Deer Island, Amesbury

About this Location

Amesbury’s largest island, and the only one accessible by car, Deer Island briefly splits the mighty Merrimack river in half as the river begins to open up to form Newburyport Harbor. Two private homes sit on the west side of the island, but the east side is protected conservation land, which was purchased by the city in 1984.

A short loop trail goes around the forested part of the island, and smaller trails branch out to fishing spots on the shoreline, an east-facing beach area, and beautiful rocky outcroppings frequented by painters and photographers.

Deer Island is an island in the Merrimack on the Amesbury/-Newburyport border. Follow Main Street or Merrill Street to the bridge, and look for the parking lot on the left after crossing the first bridge, but before you get to the chain bridge.

About Merrimack River

See all hotspots at Merrimack River

The Merrimack River is a 117-mile-long river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport. From the point where the Merrimack turns northeast in Lowell, Massachusetts onward, the Massachusetts–New Hampshire border is roughly calculated as the line three miles north of the river.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website

Last updated January 17, 2024