Waterfront view at Coolidge Re...
A scenic pond and a small forest of pine and oak lead you to a spectacular seaside lawn offering memorable views of Massachusetts Bay and the North Shore.
Part of the historic Coolidge Point, Coolidge Reservation is named for the family who came to own the peninsula and lived there for generations. At the tip of the Point is the magnificent Ocean Lawn. Once the site of the family’s Georgian-style mansion, it is now an open, grassy expanse edged by rocky headlands with unforgettable views of the ocean.
Climb Bungalow Hill for quiet solitude and views of Magnolia Harbor. Walk along Clarke Pond and scan the surrounding wetlands for snapping turtles, great and snowy egrets, and black-crowned night herons. Revel in the sea of monarch butterflies in the wildflower meadows in the fall. Coolidge Reservation also includes a portion of Magnolia’s Gray Beach, complete with colorful beach pea and beach rose.
FREE to all.
The Ocean Lawn is open Friday to Monday from sunrise to sunset. The remainder of the property is open daily: Bungalow Hill Trail Loop; Clark Pond Trail; and Magnolia Beach.
Summer Street (Rt. 127)
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA 01944
Telephone: 978.526.8687
Get directions on Google Maps.
From Rt. 128 Exit 15, take School St. south for 0.5 mi. Turn left onto Lincoln St. and follow for 0.5 mi. to stop sign at intersection with Rt. 127. Turn left onto Rt. 127 and follow for 2.2 mi. to entrance and parking (10 cars) on right.
There is a trail map posted on a kiosk in the parking area.
We recommend that you download a trail map before you visit.
Originally known as Millet’s Neck, Coolidge Point was later named for the prominent family who acquired the property in 1871, when Thomas Jefferson Coolidge purchased it for $12,000. In 1873, he built the first Coolidge residence on the property – a large “summer cottage” of white clapboard.
The centerpiece of the spectacular Coolidge Reservation is the Ocean Lawn, which is the largest "lawn," with most amazing ocean view, you will likely ever see. A late October morning, following recent rains, afforded sparkling views not only of the faraway Boston skyline, but of the even more-distant blue hills of the South Shore.
– WilliamMcC, Trip Advisor
