Newburyport Clipper City Rail Trail, MA

• 3-star trail
• 3 mile loop
• Easy | Low gradient
• Newburyport, MA | Northeast Region
. MA Rail Trails

A waterfront scene with a pier extending into the water. Several buildings, including one with a large sign that reads ‘Market,’ are visible. In the background, a town with various buildings and church steeples is seen against a partly cloudy sky

Newburyport harbor and marina area.

Newburyport, originally a part of the larger town of Newbury, was settled by English immigrants in the early 1630s. Its strategic location along the Merrimack River made it a natural hub for trade and shipping. By the 18th century the town had evolved into a significant shipbuilding center. In 1848 the Eastern Railroad completed a branch line to Newburyport, offering regular passenger services and facilitating freight transportation from the harbor.

Today Newburyport is best known as a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors with its picturesque coastline and historic architecture. While the harbor and downtown areas remain the primary attractions, the Clipper City Rail Trail, which encircles the outskirts of the downtown area provides additional opportunities for exploration and recreation.

⬤ Asphalt ⬤ Rough ⬤ Bike Lane ⬤ Road ⬤ No Access ⬤ Parking

Trail Options Expand KML · Google Earth ·

⬤ 3★ Clipper City Rail Trail 3.5 mi ea way, easy, gain 70ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions GPX?

P Free parking $ Paid parking. See map for more.

Though the Clipper City Rail Trail officially became a full circuit in 2025 with the addition of a bike lane and protected road crossings along Parker Street, the route still feels like two distinct halves. The Western half of the trail is just over a mile long and connects the Newburyport rail passenger station with the waterfront along a long, green parkway that cuts into the townscape. The route is popular with pedestrians and cyclists alike, particularly as footbridges and underbridges separate trail users from most road crossings.

Though the rail trail officially continues along the waterfront, it does so as a pedestrian only route for the next half-mile. Bicycle riders will need to dismount and can only start peddling again once they're parallel with the old customs house, at which point they'll still need to share the trail safely with lots of foot traffic.

Upon curving around to reach Water Street, the rail trail crosses the road and continues along the old railroad, through residential neighborhoods. Here the trail includes a very short section of road biking along a quiet residential street, before passing through light woodland and parkland on its way to meet with Parker Street.

A scenic view of a coastal area with a walkway running parallel to the shore. On the right, there is a row of houses facing the water, and on the left, there is a body of water with land visible in the distance. The sky is clear with few clouds. In the foreground, two individuals are walking on the pathway, one wearing white and the other in dark clothing. There are benches along the path for people to sit and enjoy the view.

Joppa Flats on the Merrimac, by the East section of Clipper City

The original railroad route would continue across Parker Street, but that alignment is off limits and used as a power line corridor. A new paved bike lane now runs along Parker Street and crosses the road twice, both times at protected and signalized crossings. A complete circular route totals around 3.5 miles.

Paid parking is available by the harbor and at Newbury station. There are three marked roadside spots on Parker Street at the end of the Eastern section, and there's also roadside parking in the residential area close to Joppa Flats.

A wooden bench swing hanging from a sturdy frame in a park-like setting with green grass and a small pond. Houses are visible in the background, and the sky is partly cloudy.

Time for a rest on the eastern section of rail trail.

Mountain bikers might be interested in the small network of trails on March's Hill that is accessible from the East Clipper City section. Those with rugged bicycles may also want to know that there's another unadvertised rail trail that begins at Newburyport commuter rail station parking lot and heads southwest in the direction of the Byfield-Georgetown-Boxford rail trails and beyond.

Heading north across Gillis Memorial Bridge across the Merrimack River along the new painted and unprotected bike lanes, rail trail users can also connect to the Old Eastern Marsh Trail which heads to Salisbury, Amesbury and the New Hampshire border.

⚠ Trail Conditions: Smooth flat asphalt throughout, often busy with pedestrian traffic. East side has a short road biking section. Walk bikes along the harbor boardwalk.

A split view showing two different scenes. On the left, red metal beams lie on the ground near a railway track with buildings and bare trees in the background. On the right, a waterway with an old rusted metal structure beside a modern bridge. Below the bridge, two individuals are riding bicycles on a path along the water’s edge. The sky is clear and blue in both scenes.

Clipper City West starts at live rail & ends at the old railroad crossing.

A waterfront scene with a row of multi-story buildings on the left, a wooden pier extending into the water in the center, and a shoreline curving into the distance on the right. The sky is clear with few clouds, and there are people visible on the pier.

Extra half-mile of Harbor Walk west of the rail trail.

Tangents:
• TrailLink: Clipper City Rail Trail & Harborwalk
• AllTrails Public: Clipper City Rail Trail
• Facebook Group: Comment, Follow Us

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