Quarry Hill(Vermont)

Went for a fun, short hike with Kalli and my buddy Shawn this afternoon at Quarry Hill in Pownal, Vermont.  The entrance to the preserve is low key and can be very easily missed if you don't know it's there.  There is a small, unmarked dirt pull off on the east side of Route 346 in North Pownal(just north of Cedar Hill Road), with room for maybe one car.  The trail begins just past a large boulder blocking motorized vehicles.

This unique area is owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy. 

Trails are not marked, but obvious and easy to follow.

After a nice climb, we quickly arrived at the top of the rock quarry, where the views are good, and the drop off is steep.  Watch your step!

Looking down at a rock wall into the quarry.

The view south into the Vermont countryside.  The Dome can be easily seen poking out above the nearby farmland.

The trail eventually dead ends at a rock ledge, with outstanding views. There is a drop off on each side here, so please be careful.

The great view from the rock ledge.  The Hoosic River and Route 346 can both be seen winding below. The Taconic Range can be seen to the right.

A closer look down at Route 346.

Rural Pownal, Vermont.

Once off the top, we followed a trail into the rock quarry.  Turns out that this area was last quarried in the early 1900's.

I captured this photo of my friend Shawn inside the quarry, to gain perspective of the sheer size.

A small side trail leads to one last opening and another view of the Hoosic River.

Steep drop off from our rocky perch.

We soaked in the warm sun and views for quite some time before finally returning back to our car.  About 1 mile total.