Maudslay State Park
Newburyport, Massachusetts
(978) 465-7223
GPS (42.821979,-70.926094)
Web: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/maud.htm
Lots to see and plenty of trails to walk, run, bike, or horseback. Today's visit was overrun with Baltimore Orioles. They seemed to be everywhere you looked today. A miniature horse club was on the trail today with harness carts. Adorable little guys trotting along the trails! There were lots of horses and it appeared there was a Greyhound club meeting on the open green today. Life is Good!
The trails were very busy today but still private enough to enjoy when you shoot off on the little side trails to check out the scenery or sitting along the shore of the river on a tree branch or on an outcropping of rocks along the way.
If you are lucky we were not today, you may have an opportunity to see a Bald Eagle or two while in the Park. There is a closed area of the park during certain months for nesting purposes. The trails are overall easy without much elevation change, so it is comfortable for all.
Below are some shots from our day at the Park, enjoy!
Trail Map
Download printable version (pdf)
Accessible RestroomsBike PathsGroup Day UseHikingHistoric SiteHorseback Riding TrailsMountain BikingPicnickingScenic Viewing AreaSkiing (Cross-Country)Walking Trails
The Parking Fee at Maudslay State Park is $2.00. Annual Passes are available for purchase.
View Maudslay 5/6/2012 11:23 AM in a larger map
State Park
In 1985 the property was acquired by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management to become Maudslay State Park. The main gate, the drives, the stone bridges and overlooks have survived, as well as stands of lilac, rhododendron and some of the fruit trees. The sites of the grand houses have been leveled. The tops of the foundations are visible in the mowed lawn. The swimming pool of the main house is empty and is choked with thickets. Except for select locations, the gardens and greenhouses have fallen into ruin, the walls scarcely visible on the overgrown hillside. The dairy farm on the property survived and was a working farm in good repair until the early 1980s.
The park service has added a parking lot. A nearby house became the park headquarters. A staff of rangers and grounds employees maintain the meadows and trails and conduct guided tours; however, visitors are welcome to hike the trails, except for areas restricted for ecological purposes. A memorial running course has been delineated. It winds through the meadows and pines. Rest rooms and shower facilities were constructed in the parking lot. Equestrian parties on the larger trails are common. The horses are often brought in privately in trailers, which park in the meadow next to the lot.
Since 1987, Maudslay State Park has been the home of Theater in the Open, which performs three live outdoor shows in the park throughout the year. The theater is also is known for their giant puppet pageant every May called "The Rites of Spring" and their walk in October called "Maudslay is Haunted".
On April 3, 2010 around 1:58 P.M., the Coachman's Barn, which was customarily used for the Theater in the Open, caught fire. The Newburyport, Salisbury and Amesbury Fire Departments got the blaze under control around 3:30 P.M. Only the stone foundation and the chimney survived. The chimney has been taken down for safety reasons. The small house next to the barn was largely untouched.
