halibut point state park

Great trail around a huge rock quarry, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Amazing views both inside and towards the ocean.

Halibut Point State Park is truly a jewel... compact, yet filled with amazing visuals and interesting offerings. The small wooded parking lot sets the tone for the park. Walk onto the wooded path through beautiful woods, dotted with scattered granite blocks from yesteryear. The five minute walk ends at an amazing vista, high above a large granite quarry, backed by trees that are backed by the open ocean. This first vista always amazes first timer visitors. The walk around the quarry includes many overlooks back on the quarry, then the big overlook, a high point where the visitor can see MA, NH, and ME, including islands off the ME coast. The vista is incredible, usually windy, with a rocky coastline below. We've seen porpoises and whales in the fall. Walk the path down to the water and enjoy an area containing tons of small granite blocks that you can creatively stack. Kids love it! Back up top is an old observation tower for spotting submarines. At the bottom of the tower is a small natural history exhibit with great old tools, photos, and occasional presentations. We have split granite blocks on the lawn, learned about animals on videos, and walked up into the tower to scan the sea. Photo ops are everywhere... it's extremely unique in its scenic beauty. There is a restroom, a few picnic tables, but it;s primarily a wonderful walk and visual experience. I live in Rockport, and it's my favorite place to walk with friends, or alone, to get recharged with natural beauty, on a rather grand scale. It's a jewel with no frills... just natural beauty on the MA coast.

A Great place for a hike and you can also climb the tower for an awesome view of the quarry. There is a fee to get in but so worth it.

Nice state park with trails that lead down to the ocean. Can reach the water on a rocky coast and walk along the rocks for some distance. Rocks too slippery and covered with seaweed to actually walk in the water. (see the picture) Other than that, the park is small with a few picnic spots. Restrooms are available.

Halibut Point is an old quarry at the northern tip of Rockport. It is not on the beaten path, but it is definitely worth getting to visit. There are hiking trails around the old quarry and down to the rocky beachfront. The views of the North Shore are spectacular. There is adequate parking at the entrance. On your return go by way of the picturesque little village of Annisquam.

State parks do not seem to get a lot of love from the Commonwealth these days, but Halibut Point is a much-loved and well-run exception. Great for just enjoying the varied scenery, exploring tide pools, picnicking on the rocks, or studying the natural and human history, you'll find this park more than worth the trip.When I showed off Halibut Point to my brother, he said, "I knew you lived in a nice place, but I didn't know it was THIS nice!"

Lots of easy walking trails that are well marked. Beautiful trees, quarry, and ocean views. Benches to stop and rest while looking at the beautiful views. Park ranger office open in season. Restroom facilities available. Lots of parking. Off season minimal fee to park.

I have been in this park a couple of times. It is an amazing place to take a walk and enjoy the sight of the nature and the sea. It is very relaxing and peaceful, and if you had a bad day or you were in a bad mood, this will be a great remedy. I really recommend to visit this place, especially during the Spring or the Summer.

Amazing views of the ocean and surrounding lands, as well as interesting information on granite and nature in the area,

After walking down a winding wooded path, the first glimpse of the granite quarry is mind-blowing! If you've never seen a quarry before, it's just fascinating. Keep walking and you'll eventually come to an elevated rocky point overlooking the ocean, which is arguably the best place on Cape Ann to watch the sunset. The total walking distance to reach this point is under half a mile, and the path is flat and easy to walk. There are other trails you can explore, and another point to view the ocean at a lower elevation, right near the water. The history of this place is also pretty cool. The quarry became a boon to the Rockport economy during the Industrial Revolution, providing high-end granite to construction projects along the Eastern Seaboard. Thousands of blocks of granite remain along the coast, waiting for ships that have long since abandoned granite for concrete, leaving a piece of Rockport history frozen in time.

It was interesting & beautiful scenery. The visitor's center was closed so we didn't have the map the tells you what all the numbered stops were. We would have liked to learn more although my Geocaching app gave us a nice writeup about the history.

We were there on a beautiful fall day. GREAT place to go with the family for a short hike, just keep any eye on the little ones.Walk up to the scenic overlook, or walk along the rocks by the beach. Nice place to spend a few hours on a warm day.We did NOT have to pay to park, but I imagine during the summer months you would have to.There weren't any trail maps available, but they did have a QR reader so we could pull up the map on our iphones. Not that you really NEED a trail map - this place isn't that big, but for those of you who want to know where you're going..... :-)

An old quarry with great views, easy paths down to the ocean. Lots of rocks to poke around in. This would be a great place to take a picnic. On the website it said the park was closed, that just means the parking is free and there are no guides around. The trails were still open when we went.

Carved in stone from history awh striking beauty and views of the coastline up to Maine.The quarries are just plain beautiful.

The views are amazing! You can walk right up to the ocean on the rocks and feel the ocean water. The granite quarry is amazingly beautiful! Don't pass this up! Kids will love this as well as we did ... 40 somethings...