rock house reservation

I take my dogs here (on leash - the rest of you dog owners take note) and enjoy it all year round. The terrain is rolling and easy to navigate. There are enough small trails to keep it interesting. There are not a lot of people during the week so it is nice to be out in the peaceful woods. Wildlife is not abundant although I did see a bear a couple summers ago. The pond is lovely. If you have an hour or so for a nice walk in the woods, stop by.

It's right in our back yard, so we go frequently. Very easy hike, but better than just walking the roads.

This place is so calming and interesting. It can bring you back to the time of when by was inhabited by the 1st real owners of this land. The scenery is spectacular. Rock House can be enjoyed by young and old. This is a great recreational and historical place.

Its a great place to bring your kids to hike, the trails range from 1/2 mile to 3 miles. I love the house overlooking the lake and the rocks to climb on are a lot of fun. I wish the trails were marked a bit more but other than that its a beautiful place to go.

It`s quiet.. Birds, frogs, nice place to hike. Been going there for years. It`s so cool to be able to walk through the rock house. Nice for just wanting to escape the rat race, and not far also.

Another trustees of the Reservations property with many interesting rock formations. I was photographing the area and happily someone was rock climbing which added to the lovely scenery. There is also a pond.

Just a wonderful place, peaceful, beautiful, relaxing, great place for a picnic....interesting, relaxing.....but definitely a nice hike

Yesterday was my first trip to to Rock House Reservation. I thought I'd take my dog and check it out. Parked my car at the Route 9 paking area and walked up to the board with the trail map. Checked out the map and started up a trail. I noticed every once in awhile I would see a tree with a red circle painted on it. Ok, red must mean I am on the red trail. Came to an "intersection" there is another trail map. This one says "you are here". Great, I continue walking. Now the trees have another color circle painted on them...no problem, I keep walking, Next intersection, another trail map....no "you are here" though. Awesome! Keep walking and low and behold the trees have different color circles. Great. Where the hell am I? I look around, hear traffic in the distance and try to go towards it. I see a road and a "P" sign and think ok, I did it....except the road isn't Route 9 (I later found out it was Pierce Road).So I turn around and head back onto the trails. An hour and a half after I first started out I finally ended up back at the Route 9 parking area.My question is Why don't ALL the little trail maps say "you are here" or give some kind of direction? And the "museum" is a framed building with a few pictures hanging inside. That's it!Though the walk was pretty it was definatley not interesting enough for a return trip.....and I have no desire to get lost in the woods again.

Rock House Reservation is a great place for a short hike. The overall property size is great for those looking for a 1 hour or so hike. Trails are well marked and well maintained, the view from Rock House is very cool. I agree with some of the other posts-the Overlook is overgrown and doesn't give you a scenic view. Glad to see the Trustees of Reservations are maintaining the property well, and one of my "regular" local places for short hikes.

enjoyed the geocashing we did here, thinking of planting a letterbox here in the spring - stay tuned

Short and interesting hike for kids, loads of features like rock crags and water and cabins. Good and easy way to get kids outside.

Enjoyable walk/hike. Beautiful landscape. Hard to believe it is just a few steps off of Rte 32. Pack a picnic and your camera. You can make this a 30 minute trip or you can make it last a few hours. Thanks for establishing this convenient and pristine area.

The hike to the scenic vista was along a nice ascending trail, however couldn't find the scenic overlook. Found a bench with what could have been a vista but trees had grown to obscure the view. Was this the overlook?Tried to find info on the reddish,brownish, gold rock on the website. Interested but no luck online. (museum had info, but forgot.)

As a kid, the family and myself would go hiking here. I used to have so much fun. The scenery is just beautiful. I highly recommend checking this place out if you live in the area. If you love the woods and outdoors, you'll love it. I no longer live in MA but if I did I would definitely go here on frequent occasions.

...as the previous poster stated. The rock formations are impressive, and we really enjoyed walking the trails up to the 'balancing rock' and the little building further up. We have gone both in the winter and summer, and enjoyed the unique experiences of the seasons. This is a great spot to bring the kids for a little fresh air and exercise, although it can be a challenging hike in spots for small children. This is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area, and the historic Salem Cross Inn is just down the road, if you want a bit of refreshment after your hike.