The Great Marsh and Essex River

TThe Great Marsh is one of the largest expanses of salt marsh on the entire Atlantic seaboard, stretching from Cape Ann north to New Hampshire across tens of thousands of acres of tidal flats, creeks, barrier beaches, and estuary.

The Essex River winds through its heart, and much of what makes Essex feel like Essex is this landscape pressing in on every side. Birdlife is extraordinary and abundant year-round: herons, egrets, ospreys, shorebirds, and migratory species passing through in numbers that draw dedicated birders from across the region.

The marsh is best experienced on the water, whether by kayak, paddleboard, or river cruise, but there are walking access points throughout the town, and views of it from the causeway, from Stavros Reservation, and from the grounds of Cogswell’s Grant reward anyone who simply pauses to look.

The Essex County Greenbelt Association manages significant holdings in and around the marsh and offers trail maps and information on access points at ecga.org.