Abandoned Quarries in Vermont Provide Hidden Gem for Exploration and Hiking

Graniteville, Vermont should be part of any travelers itinerary to the region.

Autumn season in Vermont. / Mandatory Credit - Miro Vrlik

There are a lot of things that make Vermont a popular destination for people looking to get away. During the winter, it is a hotbed for skiing on the rolling mountains that are plentiful in the Green Mountain State.

But, anyone that may be in the area during other seasons needs to check out a hidden gem in Graniteville featured in an Instagram reel by Rebecca on the Vermont For Real account. There you can hike a network of trails totaling more than 70 miles through abandoned quarries.

The Millstone Trails will take you through more than 1,500 acres of abandoned and active quarries with plenty of lush forests as well.

Aptly named as the granite capital of the world, quarries began popping up in the region near Barre in around 1825. Just 75 years later, thousands of stonecutters came over from European countries, such as Scotland and Italy, to start their new lives.

There were more than 75 active quarries and 4,000 people working them, with more than 3,500 people working at local factories. Eventually, the multiple quarries went away as one conglomerate eventually emerged.

Rock of Ages is now the deepest active granite quarry in the world, leading North America when it comes to making cemetery memorials. Guided tours of the facility are available and last about 50 minutes.

Because of the quarry activities, there wasn’t any vegetation in sight by the early 1900s. That slowly began to change as nature naturally took over once the areas were abandoned by the people working them.

Greenery slowly began taking over with water also filling up the pits. Years later, in 2005, the Millstone Trails Association was created to help conserve this beautiful area so that people could enjoy activities such as biking and hiking.

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“Millstone Trails Association is a non-profit organization that maintains the Millstone Trails, a network of non-motorized recreational trails in Central Vermont. Our trails traverse 1,500 acres of diverse and dramatic terrain, among historic quarries, New England villages, and regenerating forests,” says their website.

If you want to walk, the trails are free to explore on foot. A bike pass can be purchased by anyone preferring to cycle around.

The day passes for mountain biking along with donations all go toward helping keep the trails as nice as possible.