridges at this location on the Merrimack River. An abandoned railroad bridge remains relatively intact, parallel to the Gillis Bridge. It would be nice if someday the rail bridge could be used for the trailway, but it would be expensive to implement because it's swing span would need to be operable. On the Newburyport side, there are lovely little "park areas" along the pathways, with interesting sculpture and other artwork to enjoy. One of the nicest features are the most comfortable park benches I've ever seen! They're sort of like recliners, and have extra little things to put your feet up on and relax while taking in spectacular views of the Merrimack River. Better pedestrian access over the bridge would give it at least another star. But even as it is, the Gillis Bridge is a very nice place to stop and enjoy a bit of Massachusetts history with riparian entertainment.

Gillis Bridge in Newburyport, MA - Crosses the Merrimack RIver to Salisbury, MA.

See all

Gillis Bridge in Newburyport, MA - Crosses the Merrimack RIver to Salisbury, MA.

Alliance Park

1.0 mi

though this park is not very large, it's so beautiful by the water and i'd recommend checking it…read moreout! would be an awesome spot to picnic too

See all

Rock

Clipper City Rail Trail & Harborwalk

2.7 mi

3.9-mile loop surrounds the beautiful coastal city of Newburyport. I start the trail at the marina…read morefollowing the old railroad path, until reaching the yacht club, and follow behind the residential neighborhood until I reach Parker Street. I do the entire loop. I only have to be on the road for short distance with my bike. There is so much to see that you will want to stop and rest and take it all in. I especially love the trail art sculptures, murals, planters, and the views from the Harborwalk on the Merrimack. The gardens attract so many birds and monarch butterflies. The residents maintain the butterfly garden who DONATE all the plants, mulch, and artwork to this amazing garden. The residents even provide birdseed for the birdfeeders. The murals along the abutment wall on Route one underpass are incredible and love the "native fish". The path is wide enough (6 foot) to allow the bike riders, walkers, runners, and dog walkers room to pass. Don't forget the indigenous edible wild garden along the trail blueberries, cranberries, rosehips, and strawberries to name a few.

Sculpture lights up rail trail tunnell

Bird feeders in the Butterfly garden at intersection of rail trail and Parker Street

See all

Beautiful gardens

Bartlet Mall

4.0

2.8 mi

A nice, doable stroll from the center of town that'll get you past some great architecture, some…read morehistorical buildings, a cannon, and a magnificent statue of George Washington (plus another statue of abolition leader William Lloyd Garrison). Down a ramp to a sunken area there's a lily-pad-filled pond you can stare at from benches. Note that the benches down there aren't shaded and there are no benches near the statues. Look, it's not exactly Disney World, but it's worth a half hour round trip by foot if you're into this sort of thing. It'll cost you nothing, get your steps in if you walk, and offer relatively easy parking if you drive.