Quincy Quarries Reservation

Love this place. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Amazing place to go to look at the art or just chill out.

I always knew there were quarries in Quincy, but this past weekend was the first time I actually went to check them out. Boy, am I glad I did!
I went early Saturday morning with my two dogs so we could all get a little exercise and enjoy the beautiful weather we were having. Right off of Ricciuti Drive, there is a parking lot with plenty of spaces.
My dogs and I went up a short trail and found ourselves at the top of one of the sides of the main quarry. The rocks were covered in graffiti, all of which was very colorful. Below I could see that the filled-​in quarry had become a field. I was a little nervous having my dogs up that high with a sheer rock face in front of us, so I took another trail and we made our way to the bottom of the quarry.
The sight was breathtaking. Who knew a gem like this existed in Quincy?
The quarry walls were covered in beautiful graffiti art, and the field before us was just asking to be ran through. Since there was no one around, I let the dogs run off leash and they loved it! There were also some rock climbers at the top of one of the walls getting ready to start their climbing for the day. So cool!
We took some other trails through the woods, up and around the smaller quarries, and it was the perfect easy hike. The Boston skyline which is visible from the top of the main quarry was spectacular!
I definitely will be coming back here this summer to do some more exploring without the dogs.
AN IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE: teens use the quarries as a party place during the summer, and unfortunately leave broken bottles and glass on the ground. You’ll see this as you make your way up the rocks.) Be mindful of your feet, children, and pets’ paws getting cut! (Thankfully my pups suffered no glass injuries!)

This place is beautiful. I usually go hiking in the woods, but this place definitely captured my soul and attention.

This place is fantastic. Go as hard as you want with climbing and full body exercise, or take it as easy as you want by strolling along the drained quarries or through the well worn trails in the woods. Fantastic views of Boston and some of the harbor. Not sure why it took me so long to check this place out, I guess I thought it was going to be a bit sketchy. But it’s not, it’s colorful and beautiful. Saw some climbers in full equipment out today too. Will be spending a lot of time here as the weather gets better.

We only went to check it out. The graffiti is pretty cool. Sites of Boston panorama are amazing. We did not do trails but will go back and explore more. I think this place has alot to offer.

This place is really neat. On decent days there are people rock climbing but if that’s not your thing there are a ton of trails you can take around and up the quarries. Great graffiti to look at and some pretty cool wildlife spotting can happen as well. This is one of my favorite parks in Quincy.

Yeah. I’m not a hiker. I just like escaping from the world and I enjoy nice views. So that’s what I did the other day. I stopped by with a friend and we just made our way up and found ourselves staring at the Boston skyline. It’s definitely a gorgeous view. Even with the graffiti everywhere. It’s a beautiful sight.

An absolutely fascinating place, and one that often gets overlooked by hikers who tend to opt for the main sections of the Blue Hills nearby. But the views from the quarries are at least as stunning, and the huge rock faces are totally unique to the Boston area. Some of the trails that head away from the quarries themselves are great, including a narrow and rocky path that heads down to the Shea Rink. If you’re a hiker, you don’t want to miss this area.

Big fan, as this is the first place I tried outdoor climbing. But the rock is def slippery here, what with being granite and not to mention the multiple applications of graffiti in some areas. Sure is colorful! Beautiful views of the city and friendly fellow climbers make for a great day, though.

gorgeous. just go there.

Quincy Quarries — you’re awesome. No really, I’m not just buttering you up because I want you to bless me with good weather and open routes the next time I visit. Though if you did that’d be pretty cool of you. Sure — you’re not perfect. You can be really crowded, and the local hooligans covering you in spray paint make me sad. I mean, the last time I visited you the bottoms of my shoes ended up silver!!!
You have a pretty good number of bolts, though I’d always appreciate more. After all, tying off to trees and rocks is a bit sketchy. Most of the people that visit you rock. Ughhh that wasn’t an attempt at a pun I swear. Don’t look at me like that! Sure some sketchy people come as well — like those kids last time who had never climbed in their lives — inside or out — and just about killed themselves.
So — Quincy Quarries — you rock (still not a pun). Don’t change. Well, except maybe in a way to scare off the spray paint wielding hooligans.

Ever since Boston drained the main quarries, removed a bunch of cars and bodies, and filled it with Big Dig dirt … it’s become quite a nice place!
This is my favorite local spot (within 30 min. of Boston) to rock climb. It’s great to have a place right in the metro area with so many routes to get strong on and meet other climbers.
Everything I know of can be top-​roped here. The routes are either bolted at the top, or there are trees, boulders or inch-​thick iron rods fixed to the rock from the quarry days.
There is crack, face, and sloper climbing … so there is a lot of opportunity to work on your technique. There are some good bouldering problems too, for days when you are without a climbing partner.
Overall; the climbing is solid and really fun, the climbers are always extremely friendly, and you have beautiful views of the Boston skyline and the sunset from the top.

There is something incredibly captivating about Quincy Quarries. Once a spot known for cliff jumping (and, um, deaths), the quarry is now a popular destination for rock climbing. It’s incredibly accessible, but also ridiculously popular; there are tons of routes, ranging from super easy to very difficult. If climbers don’t arrive early during the nicer weather – such was my fate this afternoon – the weight time to snag a really good line could be a few hours.
Fortunately, the atmosphere is really interesting and beautiful, so waiting around isn’t such a bad thing (unless you’re dying to hit the wall). I recommend packing a lunch and hanging out for the day, even if you’re not interested in climbing. In addition to being a cool natural landscape, there is some excellent street art – the colorful graffiti greatly adds to the character of the place! (I only wish people would throw away their empty cans of spray paint after redecorating the walls; littering definitely sucks).
Definitely a place to check out, rock climber or not – Quincy Quarries is, without a doubt, one of the most unique, cool places in the Boston area.

I started to work in Quincy recently, and I suddenly found myself immersed in references to granite, quarries, and monuments, not to mention more than a few actual monuments. Even the Donut King has one. So I had to investigate why. The search led me here, where I sat and pondered and labored for days (okay, two lunch hours) over my Unilocal Ode to Granite. I wove my words into a wondrous thread, which I spun into a fabulous fabric telling the storied tale of Quincy’s illustrious history, revered among stonemasons, then the quarry’s infamous history as a depot of wasted youth and unsolved crime, until the town filled in the lake with Big Dig dirt (and removed most of the abandoned cars and hazardous waste and unidentified bodies) and turned it into what it is today, a glorious rock climbing getaway in the middle of Quincy, with a variety of top-​roping routes… though it remains a graffiti-​clad haven for wasted youth, depriving it of its precious fifth star. But alas, in a tragic earthquake, my Ode was buried in a granite landslide.
Okay, y’know what? Odes are tough. And I have to go back to work. You want poem? Here’s poem. Inspired by my learning to rock climb here in the quarry:
Now, see, I can finally grok
Quincy’s raging wood for rock.