The Big and Little Rocks are dramatic examples of giant boulders plucked from bedrock and carried far away by the last glacier. As the glaciers scoured this landscape, the mass of bedrock forming the hill proved more resistant than the surrounding soil, forcing the bottom of the glacier up and over the hill. The north side was smoothed and the south side left steep and rugged as the glacier broke off chunks of rock as it passed.

Make your acquaintance with these geologic marvels by ascending the property’s 1.5-mile loop trail up Beaverdam Hill. The moderate hike leads to an inimitable sight: Little Rock, a giant granite monolith silhouetted against the clouds. A short distance away, in a small shrub swamp past the other boulders, perched on the edge of this glaciated upland, rests 30-foot-tall Big Rock. Nobody knows how far below the ground it is buried.

After long periods of rain, take extra caution: when the water table is high, the area surrounding Big Rock can be flooded.

When to Visit
Open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1 hour.

Admission
FREE to all.

School Street
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA 01944
Telephone: 978.526.8687

Get directions on Google Maps.

From Rt. 128 (exit 15), take School St. north for 0.5 mi. Entrance and roadside parking (10 cars) on right.

Free trail map distributed from bulletin board in the parking area. Please understand that supplies periodically run out.

We recommend that you take a photo of the map on your phone so you can refer to it during your visit, or download a trail map before you head out.

• Authorized seasonal bow hunting is allowed on this reservation with written permission for a limited number of hunters through a deer management program administered by The Trustees. Per MassWildlife regulations, hunting is permitted from the first Monday in October through December each year, from ½ hour before sunrise all day until ½ hour after sunset, Monday through Saturday. Hunting is not allowed on Sundays. Signage is posted at the property listing safety precautions and requirements. Learn more about hunting on Trustees properties. Any questions may be directed to The Trustees at info@thetrustees.org.
• PHOTOGRAPHY: We ask that photographers or their clients become Contributing Level Members before conducting portrait sessions at this property. Click here for more information, and to request permission for any portrait sessions. The Trustees of Reservations reserves the right, and may give permission to its designated photographers and videographers, or to outside media, to photograph or video visitors and program participants at all its facilities and properties.