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Different views of Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, MA. All Photos/C. Danko © 2001-2011
Part quarry, part shoreline, Halibut Point State Park is a quiet place to picnic while watching the sailboats glide by and the waves crash against the rocks.
The area was once where the Rockport Granite Company mined the quarry. But when the Babson Farm Quarry closed in 1929, the quarry filled with water, and the area was later turned into a public park. Swimming in the quarry is prohibited, but standing at the edge offers a beautiful view with the quarry's clear blue water and the seagulls flying among the bleached rocks.
Further out, the paths wind in maze-like paths through chest-high greenery toward the ocean. Some visitors come to fish, others like to sunbathe among the rocks, while others enjoy a summer picnic and a hike.
The visitor's center stocks pamplets with directions for a self-guided tour. And on Saturday mornings during summer months, guided tours include granite-cutting demonstrations. Some of the offered tours are nature walks - focusing on tidepools or wildflowers.
After you leave the park, the artisan shops and galleries along Pigeon Cove are worth a stop.
Visiting
The park is open daily from Memorial Day though Labor Day. Follow Route 128, heading north, in Gloucester. At the rotary, go three-quarters around and take Route 127 north. Follow 127 for about six miles. Take a left on Gott Avenue. There is a small admission charge.