Rockport, MA

 

Halibut State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts, boasts a dramatic vista of a freshwater filled quarry and the Atlantic Ocean and welcomes thousands of visitors a year. Formerly a site of intensive quarrying, the site’s scars grew into protected natural resources: maritime shrubland, wetlands, and several vernal pools. This project celebrates and protects the past and present functions of the park and choreographs visitors through a more legible, accessible, and beautiful experience. The project centers around four main areas of improvement: entry and parking lot, meadow, main trail, and Visitor Center. To signal arrival, Crowley Cottrell designed a set of reclaimed granite entry walls contrasted by a boisterous meadow replacing manicured lawn. The redesigned parking lot expands capacity, manages stormwater, and solves traffic problems. The main trail, resurfaced with a more durable and accessible material, leads visitors to the newly renovated Visitor Center and an improved event lawn with its punctuated views of the quarry.