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Backpacker Magazine – June 2010
Top 3 Ghost Town Hikes: Dogtown, MA
walk 10 miles of demise carved in stone.
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Tags:
- Ghost town |
- Hiking |
- Massachusetts |
- Adventures |
- Camping |
- Backpacking |
In the mid 1700s, the area known as the Commons Settlement was home to Cape Ann’s burgeoning upper crust. As many as 200 people lived in this boulder-strewn flatland until just after the Revolutionary War, when the wealthy moved nearer to the coast. The neighborhood spiraled downward after that, earning the dubious moniker Dogtown; authorities evicted the last holdout in 1830. Walk the dirt road into the old town square, now just a hole-pocked clearing, and bear right at .3 mile to wind past motto-inscribed, glacier-deposited stones on the Babson Boulder Trail. Then wander the 10-plus-mile network of abandoned roads and trails that winds through sparse woodlands. Watch for cellar holes and chiseled exhortations to “get a job” and “stay out of debt” that feel oddly judgmental for a town that couldn’t help itself.
Refuel
Slurp a bowl of red-and-white clam chowder at Halibut Point in Gloucester. (978) 281-1900
The Way
From Gloucester, go north .7 mile on MA 127, right on Poplar, left on Cherry, and right on Dogtown.
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READERS COMMENTS
Hi Adam, to bad you had such a bad time. Where is your sence of reality? Times have changed and at times what you think should be isn't. Let others be their own judge. You should have gone in the earlier part of summer. You might try it again, it might be more fun if you took someone along who just appreciates time with you and quite possibly keeping you from being so judgemental. Backpacking is backpacking- no guarantees of any sort. Hope you have better future trips
If all the good ones were exposed on BP, then there wouldn't be any good ones left ;-)
In my previous experience, Backpacker's suggested hikes have generally been great. However, Dogtown is probably the single worst hike I've been on in my entire life. First of all, there's a shooting range that you walk past at the beginning of the hike, so gunshots make silence impossible basically eliminate any sense of calm/peace on the trip. You cross over commuter rail tracks, walk behind somewhat industrial-looking buildings, and the trail can be extremely hard to follow (granted I did this hike early November with the leaves covering the trail). I would definitely not recommend this hike.
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