"...as if the men had gone for lunch and never returned..."
BECKET – That's what they say about the rusted ruins at the Becket Quarry. If you're looking to add something spooky to your October season, go for a haunted hike! New England has more than its share of the paranormal, and the Berkshires are no exception. One of the best Halloween hikes is located at the Historic Becket Quarry.
This abandoned quarry in the hills is just the place for a weird walk. Rusty trucks and forgotten machinery sit deserted making it one of the more interesting hiking trails in the Berkshires.
Now in a state of arrested decay, the 300 acres was once the thriving site of the Chester-Hudson Quarry, operational from 1860-1947.
The company once shipped tons of stone used for tombstones (eek), memorials, and other monuments in the area. Even a devastating flood in 1927 didn't stop operations. Until a seemingly fateful day, when the thundering resonance of machinery screeched to a halt and the last steam whistle blew on almost three-quarters of a century of granite production in Western Massachusetts. What happened? Logical explanations point to financial mismanagement and lack of capital for necessary improvements. But if you let the preserved ruins (and your imagination!) speak to you, maybe you'll hear a different story...
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Where to hike with kids
If you take the Quarry Trail, an easy 1/2 mile from the parking area brings you to the hollowed-out shells of two deserted trucks, waiting patiently for their drivers to return. Signs placed along the trail describe points of interest and offer "family fun" activities. Farther up, the silent bones of an electric generator shed lay wasting in the sun. The wind at the quarry seems to echo with the voices of the past. With 2 kids under 10, we weren't hyping up the spook factor (nightmares = No Bueno), but if you go looking for it - happy haunting!
Be sure to grab a map at the parking lot or print one from the Land Trusts website, there are so many artifacts to discover and learn about on the self-guided historic walk! Also, look out for vernal pools and red newts.
Open from dawn to dusk every day of the year, on-site parking is plentiful and parking along the road is prohibited. Parking is $10 per car on days when a security officer is on duty. The officer ensures the following rules: No diving, No fires, No coolers, No alcohol, carry in/carry out. Detailed maps showing both the Forest Preserve Trails and the Self-Guided Historic Quarry Walk is available at the kiosk located in the parking lot and on the Land Trust website.
The Becket Quarry is located at 456 Quarry Road in Becket. For more information visit becketlandtrust.org.
Know another good haunted hike? Drop it in the comments!
