Hike Location: Maudslay State Park
Geographic Location: west side of Newburyport, MA (42.82153, -70.92623)
Length: 2 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: July 2019
Overview: A loop hike through the former Maudslay estate
featuring good Merrimack River views.
Park Information: https://www.mass.gov/locations/maudslay-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=762415
Photo Highlight:
Directions to the trailhead: On the north side of
Boston, take I-95 to SR 113 (exit 57).
Exit and go west on SR 113. Drive
SR 113 west 0.6 miles to Hoyts Lane and turn right on Hoyts Ln. Drive narrow Hoyts Ln. 0.6 miles to the
entrance for Maudslay State Park. At the
end of Hoyts Ln., turn right onto Curzon Mill Road, then quickly turn right again
to park in the large blacktop parking lot.
The hike: Consisting
of 480 acres on the south bank of the Merrimack River, Maudslay State Park protects
the former estate of Frederick Strong Moseley. (Moseley and Maudslay are variants of the same
surname.) A Boston broker and director
of Shawmut Bank, Moseley built the estate between 1895 and 1910, although some
buildings were added later. The estate’s
privacy was compromised in the 1950’s when the construction of I-95 and I-495 sliced
across the property, and the family became less enamored with the estate. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Management acquired the property in 1985 to form the park we enjoy today.
Outdoor activities take center stage
at Maudslay State Park. The park
features only some picnic areas and restrooms for amenities, and it offers many
miles of trails open to hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and wintertime
skiing. Many routes through the park’s
trail system are possible. The route
described here takes you through the developed areas of the former estate and
to the park’s most scenic area: its blufftop views of the Merrimack River.
 |
| Crossing Curzon Mill Road |
None of the trails at Maudslay State
Park are marked, so I recommend grabbing a trail map from the information board
near the large parking lot before heading out.
From the parking lot, walk across Curzon Mill Road using the marked
crosswalk and pick up the Pasture Trail as it heads northeast through an open
meadow. The Pasture Trail is also open
to horses and mountain bikes, but the only other trail users on the Thursday
morning that I hiked here were some families having picnic lunches in the
meadow.
 |
| Large estate trees |
The trail curves left and descends
gradually as the estate’s former Christmas tree grove can be seen to the
right. Some very large oak and pine
trees live in this area, a testament to the magnificence of this estate. When the park’s Flowering Pond comes into
view, angle right to cross the pond on an old stone bridge, still following a
wide two-track trail. This pond gets its
name from the large amount of rhododendron and mountain laurel that grows along
its banks, and hikers here in the early summer will find a trail lined with
flowering shrubs in bloom.
 |
| Flowering Pond |
At 0.65 miles, turn left to cross
the dam that forms Flowering Pond. At
the next trail intersection, turn right to begin hiking atop the bluffs that
overlook the Merrimack River. This hike
follows these bluffs for the next 0.5 miles, and broad views appear across the
Merrimack River some 60 feet below.
|
| Merrimack River view |
Near 1 mile into the hike, angle
right to walk around a chain link fence and begin the hiker-only Merrimack
River Trail. Next comes the toughest
part of the hike: the trail narrows and goes up and down through two steep ravines. If this trail is too hard for you, the wide
and flat Main Road Trail lies uphill to the left and parallels this trail. The last Merrimack River viewpoint is passed
at 1.2 miles after you top a steep but low hill.
 |
| Main house site |
Just past the last river view, you reach
the main house site from the former Maudslay estate. Once consisting of 72 rooms, the main house
was demolished in 1955, and only a partial foundation remains. Past the main house site, angle left to reach
the estate’s well, which is well-preserved with its own shelter. A small old cemetery in this area is
partially responsible for legends that this site is haunted.
 |
| The estate's well |
Ignore the Swamp Trail that exits
right and continue east into the estate’s greenhouse and vegetable garden area
while passing the highest elevation on this hike. At the estate’s peak, 40 staff members worked
in these areas to keep the estate’s grounds well-manicured. Walk through the garden area and angle left
to reach another partial foundation, which is all that remains of Helen
Moseley’s house. Helen Moseley was
Frederick’s younger daughter, and her house was built between 1939 and
1941. Helen Moseley’s house burned down
in 1978.
 |
| Helen Moseley house site |
The estate tour ends at Helen
Moseley’s house, and the hike concludes by walking out Hedge Drive, which was Helen
Moseley’s former driveway. Hedge Drive
comes out on Curzon Mill Road near its intersection with Hoyt Lane. Turning left and walking along the road takes
you past the Visitor Center to the main parking lot, thus concluding the hike.
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