Becket Land Trust Historic Quarry and Forest

The Becket Land Trust Historic Quarry and Forest cynicalsunshine (Atlas Obscura User)

This abandoned quarry looks as though the workers simply left one day and never came back.

The former Hudson-Chester quarry was operational from the 1860s to the 1960s, when the business simply stopped, leaving all of their equipment and machinery behind. The land remained abandoned and nature began reasserting itself, going over the roads and leftover industrial hulks.

When a new company wanted to reopen the quarry in 1999, the land was purchased by the local community and put into a public trust so that the natural beauty could be preserved and the disruptive work of mining could be avoided. The area is now opened as a nature park.

Scattered throughout the forest surrounding the quarry are old autos, dredging derricks, and buildings all being taken over by plants and vines and rust. In and near the quarry itself, piles of granite boulders offer beautiful views of the Berkshires, and the perfectly still waters in the pit create a peaceful atmosphere.

Know Before You Go

Take Route 20 to Becket. At the intersection of Route 20, Route 8 North, and Bonny Rigg Hill Road, turn onto Bonny Rig Hill Road. At a 4-point intersection, turn left onto Quarry Road. Continue on Quarry Road, until you come to our signs and parking area on the right.