A Classic View of New England From Massachusetts’ Cape Ann

Never mind Cape Cod. The “other cape” in Massachusetts has good hiking too. Roam the rocky headlands of Cape Ann, and you will see one of the state’s most striking coastal tableaux: craggy islands, fishing boats on Ipswich Bay and a view that runs all the way to Maine.

Cape Ann is a community of small towns and cities about 30 miles northeast of Boston. Vacationers can enjoy woodsy hikes and fine, history-filled walks along with the region’s attractive waterfront, art galleries, museums and whale-watching cruises. I’ll detail two good spots: a park in Gloucester and a place called Halibut Point.

Gloucester gained attention recently because it was the home port of the ill-fated fishermen whose last voyage was dramatized in “The Perfect Storm,” the 1997 book by Sebastian Junger and the 2000 movie. The city, settled in 1623, is America’s oldest seaport and remains one of the busiest fishing ports on the East Coast.

The best hiking around Gloucester is at Ravenswood Park, which offers more than 500 acres of woodland, including red oak, white pine, maple and birch. It also has some weird-looking fields of boulders, called “erratics,” left over from the continent’s last glacial retreat. Ten miles of easy trails and carriage paths weave around huckleberry and blueberry bushes and through the woods.

Halibut Point is Cape Ann’s northernmost point and site of a state park and an adjacent, privately owned reservation, both of which provide public access to the dramatic coast. A network of trails explores the bold bluffs and intriguing history of the area.

“Haul-about” is what ship captains used to called Halibut Point. Wind and waves batter the point, particularly during one of those awesome nor’easters.

Halibut Point State Park sits on land where a granite quarry greatly expanded around 1900. Stone blocks weighing as much as 40 tons were removed with the help of steam-powered drills, hoists and trains. But as more builders chose cement over cut stone and as the Depression took its toll, the quarry closed.

Self-guided paths now run through the land. Get the latest trail information from the state park headquarters, a converted World War II observation tower originally intended to help defend Boston. A small museum conveys the area’s history.

Trails pass rows of apple, wild cherry, oak and hickory trees. One path visits the Babson Farm quarry, now a large pond. Don’t miss the great view from atop a huge heap of waste stone.

During the summer months, quarry tours and stone-splitting demonstrations are given every Saturday morning. The park also hosts occasional winter bird-watching walks.

In adjacent Halibut Point Reservation, a waterfront path leads to steep bluffs and tide pools. The view north includes Plum Island, New Hampshire’s Seabrook nuclear power plant and the Isle of Shoals. Choate Island, also called Hog Island, lies to the south.

Rockport, the nearby fishing village turned artists’ colony, has a picturesque Main Street lined with galleries and shops, as well as a quaint, inspiring harbor. Both are worth a walk.

Directions to the trails: Ravens- wood Park is on Route 127 (Western Avenue) in Gloucester.

Halibut Point is a few miles north on Route 127. Turn right on Gott Avenue and into Halibut Point Reservation. Note signs that forbid street parking; visitors must enter the reserve.

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For more of John McKinney’s tips, visit www.thetrailmaster.com.