Maudsley State Park

Directions:

From North or South:
ake Rte. 95, exit 57 to Rte. 113 east. Follow 113 east for half a mile and turn left on Noble St. At stop sign turn left onto Ferry Rd., bear left at fork and follow signs.

From West:
Take I-495 exit 55 to Rte. 110 east. Continue 1 mile to Merrill St., turn right at second light. Continue on Merrill St./Spofford St. for 1.5 miles. Turn right before stop sign onto Ferry Rd., follow signs.

General Description:

The former Moseley family estate on the Merrimack River (see historical note below), now Maudslay State Park features rolling meadows, towering pines, exquisite 19th century gardens and one of the largest naturally-occurring stands of mountain laurel in Massachusetts. The ornamental trees and masses of azaleas and rhododendrons that bloom in May and June will take your breath away.

The network of carriage roads and the views of the Merrimac River make it a lovely place for biking and a picnic. There is a theater in the park that presents plays over the summer. An art center offers music concerts.

Some rare and threatened species such as the bald eagle are making a come-back in Massachussetts due to the efforts of the Massachussetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and others. Maudslay State Park is one of the few winter roosting areas for bald eagles in the northeast. During the winter a portion of the park along the Merrimac River is fenced off to protect the eagles.

Downtown Newburyport, offers art galleries and a great boardwalk along the Merrimack River. Plum Island is also nearby with wonderful beaches and lots of shorebirds to observe.

The Trails:

This is a great place to bring your significant other for a ride. Relatively flat, double-track carriage roads provide easy, scenic and romantic riding. The two mile Merrimac River Trail, runs along the Merrimac River, while others wind through rolling meadows and stands of towering pines. There are occasional roots and short hill climbs and descents. You can do a five mile perimeter loop by riding along the boundary of the park.

Historical Note:

The former Fredrick Moseley Estate, built in the early 19th century was originally called Maudesleigh which later became known as as Maudslay. At it's peak there were 30 structures on the property, a staff of around 40 and an extensive horticultural operation. In addition to the laurels naturally occurring on the estate there was a rose garden, an Italian garden, a 500 foot perennial garden, a collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, specimen trees and more.

The property was acquired in 1985 by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and became Maudslay State Park.

For more information:

Maudslay State Park:
Curzon Mill Rd.,
Newburyport, Massachussetts 01950

Phone: 978 465-7223
TTY Users: 711 (AT&T National Relay Service)
Website: Maudslay State Park

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