About Agassiz Rock

116 acres

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.

What makes Agassiz Rock a special place?
Big and Little Agassiz 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 Agassiz Rock emerges as a giant granite monolith silhouetted against the sky. 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.

Trails
1-mile loop trail (moderate hiking) takes in both Big and Little Agassiz Rocks. Following long periods of rain, when the water table is high, the immediate area surrounding Big Agassiz Rock can be flooded.

When to Visit
Open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1 hour.

Regulations & Advisories

No advisories at this time.

Directions

School Street
Manchester-by-the-Sea
Telephone: 978.921.1944
Email: neregion@ttor.org

Get directions on Google Maps.

From Rt. 128 (exit 15), take School St. north for 0.5 mi. Entrance and roadside parking (10 cars) on right.

Admission

When to Visit
Open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1 hour.

Fees
FREE to all.

Property History

In October 1874, a group of students from the Essex Institute formally named the site to honor Louis Agassiz (1807–1873), the professor of natural history at Harvard University who first theorized that the rocks that dot New England’s landscape were shaped and deposited by glaciers. Agassiz supposedly visited the site at the suggestion of its then-owner, Frederick Burnham.

Agassiz found its erratics great lessons to advance his theory and to bring it to the attention of science. Prior to Agassiz’s theory, it was widely believed that the scattering of rocks throughout New England were the result of Noah’s great flood.

Property Acquisition History
Original acreage a gift, with endowment, of Arthur W. Stevens in 1957 and 1958. Additional land purchased in 1960, 1961, and 1963. Additional land given by Doris E. Peabody and Mrs. John B. Warner in memory of William A. Stone and Charles H. Stone in 1964; Barbara Babin, Edwin F., Rowland E., and Dorothea Butler in 1965 in memory of Nelson A. Butler; Samuel Knight & Sons Co. in 1966; the heirs of Eva Rand in 1967; and Douglas DeAngelis in 2001.

Volunteer Opportunities

Work Parties

Maps and Resources

There is not a downloadable trail map at this time.

Planning Your Visit

Travel Links
Essex National Heritage Area
North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau
CapeAnn.com
North Shore Chamber of Commerce
Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea

Before You Go
We encourage you to visit as many Trustees properties as you can.

Wherever your travels take you, please observe all posted regulations, follow special instructions from property staff, and keep in mind the Stewardship Code:

• Protect wildlife and plants.
• Guard against all risk of fire.
• Help keep air and water clean.
• Carry out what you carry in.
• Use marked footpaths and bridle paths.
• Leave livestock, crops, and machinery alone.
• Respect the privacy of neighboring land.
• Enjoy and share the landscape with others.

Click on links below for further visitor information:

Before Setting Out

Enjoying Trustees Reservations

Safety

About Hunting on Trustees of Reservations Land

Tell Us What You Think

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