Rattlesnake Hill: kilns, quarries and exploring galore

With over 453 acres to explore, Rattlesnake Hill is a great hike for all ages. Stop for an hour or an entire afternoon. There are many access points, the easiest being the Main Street entrance. Connect with your phone or take a map from the kiosk for the walk.

So many special things about this land make it an absolute treat to wander through. There are delightful footbridges, labeled botanical marking and historical landmarks. Stations display literature explaining sites such as the foundation of Philo Clapps Pump Log Mill and Shop. Turn a walk in the woods into a educational experience.

Cross the footbridge to see the location of Philo Clapps mill and shop

Witch hazel’s bright green foliage pops through the forest as late autumn foliage hangs on for just a bit longer. Pathways of the bleached pink of Winged Euonymus feel like falling rose petals, the woods temporary delicate natural fireworks.

Undoubtedly, the crowd pleaser is the lime kiln which walkers can explore in and around. When limestone was discovered by the Whitcomb family in the late 1730’s, excavation began at two quarries on the property.

Continue hiking a bit and you’ll find yourself at the base of the Whitcomb quarry, which is fun to climb up and view from the top as well. Historic drama is strong: in the 1800’s the quarrying operation mistakenly opened an underground waterway, and water rushed out at such speed it drowned the working ox on site (serious gasp allowed). When the quarry was pumped in the 1930’s, iron oxen shoes lay in the mud!

Keep exploring through these winding trails as they snake through boulders, become sandwiched between historic rock walls of old farms, and hug the rushing Great Brook. It is surely a spot you will want to return to with friends.