Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The truth is out there—somewhere.
The Truth Is Out There at the Dreamland Resort (or Should We Say ‘Area 51?’)
19 days ago
Edward Payson Weston
How the 6-Day Race Became an American Spectator Obsession
20 days ago
Alresford Spy Toilet
This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage
23 days ago
Manhattan Well
The Manhattan Well: How Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton United to Solve a Murder Mystery
23 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Massachusetts Becket Becket Land Trust Historic Quarry and Forest

Becket Land Trust Historic Quarry and Forest

Locals purchased this abandoned quarry in order to make sure it continues to be overgrown.

Becket, Massachusetts

Added By
Tasha
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Becket Land Trust Historic Quarry and Forest   cynicalsunshine / Atlas Obscura User
The Becket Land Trust Historic Quarry and Forest   cynicalsunshine / Atlas Obscura User
Historic quarry.   cynicalsunshine / Atlas Obscura User
Electrical generator shed.   cynicalsunshine / Atlas Obscura User
Truck   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

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. 

Related Tags

Ruins Quarries Parks Industrial Cars Abandoned Mines

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.

Community Contributors

Added By

cynicalsunshine

Edited By

Rachel, Milo Vella, missingfilm, Maria Valeria Diaz

  • Rachel
  • Milo Vella
  • missingfilm
  • Maria Valeria Diaz

Published

October 29, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.becketlandtrust.org/history.htm
Becket Land Trust Historic Quarry and Forest
Becket, Massachusetts, 01223
United States
42.33199, -73.082937
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Keystone Arch Bridges

Chester, Massachusetts

miles away

Andrew DeVries Sculpture Trail

Middlefield, Massachusetts

miles away

Santarella

Lee, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

United States

Places 556
Stories 43

Nearby Places

Keystone Arch Bridges

Chester, Massachusetts

miles away

Andrew DeVries Sculpture Trail

Middlefield, Massachusetts

miles away

Santarella

Lee, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

United States

Places 556
Stories 43

Related Places

  • Oakland, California

    Kaiser Quarry Ruins

    An abandoned car and strange wooden debris are among the scattered remains of the old sand and gravel quarry.

  • Mine Hill Preserve.

    Roxbury, Connecticut

    Mine Hill Preserve

    The remnants of a 19th-century ironmaking complex hidden in the woods of Connecticut.

  • Ruins of Seneca Quarry stone cutting mill.

    Poolesville, Maryland

    Seneca Quarry

    This ruined quarry once produced the distinctive red sandstone used for construction projects in Washington, D.C.

  • Boarded up buildings.

    San Antonio, Texas

    Portland Cement Plant Ruins

    A tall smoke stack and boarded-up buildings are all that's left of the pioneering plant.

  • Disused quarry buildings

    Shropshire, England

    Titterstone Clee Hill

    Centuries of human activity have forged an eerie landscape of ruins and craters on an exposed and windswept hilltop.

  • Tankardstown Engine House.

    Waterford, Ireland

    Tankardstown Engine House

    Impressive mining ruins overlook a spectacular view of Ireland's Copper Coast.

  • Washington, D.C.

    Foundry Branch Trolley Trestle Ruins

    A derelict bit of transportation infrastructure hidden in the woods.

  • Gashouder Westergas.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Westergasfabriek

    One of Amsterdam’s most popular cultural and recreational complexes is on the site of a former gas works.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.