From our July 2024 issue
A vast field of exposed granite glitters with flecks of pink and white feldspar and gray quartz at this perch above a quiet cove. Formed at least 360 million years ago, when magma slowly cooled and crystallized, it became a rocking center of the quarrying industry in the early 20th century. Now, the thing that’s still rocking is the nearby port — the perennial hub of Maine lobstering. The quarry, meanwhile, saw its last major spurt of activity in the 1960s, when its docks were used to ship granite from a nearby island for the John F. Kennedy grave site, in Arlington National Cemetery. Now, a network of trails managed by a land trust traverses huge terraced steps, a vestige of how granite was drilled and blasted along natural fractures and excavated block by block in layers. So, if you go for a hike, make sure to rock some proper footwear.