Becket Quarry, which is in the Western Massachusetts town of Becket, still has remnants of equipment from its past days as an operating quarry. The property is open to the public, and you can meander around the remains of old machinery, trucks, derricks, and cables.
Well, it was time for our Tour de Western Mass to come to a close. But would we just drive home with our only stops being the rest areas on the Pike? Of course not.
We knew that there was still an adventure to be had.
So, we went to go have it. Benny mentioned that he wanted to check out the Becket Quarry. I asked him why. I mean, there’s an old quarry near us in the spooky Freetown State Forest.
“Bob, the Becket Quarry still has machines there!” he enthusiastically told me, “I heard that it rocks!”
Great. He was already starting with the puns.
Walking Up
First things first; we had to park. During certain times of the year, there is a parking fee. Check out the Becket Land Trust’s website for current prices.
We were met by a friendly attendant who told us that we shouldn’t be swimming there. As we starting walking up, Benny asked why! He was warm and sweaty, and to be honest, the heat of the late spring’s day didn’t exactly make me smell like roses.
Here’s the thing about swimming in the Becket Quarry: Yes, people do it, but it’s wicked dangerous. It’s over 200 feet deep, and you could get stuck underwater by jutting rocks or long-forgotten submerged machinery.
“So what you’re saying, Bob, is that you shouldn’t take your safety for granite.”
I rolled my eyes yet again.
We walked about 15-20 minutes from the parking lot before we saw the first remains of the quarry.
The First Remains
We saw the remains of an electrical shed. Benny wanted to climb up the metal, but I held him back. Then, he wanted to go inside, and yet again I had to hold him back. It didn’t look sturdy. It’s great to have fun when you’re exploring, but remember to be careful.
Thankfully, Benny became distracted and, not so thankfully, he started yelling, “BEEP, BEEP, BEEEEEEEP!!!” A couple of other hikers looked our way. Leave it to Benny to embarrass me when we’re in public.
And since the trucks weren’t enough, Benny took off again to climb on some other old machinery.
A View from Above
Nearby the above remains is the main attraction: the Becket Quarry. It’s now flooded. We saw some people swimming and diving into it. Benny started yelling, “NOOOOOOO!!!!!” but I covered his mouth so he couldn’t talk. He really does love causing a scene.
We followed a path that led us to a stone staircase, which then guided us to a view of the quarry itself.
On the way back down, we ran into more old equipment. Benny seemed to have an odd fascination with it. He tried to get gears to turn and pulled levers. He was surprised that nothing seemed to work.
“Bob, these gears are….rock solid!”
Again, I rolled my eyes. He was making sure he got his puns in today.
As a side note: It goes without saying that the Becket Quarry is no place for unsupervised children. Or bears.
As we explored a short side trail, Benny became excited. “Bob, there’s someone down this path!”
There are usually people everywhere we go, so I didn’t see what the big deal was.
“No, Bob, someone different!”
I don’t know how he knew, but after another two minutes, Benny saw another animal with whom he insisted on taking a picture.
“Her name is Crystal! Can she come home with us?”
Of course that’s what her name was. And of course, no, she couldn’t come home with us.
More Exploring and the Thunder
There are more remains scattered throughout the site.
Our best find, though, was a building that was still standing and safe to go in (in our own non-expert opinion. Go in at your own risk). This building was off the main path and also near a tunnel. The tunnel had a lot of water in it, and, having no cell reception, we decided that exploring inside wouldn’t have been wise.
As we returned to the main trail, Benny mentioned that he thought he heard a roar in the distance. I didn’t think anything of it; maybe it was just a far-off truck.
Benny looked a bit apprehensive, but then shrugged it off. We found some more remains to explore.
We were on the other side of the quarry at this point. Here the view stretches for miles.
Again, Benny said he heard a roar. I thought he was imagining things. The sky looked fine to me. I pushed on. We were almost done exploring, and there was one more path that I wanted to check out.
Benny asked if we could go back. “It’s just one path, Bob. Let’s go.”
“That doesn’t sound like you, Benny. Coming to Becket Quarry was your idea!”
He acknowledged that I was right, but then hopped into my backpack. “Bob, can you at least check the weather?”
“Benny, we’re fine. There’s no reception here, but look at the sky; it’s blue!”
After following the path for 10 minutes, we came across another building.
Benny showed no interest in the newfound structure. He just said, “That’s great, Bob. We should start going back to the car. We’re at least a 35-minute walk away!”
“Benny, what’s gotten into you?”
And then I heard it. It was loud, sudden, and earsplitting. The companion of late spring that heralds the nearing of summer in New England. A thunderstorm.
Benny jumped into my backpack and zipped it up.
I should have listened to Benny before. I’m not scared of storms, but the bear is terrified, and, honestly, they spook me if they catch me by surprise when I’m out in the middle of the woods. Although, I guess I can’t say it was a surprise if Benny was trying to get me to head back.
So, we turned back. And then I felt it: the tiniest droplet of water. And then another. I started running, which is always interesting in hiking boots. The incline that we climbed on the way in turned into our saving grace as I ran down full speed.
By the time I got to the car, it was raining. I opened the back door, threw the bag in, and then got in front seat. At that very moment, the heavens opened up and there was a torrential downpour. We had just made it.
“Benny, are you okay?”
He was shaking in the back. “Yeeeeeaaaahhhhhhh, I’m f-f-f-iiinneeee.”
I have to say, he tried his best to show that he wasn’t scared and keep his face blank.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “You look stone-faced!”
He didn’t appreciate the pun.
Join us on our New England and beyond adventures!
More Places in Western Mass to Explore:
- Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum
- Climbing South Mount Sugarloaf
- Make Your Own Candle at the Yankee Candle Headquarters
- Check out Dinosaur Footprints
- The Titus Mansion Ruins at Ashintully Gardens
- The Housatonic River Walk, Great Barrington
- The Norman Rockwell Museum
Check out our map of places we’ve been in New England!
Find New England Travel Guides and Books. This is an affiliate link, and we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Leave a Reply