Cape Ann Trail Stewards - DeLamater Sancturary & Waring Fields

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DeLamater Sancturary & Waring Fields

DeLamater Sancturary and Waring Fields

Trail Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Property Description:

DeLamater Sanctuary includes 32 acres of Rockport Conservation Commission land, acquired in 1968 from Caroline DeLamater with the condition it remain forever open and undeveloped. It was designated for the "promotion… of natural resources and protection of the watershed," and to serve as a sanctuary for wildlife.

This sanctuary features natural woodlands with easy to moderate trails over varied terrain, including boulder outcrops, wetlands, and vernal pools. It is maintained by Cape Ann Trail Stewards and the Rockport Rights of Way Committee.

Waring Fields include 8.6 acres of conserved land abutting the Sanctuary, leased from the Town for agricultural purposes, and an additional 10.6 acre parcel to the north with frontage on South St. This wet meadowland, once used to grow cranberries, is a rich wildlife habitat. A stream through the fields drains to Whale Cove.

The land was gifted to the Town by Lloyd Waring in 1980. He purchased it in 1970 from the Lane family, who had farmed it since 1890 and continue farming nearby today. Mr. Waring was a prominent Boston businessman and national political figure. Locally, he was a founding member of Rockport’s Conservation Commission.

Trail Map:

This map was created by Cape Ann Trail Stewards in 2025 on behalf of the Rockport Rights of Way Committee and the Town of Rockport. Click on the image below to view full-size and/ or download the map as a pdf document.

Parking and Access:

Parking for DeLamater Sanctuary and Waring Fields is available along the west side of South St., near the kiosk by the trail entrance next to Waring Field (across from Briarstone Rd.), and along the edge of the field as it borders South St. (see trail map for reference). There is room for approximately 10 cars along the shoulder of the road in this area. See location HERE in Google Maps.

Note that there is an additional entrance to DeLamater Sanctuary off of South St. (the entrance is next to 112 South St., which lies between Meadow Rd. and Oakes Ln.), but there is no parking at this location. This southern entrance may be accessed on foot by walking just under a half-mile from the parking area down the sidewalk that runs along the east side of South St. The entrance pathway follows a small ROW section that runs close to a residential house on private property, so please be respectful of the abutting private property.

Trail Description and Details:

Below is a description and some notes regarding the trails to DeLamater Sanctuary, narrated as you would approach these areas starting from the parking location by the kiosk next to the northern Waring Field.

Thomas Road and Golf Course ROW

When beginning at the kiosk and parking location next to Waring Field, the trail begins on a Right of Way down a straight, wide dirt road-- this section of pathway is often referred to as "Thomas Road". After about 0.2 miles, you will reach a metal gate, at which point you will be entering into the Rockport Golf Club property.

After walking around the metal gate, continue to follow the blue blazes and Right of Way signs, which will take you left, following a graveled pathway at the edge of the fairways. Note that this pathway crosses right in front of a tee (the tee is the area where the golfers swing to drive the ball down the fairway to the green/ hole) . If any golfers are on the tee, please stop and wait quietly for the golfers to finish their swing before proceeding.

After just over 200 feet on the graveled pathway, you will bear left (at the sign) off of the graveled path onto a grassy trail that leads to the southern Waring Field. Always be mindful of active golfers and balls when crossing the section through the golf course, and stay on the marked Right of Way, as this is private property.

South Waring Field to DeLamater

When you reach the edge of the southern Waring Field, you can access DeLamater Sanctuary by turning right onto the yellow-blazed trail just before the edge of the field (see trail map for reference).

Alternatively, in the winter and at times when Waring Field may occasionally be mowed, you can also access DeLamater Sanctuary by walking across the field heading southeast. There is a wooden footbridge to get across the stream that runs through the middle of the field (the bridge location is marked by a large post with yellow and black stripes, which you will see as you approach through the field). Shortly after the footbridge there is a trail spur through the woods which will take you into the Sanctuary (see trail map for details). However, note that during much of the year, the grass in this field is too tall to cross or navigate through.

When accessing DeLamater Sanctuary via the yellow trail (instead of navigating across the field), the first 150 feet of this trail runs through the woods along the northern edge of the field, and then the trail crosses through a through a corner of the open field for a section of approximately 170 feet (stay along the edge of the field, with the trees to your right) before re-entering the woods.

Note that the section of this trail just after it leaves the field and re-enters the woods is also on Rockport Golf Club property, so make sure to follow the yellow blazes, remain on the trail (the yellow-blazed section has been authorized for public use), and respect private property. (Note that any additional trails that may exist off of this blazed trail have not been authorized for public use). At the point where this trail passes through a stone wall is where it enters the Town-owned DeLamater Sanctuary property.

