Worden's Ledges

My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed this very short and easy hike. We loved looking for the carvings in the various rock formations and didn't even manage to locate them all. From reading online, apparently the carvings were done back in the 1940's. Aside from the carvings, the rock formations were filled with color and truly stunning while a light snowfall was landing on them.

I ran through here for the first time over the past weekend and was quite surprised by the eerie impressions left on the rock-walls. I found it fascinating and took a few photos before we moved on. Later on, I looked up and read a bit about the place. Turns out, although the dates carved deeply into the rocks are in the mid to late 1800s, they were actually carved in the mid-1900s by a son-in-law of Worden's. The land belonged to the Worden family prior to passing down to him. He carved several detailed faces, names, a schooner, a bible and a cross, among other things often so deep into the rocks it's hard to imagine them ever washing away. I admit, at first it appears to me just some modern graffiti, but no graffito of this day-and-age is going to spend that much time cutting rock when they can tag tons of train cars with spray paint in the same amount of time. The place fits neatly into the geology of the area which has been all around surprising to me ever since I moved here. The further surprise came when I found out these rocks were primarily cut from water erosion in an ancient inland sea, rather than the glaciation I expected. It kinda makes sense, with more rounded edges and undersides of overhangs. Definitely worth a hike, as is the entirety of Hinckley's.

I have been going to Hinckley reservation for years. As a child I swam in the summer and ice skated in the winter. As an adult I ran around the lake on the dirt trail and also on the multi-purpose trail. I only discovered this hidden gem of Worden's Ledge and the beautiful rock carvings. Mr. Worden purchased his homestead in 1851 and married in 1860. They had several children and the oldest was Nellie. The parents died and left Nellie in charge of their settlement. When Nellie was 80 she married 63 year old Nobel Stuart. This marriage was not seen favorably by their family and friends but they decided to go through with it. Nobel was a bricklayer and an aspiring sculptor. Nellie died about a year after they got married and Nobel acquired the homestead. Shortly after her death he enjoyed taking walks in the wooded land on his property. This area included sandstone ledges which he carved and created interesting images from mythology, dates, and tributes to others. You will see his Nellie etched in the stone. You will see the date 1851 which was when the Worden's were married. There is a carving of a schooner which was in honor of his father who died on one in Lake Superior. The faces are of George Washington, and others. Baseball player Ty Cobb is also seen. You will roam around and see the sphinx, crosses and moon shaped faces. The loop trail is about one mile long. The trailhead is located off of Ledge Road. When you approach the ledges it feels like a scavenger hunt. You need to carefully and slowly explore all surfaces and ravines to see this hidden treasure. I do want to go back and look for some of the carvings which I did not see on this adventure.