Salisbury Beach State Reservation

Salisbury Beach State Reservation is a state-owned, public recreation area on the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Salisbury, Massachusetts, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.[4] It is one of the most heavily utilized state parks in the Commonwealth, with "an annual attendance rate of over one million visitors."[5]

Salisbury Beach State Reservation
Map showing the location of Salisbury Beach State Reservation
Map showing the location of Salisbury Beach State Reservation
Location in Massachusetts
Map showing the location of Salisbury Beach State Reservation
Map showing the location of Salisbury Beach State Reservation
Salisbury Beach State Reservation (the United States)
LocationEssex, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°49′35.4″N 70°49′2.8″W
Area355 acres (144 ha)[1]
Elevation10 ft (3.0 m)[2]
Established1931[3]
OperatorMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteSalisbury Beach State Reservation

History

During the American Civil War the Fort at Salisbury Point was built on the site, which was eventually lost due to beach erosion.[6] The land was acquired for use as a state park in 1931.[3] It saw improvements in the following decade done by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps.[7] During World War II the site included a gun battery as the Salisbury Beach Military Reservation.[8] The reservation came under the jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation and Recreation in 1969.[5] Continuing park improvements include the construction of a new jetty in 2015.[4]

Wildlife

Notable wildlife includes harbor seals, which are often found on Badgers Rocks in the Merrimack River in the fall and winter. Birds that can be sighted include black ducks, green-winged teal, and great blue herons, along with pectoral, solitary, and least sandpipers.[5] "White-winged and surf scoters can be seen flying low over open water or bobbing in loose flocks among the offshore waves."[9]

Activities and amenities
  • Beaches: The park features a 3.8-mile-long (6.1 km) beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Beaches and restrooms are handicapped-accessible.[4] Smaller, non-swimming beaches are found on the Merrimack River.[10]
  • Camping: The park's 484-site campground includes handicapped-accessible sites as well as RV hookups and dump station.
  • Boating: Motorized and non-motorized boating can be accessed from two boat ramps on the Merrimack River.
  • The park also offers showers, picnicking, a playground and pavilion, fishing, restricted hunting, a group day-use area, and educational programs.
  • Fees: In 2015, the park entrance fee was $14 a day for Massachusetts residents and $16 for visitors from out of state.

References
  1. "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  2. "Salisbury Beach State Reservation". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. Massachusetts (June 30, 1931). "Chapter 442. An act ... authorizing the taking for maintenance as a state reservation of certain parcels of land at Salisbury Beach" (PDF). Acts, 1931. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  4. "Salisbury Beach State Reservation". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  5. "Salisbury Beach State Reservation Barrier Beach Management Plan" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. September 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  6. "Massachusetts". American Forts Network. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  7. Shary Page Berg (1999). Beth McKinney (ed.). "The Civilian Conservation Corps: A Statewide Survey of Civilian Conservation Corps Resources". Massachusetts Office of Historic Resources. p. 41. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  8. Salisbury Beach Base-End Station and 155 mm Gun Battery at American Forts Network
  9. "Salisbury Beach State Reservation". Wildlife Viewing Areas. Watchable Wildlife, Inc. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  10. "Salisbury Beach Visitor's Guide". Retrieved August 5, 2013.
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