Grottos Trail

This level, gravel access trail runs roughly parallel to the South Shore Road, serving mainly to connect the three steep ground-to-clifftop trails (Balanced Rock, Potholes, and the CCC trails) along the South Shore. The trail gets its name from the numerous sinkholes found north of the pathway, between the trail and the talus slope. Since talus has been tumbling down from the cliff for thousands of years here, the ground beneath the cliff is very porous; in the summer, cool air emerges from the low points, hinting at great undergrounds spaces below the rumble.

Grotto Trail starts at the South Shore Parking Area, then heads east along the talus edge, spurring off to the Balanced Rock, Potholes, and CCC Trails. You can make a nice, mild, woodsy loop by linking the Grottos Trail with the Group Camp Trail, about 1.5 miles total.