The Beckett Quarry and Forest Preserve

Directions and Activities

Volunteers Sought
Railway to the Moon is a television documentary on the nation's first
mountain climbing railroad, which crossed the Berkshire Hills. Known as
the Great Western Railroad, its success changed the course of history
around the world. The documentary is still being filmed, much of it near
Chester, Becket and Washington, MA. If you would like to get involved,
contact Dave Pierce at dlpiercedlp@aol.com.

Quarry Celebration
The Becket Land Trust (www.becketlandtrust.org, owner of fthe Historic
Quarry and Forest Preserve, will hold its annual Quarry Celebration Day on
August 26th at 2:00 pm. For more information, contact Dorthy Napp
Schindel at 413-623-2100 or at dorothy@dramamuse.com.

Directions to the Historic Quarry and Forest Preserve (350 acres, 5 miles
of trails)
Take Route 20 to Becket, MA. At the intersection of Route 20 , Route 8
North and Bonny Rigg Hill Road, turn south onto Bonny Rigg Hill Road. At a
4-point intersection, turn left onto Quarry Road. Continue on Quarry Road
until you reach the signs and parking area. There is a kiosk with maps and
other information. The hike into the main quarry is about 1 kilometer, but
the Becket Land Trust has established 5 miles of trails on the parcel.

Other sites of interest:
Mullen Museum
Located in North Becket, the museum contains historic photos, audio
recordings from workers and their children, as well as artifacts from the
Quarry operation. To schedule a visit, visit the Becket Land Trust's
website at www.becketlandtrust.org or call 413-623-2100 to reach Museum
Director Dorothy Napp Schindel.

The Washington Railroad Cut.
This 1 kilometer stretch cost the railroad more money than any other
length when the railroad was first built. It took hundreds of workers to
chisel and blast (black powder only, there was still no dynamite) their
way through, cutting down about 20 meters (65 feet). A good view of the
cut can be seen from Summit Hill Road in Washington, MA. From Route 8 in
Washington, turn on Upper Valley Road. Follow until the intersection of
Summit Hill Road. A small pull off is available near the bridge. From here
you can watch the trains--as they either crawl up the last part of the
hill to the top of the watershed divide (all the water on this side drains
to the Westfield, while on the other side of Muddy Pond it drains to the
Housatonic), or roll downhill on their way to Chester, Springfield and on
to Boston.

Muddy Pond
The pond is a famous location alongside the railroad tracks in Washington,
MA. Classified in the 19th century as "bottomless", this shallow, high
elevation waterbody gave the railroad lots of trouble. In 1839-40, huge
quantities of rock from the nearby "Cut" were dumped here, and then the
rails were laid down. Everything was fine...for ten years. Then, according
to local histories, in 1850, the rails sunk--without a trace--overnight.
More rock was dumped and the bed widened, and since then no further
mishaps have occurred. One old history notes that a "railway man will look
at you in disgust at the mention of Muddy Pond." Biologically, it's an
interesting place. Larch and other bog species are located at the south
end, while the rest of the pond is open.

Muddy Pond has no public access.It is located near the railroad tracks,
off Upper Valley Road in Washington.