The Monoliths (formerly Agassiz Rocks)
| Hours: | Hours Vary see below |
| In/Outdoor: | Outdoor |
| Cost: | Free |
| Category: | Hiking/Walking |
Ascend a small hill to where a massive granite monolith juts into the sky, then pass a swamp where another huge boulder has sat as silent witness for millennia. It rests - seemingly precariously - on a small jagged stone, leaving an opening below. A short distance away, other boulders lie perched on the edge of this glaciated upland. Below, in a small shrub swamp, rests thirty-foot-tall Big Agassiz Rock.
Big and Little Rocks are dramatic examples of giant boulders plucked from bedrock and carried far away by the last glacier. A short loop trail leads you up Beaverdam Hill where Little Rock emerges as a giant granite monolith silhouetted against the sky.
Trails include a 1-mile loop trail (moderate hiking) takes in both Big and Little Rocks.
A short distance away, other boulders lie perched on the edge of this glaciated upland. Below, in a small shrub swamp, rests 30-foot-tall Big Agassiz Rock. No one knows how far below the ground it is buried.
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.
| HOURS | ↑ top |
Open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1 hour
| WEBSITE | ↑ top |
www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/northeast-ma/agassiz-rock.html
| LOCATION | ↑ top |
School Street, Manchester-by-t, MA map
Phone: 978.921.1944
From Rt. 128 (exit 15), take School St. north for 0.5 mi. Entrance and roadside parking (10 cars) on right.
| TIPS | ↑ top |
- Following long periods of rain, when the water table is high, the immediate area surrounding Big Rock can be flooded.
| REVIEWS BY STUDENTS | ↑ top |
Agassiz Rocks, Grade 3 Student
Agassiz rock has a big rock and a little rock. The hike was not too long and it was fun. I found a walking stick. There were a lot of bridges to walk on. The day was a nice sunny day. I liked the little Agassiz rock better than the bigger one. At the top we could see Gloucester.
| RELATED LINKS | ↑ top |
- Profiles
Info changes frequently. We cannot warrant it. Verify with The Monoliths (formerly Agassiz Rocks) before making the trek. If you find an error, please report it...