Trail Map

The official Maudslay State Park trail map is a free one-page PDF from DCR, dated February 2017, that you can download from mass.gov. It shows the park's 480 acres between the Merrimack and Artichoke rivers, its trails and roads with their allowed uses, the main entrance and parking on Curzon Mill Road, 21 numbered historic and natural sites, and the Laurels area that closes from November 1 to March 31. It does not give a length for individual trails. Here is how to read it.

What the Map Shows

The Merrimack River runs along the top of the map, with the Newburyport–Amesbury town line drawn down the middle of the water. The Artichoke River bounds the west side. Curzon Mill Road comes in from the west and reaches the main entrance, where the map shows parking, restrooms and park headquarters next to the old Farm Complex and Farm House. Hoyt's Lane and Pine Hill Road run along the south edge, with the Bell House on Pine Hill Road and the Gatekeeper's House at Spring Lane, by Interstate 95.

Older estate buildings are marked too: the Coachman's House and outbuildings on Curzon Mill Road, the Gatekeeper's House and the Bell House. A green block west of Main Drive along Curzon Mill Road is labeled as City of Newburyport land with public access allowed.

The Legend

• Solid black line: paved road.
• Double line: unpaved road (the old carriage roads).
• Dotted line: hiking and skiing trail.
• Hatched line: hiking, skiing, bicycle and bridle trail.
• Hatched line with hearts: Healthy Heart Trail, rated easy to moderate, for routine use.
• Square markers: the Merrimack River Trail, with a 'Start of Merrimack River Trail' sign at each end.
• Target symbol: scenic vista.
• P, restroom and building icons: parking, restrooms and park headquarters, all at the main entrance.
• Bridge symbol: the estate's stone bridges.
• Light green with a dashed edge: area closed to the public from November 1 to March 31.
• Wavy lines: Historic Curatorship Lease Area, access only during scheduled events and programs.
• Contour lines at 20-foot intervals, wetlands, brooks and ponds.

The 21 Numbered Park Details

1. Main House Site
2. Italian/Rose Gardens
3. Greenhouse Area
4. Tower Hill
5. Vegetable Garden
6. Azalea Swamp
7. Rhododendron Dell
8. Helen Moseley House Site
9. Long Border Garden
10. Beech Grove
11. Christmas Tree Grove
12. Lower Davis Field
13. The Punch Bowl (a kettle hole)
14. Pine Grove
15. The Open Fields
16. Flowering Pond
17. Dam
18. Point of Rocks
19. The Laurels
20. Castle Hill
21. Bootlegger's Field

The Laurels line the Merrimack riverbank, the Merrimack River Trail circles Castle Hill, and Bootlegger's Field is in the park's northeast section. What each one was is on the history page.

Named Trails and Roads

Roads: Hedge Drive, Main Road, Main Drive, Overlook Road, Cathedral Road, Line Road, North Road and Fire Road. Trails: Pasture Trail, Mile Circle, Long Border Trail, Laurel Walk, Castle Hill Trail, Pine Trail, Ridge Trail, Swamp Trail and Well Walk. West of the entrance: Artichoke Woods Main Trail and Artichoke Woods Fire Road. Route suggestions are on the trails page.

Distances

The map has a scale bar in fractions of a mile but no trail-by-trail mileage. DCR's park page gives 16 miles of trails in total, and its Suggested Hikes PDF gives distances for three routes: the introductory walk (1–2 miles, easy), the Merrimack River Trail (2 miles, moderate) and the bridle path ride (5 miles, moderate).

Tips for Using the Map

• Download it before you go so you have it offline; DCR also asks hikers to bring a map.
• DCR warns that some trails may not be well marked and some may not appear on the map.
• Trail use guidelines printed on the map: stay on designated trails and roads, observe posted rules, and no motorized vehicles.
• In winter, plan around the shaded Laurels area, closed November 1 to March 31 (see hours).