Gloucester, Massachusetts: Dogtown Ghost Town and Babson Boulders

Rich business entrepreneur Roger Babson battled two things: moral decay, and gravity. Roger Babson lost.

If you plan to visit the Babson Boulders (Dogtown Common), look for a map on Google ahead of time, as the trails aren't that obvious without one. Also, consider attempting these trails during the Fall though early Spring. They can get quite weedy in the Summer.

At the Babson Boulders, the mosquitoes are aggressive. Bring insect repellent.

Part ghost town, part crazy old man story, "Dogtown" is a fun oasis in the middle of Cape Ann on the North Shore of Massachusetts. North of Boston and between the towns of Gloucester and Rockport, Dogtown was once home to a bustling farm and mill community on a plateau over the ocean. First settled in the 1740s, the area got its name from Revolutionary War and War of 1812 widows lived in the area with their companion dogs.

The area fell into disrepair in the early 19th Century and the last house was torn down in 1845. Along the old Dogtown Road, rock walls mark the sides of the carriage road as well as some of the properties that once sided the road. The center of Dogtown Common is marked with a boulder bearing the letters "D.T. SQ". There are stories of the last residents of Dogtown being suspected witches, but there's very little evidence of that now.

While a rare abandoned town in New England would be interesting enough, the area is also marked by two dozen boulders inscribed by Roger Babson (of Babson College fame) with such words and phrases as "Courage," "Loyalty," "Help Mother," and "Keep Out of Debt." These boulders are more or less along a path which is very rocky and overgrown. Be sure to take a map of the boulders with you as most of them are several yards off of the main trail on small, mostly overgrown trails. The area is public land, but not maintained in any way.