Maudslay State Park, Newburyport MA

• 4-star hike
• 2 to 10 mile options
• Easy | Gain 50 to 350 feet
• Newburyport, MA | Northeast Region
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Three people walk along a dirt path lined with fallen leaves during autumn. Large deciduous trees with vibrant golden, orange, and green foliage arch over the trail, creating a natural canopy beneath a clear blue sky. Bright autumn sunlight filters through the branches, illuminating green grass and colorful foliage in the background.

Walking the main drive to a house that's long gone.

Maudslay State Park sits on the former Moseley family estate along the Merrimack River in Newburyport. After the state bought the property, the Department of Conservation and Recreation took over its management. A sprawling network of old carriage roads and trails winds through the grounds, making it easy to design a hike of almost any length. Dogs are welcome on leashes, and you will often share the paths with horses and cyclists. In the winter, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are also popular.

The scenery shifts continuously between open meadows and tall white pine groves. The wide carriage roads laid out by the Moseleys form the main backbone of the trail system, and their gentle slopes are perfect for a relaxed stroll. Near the center of the park lies a quiet pine plantation where a thick bed of needles muffles your steps and leaves little sound beyond the breeze.

Trail Options Expand KMZ · Google Earth ·

⬤ 4★ Park Loop 3.1 mi loop, easy, gain 160 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions GPX?

⬤ 4★ Estate Loop 1.8 mi loop, easy, gain 90 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

⬤ 4★ River Spur 0.7 mi loop, easy, gain 60 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

⬤ 3★ Artichoke Woods Spur 1.4 mi loop, easy, gain 50 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

$ State Park fee P Free parking (see below)

The riverbank is another major highlight. Trails along the Merrimack open up to broad views across the water, and the banks feature a massive natural stand of mountain laurel. That laurel was famous long before the estate was built, even drawing poet John Greenleaf Whittier to visit and write about it.

Alongside the native flora, the Moseleys added ornamental trees, azaleas, and rhododendrons. They built formal gardens, a pond lined with flowering shrubs, and several stone bridges, including a striking three arch bridge. All of these features remain today. While the main house and river house are long gone, you can still find greenhouse ruins and other historic remnants along the paths. Castle Hill takes its name from Moulton’s Castle, a wooden Gothic home torn down after the Moseleys bought the land. The hill offers a brief, gentle climb, and a small pet cemetery from the Moseley era sits nearby.

A stone bridge covered in fallen leaves leads into a dense forest during autumn. On the left, a mature tree stretches wide branches filled with bright orange foliage over the bridge deck, dropping leaves through the air. Dark green pines and thick undergrowth border the pathway as it enters the woods.

Fall lands on Three Arch Bridge by Flowering Pond.

Summer is a particularly popular time to visit, especially when the park hosts its outdoor summer concert series. Visitors also flock to the grounds from late May through mid to late June to catch the peak bloom of the mountain laurel, azaleas, and rhododendrons.

You can explore the entire park in a few hours, but if you have less time or prefer a shorter walk, you can choose from several distinct routes. The Estate Loop winds around the sites of the former residences and gardens, while the Park Loop highlights the park's natural features and Merrimack River views. The section of the Park Loop closest to the river follows the Laurel Trail, which closes between November and March each year to protect winter roosting bald eagles.

A formal garden feature with low brick walls, stone-capped ledges, and paved walkways winding past manicured green lawns and hedges. In the background, tall deciduous trees showcase vibrant autumn foliage in shades of red, orange, and gold under a bright blue sky filled with scattered white clouds.

The formal gardens, one of the few remaining estate remnants.

The Artichoke Woods Spur leads walkers away from the estate along the original main driveway and into the woods across Curzon Mill Road. Here you will find tranquil, wilderness like terrain filled with mixed woodland and surrounding wetlands.

Free Parking options:
Official parking is available for a reasonable fee for vehicles with Massachusetts plates, but out-of-state visitors face a fee four times as high. We encourage supporting conservation through trailhead fees, but take exception to this un-neighborly and punitive upcharge. To avoid exorbitant fees, we've identified possible free parking options, also shown on our map:
[Directions] Spring Lane, adds 0.4 mi o&b, Derelict state-own land.
[Directions] Ferry Road, adds 0.6 mi o&b, Informal roadside parking.
[Directions] Moseley Woods, adds 1.2 mi o&b, Official marked parking.

Two horseback riders wear helmets as they ride along a shaded dirt trail through a dense woodland during autumn. The lead rider mounts a black-and-white horse, followed closely by a second rider on a dark horse. Tall tree trunks border the path, while bright yellow leaves frame the right side of the sunlit forest scene.

Equestrians on the forested Pine Trail.

A hiker with a backpack walks away along a dirt trail carpeted with pine needles and fallen leaves. Tall pine trees line both sides of the path, with a body of blue water visible through the trunks on the left. Sunlight filters through the canopy overhead under a bright blue sky.

Laurel Walk is closed November thru March.

A rocky riverbank borders a wide body of glistening water under a bright blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds. Tall evergreen pines and deciduous trees displaying vibrant red, orange, and yellow autumn foliage line the shore, stretching along the curving waterfront into the distance where sun glints across the ripples.

Laurel Walk has the best place for riverside views.

Bare tree branches and vibrant red autumn foliage frame a scenic view of a quiet pond shimmering under bright sunlight. Across the water, a dense forest on the opposite shore displays rich fall colors. Fluffy white clouds drift across a vibrant blue sky, creating vivid reflections on the water's surface.

Views across the Artichoke River's wilderness.

External links:
Maudslay State Park official website
Maudslay State Park at AllTrails

Trailspotting nearby:
4★ Winnekenni Park & Kenoza Lake (4-5 mi)
4★ Clipper City Rail Trail (3 mi)
4★ Old Eastern Marsh Rail Trail (4 mi)
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