Cape Ann Trail Stewards - Kieran Preserve

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Kieran Preserve

John Kieran Nature Preserve

Trail Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Property Description:

The John Kieran Nature Preserve is a parcel of approximately 10 acres owned by the Town of Rockport, managed by the Rockport Conservation Commission in partnership with the Rockport Rights of Way Committee and Cape Ann Trail Stewards. The preserve was named in honor of John F. Kieran, a noted author and naturalist who summered in Rockport.

This property contains mature woodlands and wetlands with a wide variety of trees and plants, as well as birds and other wildlife. There are many majestic old-growth trees such as oaks and shagbark hickory, and deer and coyotes can often be spotted within this preserve.

Trail Description:

There is a loop trail that circumnavigates the property that is just under a half-mile long and can be accessed from Straitsmouth Way, as well as an additional spur that allows access from Marmion Way. The trail has minimal changes in elevation, and contains varied terrain with moderately uneven surfaces including roots, rocks, some sections of embedded boulders, and areas that can be seasonally wet or muddy.

The Town of Rockport also owns an additional 3.5-acre lot of conserved woodlands and wetland next to Kieran Preserve (on the opposite side of Straitsmouth Way), although this property does not contain any public trails.

Trail Map:

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

NOTE: This map shows two "Kiosk Locations" for Kieran Preserve-- one at the Straitsmouth Way entrance, and one at the Marmion Way entrance. These kiosks (which will display the above map and other property info) are currently in the process of being printed , but as of this time they have not yet been installed on site. (An existing sign currently marks the Straitsmouth Way entrance, and an engraved boulder marks the Marmion Way entrance).

Parking and Access:

Parking for the Kieran Preserve is available along the side of Straitsmouth Way (the trail entrance is across from 25 Straitsmouth Way), and on the east (ocean) side of Marmion Way (the trail entrance is between 90 and 92 Marmion Way).

(Google map location for Straitsmouth Way parking HERE, and Google map location for Marmion Way parking HERE).

Note that Straitsmouth Way begins as a paved road when entering from South St., but turns into a rugged, dirt road after the intersection of Shetland Rd. (and it remains a dirt road until it ends at Marmion Way).

Other Nearby Trail Connections:

Kieran Preserve is a short trail in of itself, but a walk at this property can also be combined with visiting a number of other nearby scenic sites and trails to create a longer route, if desired. A walking route from Kieran Preserve could also include Straitsmouth Cove Landing, the Old Garden Path, Old Garden Beach, the Headlands, DeLamater Sanctuary & Waring Fields, Steep Bank Landing, and/ or Flat Rock Point.

North of Kieran Preserve:

Straitsmouth Cove Landing (0.12 miles from the Kieran entrance at Straitsmouth Way, and 0.35 miles from the Kieran entrance at Marmion Way) is a Town-owned beach and landing open to the public, and popular for kayak launching. It offers a direct view of Straitsmouth Island, and a combination of rocky shoreline with a sandy area (the sand is primarily exposed at lower tides).

The Old Garden Path can be easily accessed from Kieran Preserve by walking along a short, scenic route on Marmion Way (the entrance to the Old Garden Path is 0.43 miles from the entrance to Kieran on Straitsmouth Way-- see green dashed route on above trail map for reference). This public footpath is a total of a quarter mile in length that runs along the top of a cliff/ vegetated coastal bank with spectacular panoramic ocean views overlooking Rockport Harbor and beyond. Despite the high elevation above the water (which allows for dramatic views), this pathway is primarily flat, with easy footing along a worn dirt trail with sections of gravel. There is a stairway at the western end of this footpath that descends to Old Garden Beach.

The Headlands can be accessed by continuing to walk westward down Old Garden Rd. past Old Garden Beach (the entrance to the Headlands is 0.2 miles from the intersection of the Old Garden Path with Old Garden Rd-- see Kieran trail map for reference). The Headlands offer additional beautiful views of the harbor and open ocean atop a granite outcropping that features open granite ledge, scattered areas of low vegetation, areas to sit (open rock and some granite benches), and some small meandering trails.

South of Kieran Preserve:

DeLamater Sanctuary & Waring Fields contain a network of over 2 miles of woodland trails, and can be accessed by a trailhead (with a corresponding kiosk and map) located just 0.23 miles from the Marmion Way entrance to Kieran (see green-dashed route on Kieran trail map for reference). See our DeLamater Sanctuary & Waring Fields web page for a trail map of this area and more info on this property.

Flat Rock Point and Steep Bank Landing, both feature additional scenic ocean views along the rocky shore, and are within easy walking distance from both Kieran Preserve and DeLamater Sanctuary. See the above referenced DeLamater Sanctuary & Waring Fields trail map and web page for more details.

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