General Question

Brian_Ghilliotti's avatar

Does anyone know the location of Rum Rock in Barre, Massachusetts?

Asked by Brian_Ghilliotti (328points) July 17th, 2018
10 responses
“Great Question” (0points)

This question is probably only answerable by someone living in the vicinity of Barre, MA, or maybe in Massachusetts in general. Rum Rock is the largest glacial erratic in Massachusetts.

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elbanditoroso's avatar

Google is your friend.

link

According the map, it isn’t far from Gloucester. But nowhere near Barre. Could there be two lakes with the same name?

Tropical_Willie's avatar

@elbanditoroso thats a lake, @Brian_Ghilliotti is looking for a a rock left by a glacier off of RT 122 in Barre Center, MA.
Here’s a FaceBook page from last year about a hike in central Massachusetts.

zenvelo's avatar

From the Barre MA Bicentennial Pamphlet:

Rum Rock

One of the larger conversation pieces around Barre, Rum Rock now stands with its monolithic beauty hidden by a half-mile of underbrush that has taken posses-
sion of the cart roads that once passed within “spittin” distance of it. It has been the inspiration for much folk tale in the past.

I just called the Woods Memorial Library in Barre, they will send me an address.

Brian_Ghilliotti's avatar

I find it annoying that one would have to pay for this information with the guided tour referenced in the facebook page, when it is probably on public land, that, unless protected by environmental statutes, should be free for everyone to see it if they want to. Brian Ghilliotti

Tropical_Willie's avatar

@Brian_Ghilliotti go find it on your own, it is in off of RT 122 in Mass.

zenvelo's avatar

@Brian_Ghilliotti But it isn’t on public land, it is in a sanctuary owned by the Audubon Society. But if you read the hike description, it will lead you right to the rock.

Brian_Ghilliotti's avatar

It does not lead you to the rock. I have already been there. It takes you to a trail head for the nature conservancy.

zenvelo's avatar

^^^^ And then you follow the trail. Or is that too difficult?

zenvelo's avatar

@Brian_Ghilliotti I got this back from a resident of Barre MA:

Rum Rock is in the wilderness and it does not have an address. It is located within a very large Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary that stretches from Petersham into Barre (Rutland Brook Sanctuary). Rum Rock is reachable only by hiking on woods trails.

The entrance closest to the “Rum Rock Loop Trail” is located off Pat Connor Road in Petersham, which is an extension of Butterworth Road in Barre. Butterworth Road is a narrow dirt road off of Mass. Route 122 in Barre, almost at the Petersham town line. It is about .7 miles up Butterworth Road, onto Pat Connor Road. There is a tiny spot to park, then you start hiking. There is a well marked hiking trail, Rum Rock Loop Trail, which is a rough woods path that is quite long. This is a densely wooded area of swamps and beaver ponds, and many cliffs that contain granite glacial erratics similar Rum Rock.

I hiked this area for three hours this afternoon and I cannot tell you definitely that I found Rum Rock, because it is not marked and there are several formations very much like it. Massachusetts Audubon created the Rum Rock Loop Trail about 2008 and hosts an annual walk to Rum Rock, usually in October, but they do not publish the location of the trail or the rock.

A hunting friend who is familiar with this area estimates the geographic coordinates as 42.45282, -72.15139. This is an estimate only, not done at location.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

Wish I could give you more GA’s @zenvelo . That was a lot of detail.

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