Salisbury Beach State Reservation | |
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Location | Salisbury, Massachusetts, United States |
Coordinates | 42°49′35.4″N70°49′2.8″W / 42.826500°N 70.817444°W |
Area | 355 acres (144 ha) [1] |
Elevation | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
Established | 1931 [2] |
Administrator | Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation |
Website | Official website ![]() |
Salisbury Beach State Reservation is a public recreation area on the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Salisbury, Massachusetts, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. [3] It is one of the most heavily utilized state parks in the Commonwealth, with "an annual attendance rate of over one million visitors." [4]
During the American Civil War the Fort at Salisbury Point was built on the site, which was eventually lost due to beach erosion. [5] The land was acquired for use as a state park in 1931. [2] It saw improvements in the following decade done by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. [6] During World War II the site included a gun battery as the Salisbury Beach Military Reservation. [7] The reservation came under the jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation and Recreation in 1969. [4] Continuing park improvements include the construction of a new jetty in 2015. [3] In March 2024, coastal flooding eroded 7,500 tons of sand placed on the beach at a cost of $600,000 as part of a beachfront restoration effort by local property owners. [8]
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. [4] "White-winged and surf scoters can be seen flying low over open water or bobbing in loose flocks among the offshore waves." [9]
The park features a 3.8-mile-long (6.1 km) beach on the Atlantic Ocean, non-swimming beaches on the Merrimack River, [10] a 484-site campground, motorized and non-motorized boating, picnicking, playground and pavilion, fishing, and educational programs. [3]