The Atlantic Path, Rockport, MA
November 17th 2021
Ok – so admission – I’m not the authority on The Atlantic Path in Rockport, Ma. That said – I’m not sure who is (yet). The Atlantic Path seems to be a quaint ‘local’ affair that the southern entrance sign says has been used by Rockport residents for over 50 years. It is for everyone to use – but I didn’t find a real solid map of my intended path before trying it out (I might have looked harder and found one eventually….but what fun is that?).
A remarkable thing about this path is that it crosses private lands all along the way. You’ll see a few small signs on your hike telling you you’re welcome to walk the path…but try not to linger : ) It is awesome that these Rockport land owners let the public traipse along the rocks in front of their homes – providing access to a long stretch of rocky coastline that would otherwise be inaccessible to the rest of us….so BE COOL PEOPLE!
Now – At some points, this isn’t an easy walk on the coastline. You’re crawling across boulder fields in a several spots along the way, and in others navigating what you may find to be sketchily defined paths (or maybe that your not actually on the path and need to re-route to figure out where the path really is….did I mention I wasn’t an authority on the path? : ) Bottom line – if you stick to the rocky shoreline – you’ll be in the 'pathlike' area that you are welcome to respectfully walk.
Parking! There MIGHT be some down in the vicinity of the entrance off of Cathedral Ave…but the few reports online I did see on the walk reported parking as scarce.
Here’s one way to handle it: Park at the parking lot at Halibut Point State Park. During the summer, it is a paid parking area ($5 for MA residents, $20 non-res) – right now (Nov 2021) the parking kiosks are covered over – so currently no charge. From the parking lot – walk down Granite Street to Cathedral Ave, and enter the Path at the sign (See the map and the picture of the entrance path sign on Cathedral Ave). Then – walk the path – hugging the coastline up to Halibut Point and back to your car.
There are places along the path where you’ll see entrances coming off from other streets – and presumably you could travel less of the Atlantic Path than entering at Cathedral. Regardless, there are rock scrambles, the possibility for slipper rocks etc. I’d think NO for a dog or small children in some spots of the hike – but perhaps others have some experience in that area and can leave comments below. Roundtrip for the run I describe is 2.7 miles.
This is a great hike. It’s a real bonus to end up at Halibut Point and take in some of the sights there. If you have more info on the Atlantic Path – drop a comment below!
Ok – so admission – I’m not the authority on The Atlantic Path in Rockport, Ma. That said – I’m not sure who is (yet). The Atlantic Path seems to be a quaint ‘local’ affair that the southern entrance sign says has been used by Rockport residents for over 50 years. It is for everyone to use – but I didn’t find a real solid map of my intended path before trying it out (I might have looked harder and found one eventually….but what fun is that?).
A remarkable thing about this path is that it crosses private lands all along the way. You’ll see a few small signs on your hike telling you you’re welcome to walk the path…but try not to linger : ) It is awesome that these Rockport land owners let the public traipse along the rocks in front of their homes – providing access to a long stretch of rocky coastline that would otherwise be inaccessible to the rest of us….so BE COOL PEOPLE!
Now – At some points, this isn’t an easy walk on the coastline. You’re crawling across boulder fields in a several spots along the way, and in others navigating what you may find to be sketchily defined paths (or maybe that your not actually on the path and need to re-route to figure out where the path really is….did I mention I wasn’t an authority on the path? : ) Bottom line – if you stick to the rocky shoreline – you’ll be in the 'pathlike' area that you are welcome to respectfully walk.
Parking! There MIGHT be some down in the vicinity of the entrance off of Cathedral Ave…but the few reports online I did see on the walk reported parking as scarce.
Here’s one way to handle it: Park at the parking lot at Halibut Point State Park. During the summer, it is a paid parking area ($5 for MA residents, $20 non-res) – right now (Nov 2021) the parking kiosks are covered over – so currently no charge. From the parking lot – walk down Granite Street to Cathedral Ave, and enter the Path at the sign (See the map and the picture of the entrance path sign on Cathedral Ave). Then – walk the path – hugging the coastline up to Halibut Point and back to your car.
There are places along the path where you’ll see entrances coming off from other streets – and presumably you could travel less of the Atlantic Path than entering at Cathedral. Regardless, there are rock scrambles, the possibility for slipper rocks etc. I’d think NO for a dog or small children in some spots of the hike – but perhaps others have some experience in that area and can leave comments below. Roundtrip for the run I describe is 2.7 miles.
This is a great hike. It’s a real bonus to end up at Halibut Point and take in some of the sights there. If you have more info on the Atlantic Path – drop a comment below!
What else is nearby?
There's lots more to see and do in the area - much of it free - so check the map below and get out and 'make a day of it'! If you think a family friendly attraction needs to be added to the map, click 'suggest a place' at the top of the page and let us know so we can share!