Marblehead Neck Causeway connects the town of Marblehead with the peninsula of Marblehead Neck. The causeway offers views of the Atlantic Ocean, the harbor, and the historic lighthouse. Along the causeway, there are several parks and beaches where visitors can enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife of the area.

Marblehead Neck is a peninsula that forms the east side of Marblehead Harbor. The 3.5-mile circular drive offers beautiful views of Marblehead Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. Marblehead Light and Hovey Park are on the northern tip. Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the center of the “Neck,” a peninsula that extends into Massachusetts Bay. Its swamp, thickets, and woodlands are a haven for migratory birds, especially warblers, during the spring and fall migrations. This sanctuary is a mecca for birders; the discovery of rarities is not uncommon.

Marblehead Neck Important Bird Area consists of a 17-acre Mass Audubon Sanctuary and two town-preserved rock outcrops. The majority of the remaining upland is privately owned large-lot residential developments. This site is a peninsula projecting northeast into Massachusetts Bay from the main peninsula of Marblehead and serves as a causeway for automobile traffic. The shoreline is rocky with several stretches of cobblestone beach. The upland is mostly residential developments with several “pocket” wetlands and the Mass Audubon sanctuary. The historically open habitat of the upland portion of the peninsula has matured into a forest and early successional shrubland.

The site is a well-known coastal migrant trap, attracting large fallouts of migrants in both spring and fall when weather conditions are suitable. The natural areas provide a stopover habitat for migrant birds. Among the >175 species annually recorded during migration at the site, there are two state-endangered, one state-threatened, five state-listed species of special concern, and many regional high conservation priority species. Fallout numbers of land birds often number in the thousands of individuals.