Hike at Becket Historic Quarry & Forest

Now a property of The Trustees of Reservations, the Becket Historic Quarry is a truly fascinating place to explore! Beginning in the 1860s, the Chester-Hudson Granite Quarry was prized for its source of Chester Blue granite that graced Civil War monuments and gravestones through the 1940s. Fully shut down in the 1960's, a variety of vehicles and industrial equipment were abandoned. These artifacts from a bygone age are still there, and slowly being reclaimed by the forest. The historic quarry area, in particular, is a photographer's treasure!

After taking as much time as desired exploring the quarry area, we will hike the outer loop of the forest preserve trails, clockwise, from the Founder's Loop to the Mossy Bottom Trail to the Circle of Stone Trail to the Finn Trail to the Staple Rock Trail (which dips into the town of Otis, very close to the Mass Pike) to the Old Motion Loop to The Heights Trail. This is a moderately challenging hike, with a 561 ft. gain in elevation. The entire event may exceed the 3 hours listed.

Note that there may be a parking lot attendant (generally from May through October) who will be collecting a $10.00 per car parking fee, unless you are a member of The Trustees of Reservations or have a North American Reciprocal Museums pass. Many people have complained about this, since there was never a fee to enter the property until it came under the auspices of TTOR. Dogs are welcome at the property and can be off-leash on the trails, where we are unlikely to encounter other hikers.

Download a trail map here: https://thetrustees.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/becket-quarry-trail-map.pdf