Also be aware that a short distance after crossing the stone wall into the DeLamater property, the yellow trail will turn sharply left (marked with blazes and arrows) heading toward the main part of the Sanctuary, while another trail continues straight (note that the trail that continues straight-- which is shown on the map as a green trail-- eventually ends up on private property).

Proposed Boardwalk

Soon after the juncture where the yellow trail turns left, it crosses a wet area. The map notes a "proposed boardwalk" in this section. The Rockport Rights of Way Committee and Cape Ann Trail Stewards worked extensively with the Rockport Conservation Commission and a hired wetlands consultant from 2024 to 2025 to obtain permission to install a 150-foot raised boardwalk through this area. After initial approval by the ConsCom in November 2024, the project met with unexpected complications and is unable to move forward at this time; however, we hope to have this project reconsidered in the future.

Be advised that, in the absence of a raised boardwalk, this trail section is dry enough to pass under "normal" conditions, but can be significantly flooded and unpassable after a heavy rain or during time periods of higher than normal precipitation. Also note that there are many logs that had been laid down in this wet area years ago by prior trail users, and the footing can be unsteady crossing over them, so trekking poles are recommended for those who are less confident on uneven and unsteady surfaces. In addition, use caution when crossing the wetland area and remain on the existing marked trail in order to minimize disturbance to fragile and important vegetation.

DeLamater Trail Loop

Shortly after crossing the wetland section, the yellow trail will intersect with the orange-blazed DeLamater trail loop. This is a beautiful route that is 0.66 miles long, with a deep-forest feel (despite its proximity and easy accessibility to nearby neighborhoods), and with a moderate amount of roots, rocks, and uneven footing along the way, and minor ups and downs in elevation throughout the route.

Total Route Distances and Variations

A walk starting from the parking area down the blue ROW trail to the yellow trail, then around the orange DeLamater loop (as outlined in the narrative above), and then returning back the same way (via the yellow and blue trails) is almost exactly 2 miles in length.

One could make this route slightly shorter by walking on the South St. sidewalk from the parking area to the southern DeLamater entrance. This route could be used as an alternative to taking the blue and yellow trails to (or from) the Sanctuary. This route along the road from the parking area to the southern DeLamater entrance is under a half-mile long, and also features some ocean views along the way (see green-dashed route on the above DeLamater trail map for reference). Note that accessing DeLamater by walking down South St. is also an option for times when the yellow trail or other areas in the field may be flooded.

In the winter or at times when the southern Waring Field is mowed, crossing the field (and footbridge across the stream) to get to DeLamater offers an additional variation for hiking routes.

Other Nearby Trail Connections:

DeLamater Sanctuary and Waring Fields are within easy walking distance to several other trails and scenic sites, including Steep Bank Landing, Flat Rock Point, the John Kieran Nature Preserve, Straitsmouth Cove Landing, the Old Garden Path, and Old Garden Beach.

Steep Bank Landing and Flat Rock Point feature spectacular ocean views along the rocky shoreline, and both can be accessed via public footpaths not far from the kiosk and parking area by Waring Field (the path to Steep Bank Landing is 0.25 miles from the Waring kiosk, and the path to Flat Rock Point is 0.63 miles from the Waring kiosk-- see above DeLamater Sanctuary and Waring Fields trail map for reference).

The nearby John Kieran Nature Preserve features a trail loop of just under a half-mile distance through a wooded area including large old-growth trees, and can be accessed from trailheads on both Marmion Way and Straitsmouth Way (the Marmion Way trailhead is just 0.23 miles from the Waring kiosk, and the Straitsmouth Way trailhead is 0.42 miles from the Waring kiosk). For a map of Kieran Preserve (which also shows detail on how to walk to Kieran Preserve from Waring Fields and DeLamater) and more information on this property, go to the Kieran Preserve page on our website.

Straitsmouth Cove Landing, the Old Garden Path, and Old Garden Beach are all scenic sites in close proximity to the Kieran Preserve (and therefore also close to Waring Fields and DeLamater). See our Kieran Preserve page for more information and a map showing these locations.

For additional information on these and other sites within Rockport, refer to the Rockport Guide to Public Paths, Beaches and Town Landings pdf guidebook published by the Rockport Rights of Way Committee, and available on the Town Website (click on the above title to access the link to this guide).

Cape Ann Trail Stewards | PO Box 690 | Essex | MA | 01929