Maudslay State Park
Park
488 acres15.6 mi of trail
Laurel WalkCastle Hill TrailPasture TrailPine Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Newburyport
Newburyport has 39 miles of mapped trails, 4.7 for every square mile of land
21% of Newburyport’s land is conserved, about 1,146 acres. 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 947 acres are parks and preserves, 51 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #89 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
1,146 acres · of 8.4 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
4.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
947 ac
51 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.6 mi
1.2 mi lanes · 5.0 mi paths
Highest peak
121 ft
Turkey Hill
Lakes & rivers
172
16 beaches · 11 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Newburyport?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town4.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild21% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.Parks close to home98% of residents live within a half mile of a park.History along the way11 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Newburyport have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Newburyport is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #89 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Newburyport’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails4.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land51 acres of park per 1,000 residents (947 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 69%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Newburyport’s 21% is ahead of 51% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 95% of them.
Water is 22% of Newburyport’s area (2 of 11 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 17%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Maudslay State Park, with 15.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Protected Dunes
Nature preserve
24 acres1.6 mi of trail
Path 7Path 9Trail 7Path 1+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cooper North Pasture
Managed by City of Newburyport Water Department
98 acres1.1 mi of trail
Cooper North Pasture Preserve Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Oleo Woods Open Space
Nature preserve
36 acres0.5 mi of trail
Marlene Schroeder Nature TrailRandal J. Millen Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Woodman Open Space
Nature preserve
21 acres0.4 mi of trail
Randal J. Millen Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 28 parks & preserves
Maudslay State Park488 acres · 15.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMoseley Woods48 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsProtected Dunes24 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCooper North Pasture98 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · City of Newburyport Water Department
Bartlet Mall9 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsAtkinson Common21 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsOleo Woods Open Space36 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Woodman Open Space21 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Clipper City Rail Trail17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCashman Park12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCurzon Mill Road Conservation Land11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Newburyport
Wet Meadows124 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Newburyport
DirectionsCity Forest40 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Coffin's Island16 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
March's Hill9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsArtichoke River Watershed43 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHale Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBradley Fuller Athletic Field10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPerkins Park & Playground8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Central Waterfront Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJoppa Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAtwood Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodman Park12 acres
Hiller11 acres · Essex County Greenbelt Association
DirectionsCherry Hill Soccer Fields10 acres
DirectionsJoppa Flats Education Center4 acres
DirectionsCushing Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,146 conserved acres
21% of Newburyport’s land. Water is left out: Newburyport has 8.4 square miles of land and 2.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Newburyport’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits479 ac
State parks216 ac
Town or city169 ac
Other state land123 ac
State conservation45 ac
County25 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service22 ac
Conservation Easement · 388 acWatershed Protection Area · 254 acUnknown Easement · 237 acState Resource Management Area · 171 acLocal Other or Unknown · 90 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 300 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 92 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maudslay State Park State Resource Management Area | State parks | 140 | Open |
| North Pasture Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 97 | Closed |
| Plum Island State Reservation State Resource Management Area | State parks | 64 | Open |
| Artichoke River Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 57 | Open |
| Newburyport Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 47 | Open |
| City Forest Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Evergreen Valley Golf Course Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 37 | Restricted |
| Oak Hill Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 36 | Open |
| Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 35 | Open |
| Woodman Open Space Local Conservation Area | County | 25 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
55 places to go in Newburyport
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Newburyport
Plum Island BeachIn Protected Dunes
DirectionsPlum Island Beach
DirectionsPlus 14 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Newburyport
Ayers PlaygroundIn Cushing Park
DirectionsBrown School Park
DirectionsDreadnought IIIn Clipper City Rail Trail
DirectionsInn Street Playground
DirectionsJason Sawyer Memorial Playground
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Newburyport
Joppa Slip
DirectionsSomerby's Landing
DirectionsPlus 9 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Newburyport
6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Newburyport
Turkey Hill121 ft elevation
DirectionsOak Hill89 ft elevation
DirectionsCastle HillIn Maudslay State Park
DirectionsTower HillIn Maudslay State Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Newburyport
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 52 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.1 miUnpaved · 9.4 mi
Gloria Braunhardt Bike Trail1.1 mi
Cooper North Pasture Preserve Trail1.0 mi
Laurel Walk0.9 mi
Little River Nature Trail0.9 mi
Randal J. Millen Nature Trail0.7 mi
Castle Hill Trail0.6 mi
Marlene Schroeder Nature Trail0.6 mi
Pasture Trail0.5 mi
Pine Trail0.4 mi
Harborwalk0.4 mi
15 more trails
Mile Circle
0.4 miArtichoke Woods Main Trail
0.3 miMerrimack River Trail
0.3 miRidge Tail
0.3 miCity Forest Loop Trail
0.3 miPath 7
0.2 miLong Border Trail
0.2 miPath 9
0.1 miWell Walk
0.1 miEliza Little Trail
0.1 miPath 1
0.1 miTrail 7
0.1 miPath 11
0.1 miPath 1a
0.1 miPlum Island Point Boardwalk
0.1 miBiking & sports
6.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.0 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
10Soccer
10Basketball
9Baseball
8Tennis
6Tracks
2Football
2Beach volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 33 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Market Square Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1971
About itUS CustomhouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itBrown Square HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itFirst Religious Society Church and Parish HallBuilding · listed 1976
About itSuperior Courthouse and Bartlett MallBuilding · listed 1976
About itDalton HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itDodge BuildingBuilding · listed 1982
About itNewburyport Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1984
About itNewburyport Harbor LightStructure · listed 1987
About itBenjamin Coker HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Newburyport: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 37 | 44 | 56 | 66 | 75 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 61 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Newburyport →
Next door
Newburyport and its neighbors
Newburyport has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newburyport | 21% | 4.7 | 51 | 98% | A+ |
| West Newbury | 28% | 1.9 | 329 | 93% | A+ |
| Salisbury | 19% | 1.0 | 171 | 93% | A+ |
| Amesbury | 12% | 2.7 | 51 | 96% | A+ |
| Newbury | 51% | 2.1 | 689 | 98% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Newburyport
Where can I hike in Newburyport?
The longest trail networks: Maudslay State Park, 15.6 miles; Moseley Woods, 2.6 miles; Protected Dunes, 1.6 miles; Cooper North Pasture, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Newburyport is conserved land?
21% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Newburyport’s trails?
Maudslay State Park and Moseley Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Newburyport?
6.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.2 of painted or protected lanes, 5.0 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Newburyport?
28,541 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Newburyport or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,102 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Newburyport have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #89 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Newburyport neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →