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] 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.[9]
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."[10]
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.[11]
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
^"2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
^ a bMassachusetts (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.
^ a b c"Salisbury Beach State Reservation". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
^ a b c"Salisbury Beach State Reservation Barrier Beach Management Plan" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. September 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
^"Massachusetts". American Forts Network. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
^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.
^Salisbury Beach Base-End Station and 155 mm Gun Battery at American Forts Network
^Berger, Ava; Hempel-Edgers, Lila (March 13, 2024). "Coastal flooding washes away half of $600,000 effort, paid for by property owners, to save sand dunes on Salisbury Beach". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
^"Salisbury Beach State Reservation". Wildlife Viewing Areas. Watchable Wildlife, Inc. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
^"Salisbury Beach Visitor's Guide". Retrieved August 5, 2013.
External links
Salisbury Beach State Reservation Department of Conservation and Recreation
