The Salisbury Beach State Reservation is a 521-acre state-owned public recreation area located at 1 Beach Road in Salisbury, Mass.
It is one of the most popular state parks in Massachusetts and receives over one million visitors per year.
The park features a state-owned beach with restrooms and outdoor showers, a campground, a boating and fishing area and a picnic pavilion area with a children’s playground.
The park is bordered by the Merrimack River to the south, the Atlantic Ocean and a sandy beach to the east, a salt marsh to the west and the residential and commercial area of Salisbury Beach to the north.
From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, the state charges a vehicle entrance fee to enter and park a vehicle at the reservation. Visitors do not have to pay an entrance fee before Memorial Day weekend or after Labor Day.
State Beach:
The state beach is a 3.8 mile-long white sand beach. There are lifeguards stationed at the beach from Memorial Day to Labor day from 10AM until 4:45PM.
Strong currents and riptides can be present in the waters off of Salisbury Beach so be careful when swimming and pay attention to any warnings or directions the lifeguards provide.
Motor vehicles, camping, flotation devices, alcohol, glass containers and fires are NOT allowed on the beach.
Dogs or other pets, with exception of service animals, are NOT allowed on the beach April 1st to Sept. 15th.
Swimming in the Merrimack River is NOT allowed so do not swim south of the jetty on Salisbury Beach or from the shore of the river.
Horseback riding is permitted on the beach.
Campground:
The reservation has a 484-site campground that includes handicapped-accessible sites as well as RV hookups, a camp store, bathhouse/bathrooms and a dump station.
The campground is just a short walk of a few minutes to the state beach and is also adjacent to the Merrimack River. It is one of only a handful of beach campgrounds in the state.
The regular camping season is from early May to mid-October. Off Season camping is from mid-October to late November on Thursday, Friday and Saturday only.
Boating/Fishing Area:
The reservation has two boat ramps which are located right next to each other and provide access to Black Rock Creek. Black Rock Creek empties into the Merrimack River which empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
Both boat ramps feature a small parking lot for vehicles. The boat ramps are located just southwest of the campground.
Wildlife:
The reservation is home to a number of different species of animals including Harbor seals, black ducks, great blue herons, green-winged teal and sandpipers.
The Harbor seals are often found on Badgers Rock in the Merrimack River during low tide in the summer, fall and winter and the various birds are frequently seen on the salt marsh.
Humpback whales and Pygmy sperm whales are often spotted off the shore of Salisbury Beach in the late summer and fall as they feed on fish that swim close to the shore.
Snowy owls from the Arctic circle are often spotted on the salt marsh during the winter months.
