Photo by David Edgecomb
The Berkshires’ natural splendor and industrial heritage converge here, where hundreds of acres of woodlands veil the vestiges of an historic granite quarry.
Beginning in the 1860s, the Chester-Hudson Granite Quarry diligently extracted and transported Chester Blue granite, a prized, polished material suited for gravestones—the quarry’s origins aligned with the Civil War—and other monuments. But by the late 1940s the operation became insolvent: trucks, winches, railroad tracks, and other pieces of heavy equipment were abandoned across the property, as though quarry workers simply walked off the job and never returned.
Cliff diving and swimming in the quarry pit is prohibited. Cliff diving can result in physical injury or death. Do not jump from the cliffs. There are many hazards lying beneath the surface—old equipment, downed trees—and there is zero visibility in the water.
Cliff diving and swimming in the quarry pit is prohibited. Cliff diving can result in physical injury or death. Do not jump from the cliffs. There are many hazards lying beneath the surface—old equipment, downed trees—and there is zero visibility in the water.
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From its beginnings in the 1860s, The Chester-Hudson Granite Quarry earned a reputation for extracting Chester blue granite, a high-quality stone primarily used to construct tombstones and other monuments—mementos in high demand in the years following the Civil War. But the quarry eventually fell on hard times, struggling financially before ultimately becoming insolvent in the 1940s. About half a century later, local residents founded the Becket Land Trust to spread ecological awareness in the area. (Photo credit: Christopher M. O’Connor)
"The quarry is one of my top 5 hiking spots because there are a lot of trails, all blazed well with interesting features AND there's a variety of trails in the quarry as well. I discover something new every time I go."
– Elizabeth M, Trip Advisor
