Essex Coastal Scenic Byway
Essex Coastal Scenic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in Massachusetts. Within Massachusetts it covers roughly 65 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Essex Coastal Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The Essex Coastal Scenic Byway runs 90 miles along Massachusetts's North Shore, linking 14 coastal communities from Lynn north to Salisbury near the New Hampshire line. The Essex National Heritage Area manages the route to protect its historic and cultural character, which ranges from rocky Atlantic shoreline and the tidal marshes of the Great Marsh to working seaports, small fishing villages, and colonial-era farms. Architecture along the byway spans First Period 17th-century houses to Gilded Age mansions, reflecting nearly 400 years of continuous settlement on this stretch of coast. Salem, Gloucester, Newburyport, and Marblehead are among the historic cities and towns the route passes through, and the Salem Armory Visitor Center offers National Park Service exhibits and orientation on the wider Essex National Heritage Area. Numerous parks, trails, and beaches along the way make the byway equally suited to hiking, biking, paddling, and swimming as to a straight driving tour.
- 90 miles, Lynn to Salisbury
- 14 North Shore coastal communities
- Managed by Essex National Heritage Area
- The Great Marsh tidal wetlands
- Architecture from First Period to Gilded Age
- Salem Armory Visitor Center
Plan a drive on Essex Coastal Scenic Byway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Essex Coastal Scenic Byway
No campgrounds are listed close to Essex Coastal Scenic Byway yet, but there are rooms near the route.
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