Halibut Point State Park
Nature preserve
55 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Twin Lights Historic District-Cape Ann Light Station · Photo: Tim Pierce · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Rockport
Rockport has 53 miles of mapped trails, 7.6 for every square mile of land
27% of Rockport’s land is conserved, about 1,219 acres. 479 acres are parks and preserves, 68 per 1,000 residents. 94% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #79 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
27%
1,219 acres · of 7.0 sq mi of land
Trails
53 mi
7.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
479 ac
68 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.1 mi
1.1 mi paths
Highest peak
217 ft
Pool Hill
Lakes & rivers
20
22 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Rockport?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Rockport have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rockport is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #79 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Rockport’s overall grade.
Conserved land27% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails7.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (53 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land68 acres of park per 1,000 residents (479 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home94% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 72%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Rockport’s 27% is ahead of 66% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 100% of them.
Water is more than half of Rockport’s area (11 of 18 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 11%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Halibut Point State Park, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pool Hill Town Forest
Nature preserve
98 acres1.9 mi of trail
Town Forest TrailDinosaurDinosaur Bail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
DeLamater Sanctuary
Nature preserve
41 acres1.2 mi of trail
Delmater Sanctuary Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Thacher Island
Nature preserve
31 acres1 mi of trail
Bennett's TraceSouth BluffWedmore Walk
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Homecrest
Nature preserve
26 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Woodland Acres
Managed by Essex County Greenbelt
43 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Andrews Woods
Nature preserve
15 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Pine Pit
Managed by Town of Rockport Conservation Commission
19 acres0.8 mi of trail
Old Rail Track
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 35 parks & preserves
Halibut Point State Park55 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPool Hill Town Forest98 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DeLamater Sanctuary41 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsThacher Island31 acres · 1 mi of trail
Homecrest26 acres · 1 mi of trail
Woodland Acres43 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
DirectionsAndrews Woods15 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Pine Pit19 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Town of Rockport Conservation Commission
Conservation Land28 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Halibut Point Reservation14 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · The Trustees of Reservations
Manning Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Evans Field10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKieran Preserve10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Nugent Stretch9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Brackett Conservation Restriction5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Norwood Mills Wildlife Sanctuary13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Mass Audubon Society
Pingree Trails13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Sandy Bay Historical Society
Town Conservation Area6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Rowe Parcel8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
DirectionsPigeon Hill Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
The Headlands4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPingree Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Millbrook Meadow2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Garden Beach1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStraitsmouth Island Wildlife Sanctuary30 acres · Mass Audubon Society
Saratoga Creek Salt Marsh28 acres
Milk Island Sanctuary25 acres
Town Conservation Land14 acres
DirectionsWaring Field9 acres
Penzance Road Marsh7 acres
Liljas Pit5 acres
Mill Pond Park2 acres
DirectionsSouth Woods2 acres · Essex County Greenbelt
Town Wetlands2 acres
Who protects it
1,219 conserved acres
27% of Rockport’s land. Water is left out: Rockport has 7.0 square miles of land and 10.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Rockport’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits181 ac
Town or city147 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service34 ac
Other state land29 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land3 ac
Not recorded918 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 703 acConservation Easement · 197 acLocal Other or Unknown · 127 acLocal Conservation Area · 92 acPrivate Conservation · 78 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 147 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 83 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Gloucester Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 280 | Closed |
| Cape Pond Reservoir Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 209 | Closed |
| Quarry Reservation Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 111 | Closed |
| Pool Hill Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 46 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 34 | Restricted |
| DeLamater Sanctuary Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| Straitsmouth Island Private Conservation | Not recorded | 30 | Closed |
| Loop Pond Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 30 | Closed |
| Lane Property Private Conservation | Not recorded | 19 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
38 places to go in Rockport
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Rockport
Back Beach
DirectionsCape Hedge Beach
DirectionsFront Beach
DirectionsLong Beach
DirectionsOld Garden Beach
DirectionsPebble Beach
DirectionsPlus 16 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Rockport
5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Rockport
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Rockport
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Rockport
Pool Hill217 ft elevation
DirectionsPigeon Hill200 ft elevation · In Pigeon Hill Park
DirectionsGreat Hill167 ft elevation
DirectionsHigh Rock108 ft elevation
DirectionsNugent Boulders
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 20 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.5 miHorses · 5.5 miUnpaved · 17.6 mi
Coyote1.3 mi
Spiderman1.2 mi
Old Rail Track1.1 mi
Tarr Trail1.0 mi
NHL0.8 mi
Ted Nugent0.7 mi
Bad Dog0.7 mi
Captain Nemo0.7 mi
Pipeline0.6 mi
Atlantic Path0.6 mi
15 more trails
Frontline
0.5 miDinosaur
0.5 miAnkle Breaker
0.4 miTown Forest Trail
0.4 miKieran Preserve Loop
0.4 miRum Runner
0.4 miGordon Gekko
0.4 miSuperman
0.4 miSad Balloon
0.3 miphalange
0.3 miSuperman Extended
0.3 miBennett's Trace
0.3 miDelmater Sanctuary Path
0.3 miDry Pond Drop
0.3 miSquam Path
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Babson Farms QuarryBig Parker PitButman PitCanney PitCape PondreservoirFire PondpondFlat Ledge QuarryreservoirJohnson PitJohnson Pit QuarryLilja PitLittle Parker PitLoop PondMason PitNickerson PitOregon Pit / PondPine PitSaratoga CreekSheep Pasture MotionsSteel Derrick QuarryreservoirUpper Pit / Carlson's Reservoirreservoir
Biking & sports
1.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
7Tennis
4Baseball
2Basketball
1Soccer
1Multi-sport
1Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 14 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Twin Lights Historic District-Cape Ann Light StationNational Historic Landmark · District · listed 1971
About itRockport Downtown Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1976
About itOld CastleBuilding · listed 1978
About itGranite Keystone BridgeStructure · listed 1981
About itSewall-Scripture HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itStraightsmouth Island LightStructure · listed 1987
About itGott HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itOld Garrison HouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itRockport High SchoolBuilding · listed 1997
About itRockport High School, OldBuilding · listed 2004
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Rockport: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 38 | 44 | 55 | 65 | 73 | 79 | 78 | 72 | 60 | 50 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (3.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Rockport →
Next door
Rockport and its neighbors
Rockport has the second most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockport | 27% | 7.6 | 68 | 94% | A+ |
| Gloucester | 32% | 4.4 | 172 | 99% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rockport
Where can I hike in Rockport?
The longest trail networks: Halibut Point State Park, 2.2 miles; Pool Hill Town Forest, 1.9 miles; DeLamater Sanctuary, 1.2 miles; Thacher Island, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Rockport is conserved land?
27% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Rockport’s trails?
Halibut Point State Park and Pool Hill Town Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Rockport?
1.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Rockport?
11,573 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rockport or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 493 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Rockport have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #79 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Rockport neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →