Winter Solstice Sunrise Walk at Poles Hill

Join us to watch the Winter Solstice sunrise from an ancient Solar Observatory built by Native Americans, at Poles Hill in Gloucester!

CATS Board member and Poles Hill Trail Steward Sandy Barry will lead a walk at Poles Hill to view the Solstice Sunrise from  the "Gnomon" (a boulder placed by Native Americans over 2000 years ago as part of a Solar Observatory that marks the location of the Solstice and Equinox sunrises and sunsets). 

For more information about this ancient Solar Observatory at Poles Hill (also called "Sunset Hill"), click HERE to view a short video explaining it. 

After the sunrise, Sandy will lead those who are interested on a walk along trails through the rest of the Poles Hill Conservation Area, including a scenic overlook with expansive views to the ocean (total walking distance will be less than 1 mile, over moderate terrain with boulders and granite ledge).

(Photo of the Winter Solstice Sunrise from the Gnomon at Poles Hill in 2022)

Meeting Spot:  Meet at 6:45 am at the CATS kiosk for Poles Hill off of Riverview Rd. in Gloucester.  Sunrise on December 21 is at 7:09 am. 

See map of the Poles Hill Entrance location HERE.    Park on the side of Riverview Rd., but please be courteous to the neighbors.  After you turn onto Riverview Rd. from Wheeler St., the entrance to Poles Hill is a small dirt road on the left, just after the  house at 6 Riverview Rd.   We will mark this entrance with an orange cone (the kiosk is a short walk up this dirt road).

If you don't get to the kiosk on time, Sandy will leave another orange cone out at the entrance to the trail to the Gnomon (start walking up the blue blazed dirt road from the kiosk, and the Gnomon trail will be on the left off of this main dirt road about  0.14mi from the entrance kiosk).