Skiff Hill Overlook

Skiff Hill is a viewpoint above Nauset Marsh in the Fort Hill area, best known for a grooved boulder now set at its top. Stop for the marsh-to-ocean view and the remarkable worked stone beside it. This is a walk-in stop, and the published directions do not give the final spur distance.

From the hilltop, tidal channels wind through tawny marsh toward a sandy barrier beach and the open ocean. Keep the creek, marsh, and far shore together in a photo; that layered view is the payoff here.

Before September 1965, the roughly 20-ton granitic boulder stood in the marsh just south of Hemenway Landing. As the shoreline retreated and threatened it, the stone was moved about 100 feet to the top of Skiff Hill; its original spot is now underwater. Native people used its grooves to sharpen tools: long, crescent-shaped marks likely worked bone objects such as harpoon heads and fishhooks, while broad smooth depressions were used for stone axes.

Fort Hill's nearby loop is 1 mile and takes about 30 to 45 minutes. It is described as easy, with a solid surface and some log steps on slopes. The exact approach to Skiff Hill is not mapped in the trail directions, so allow time for a walk beyond the overlook pin. The main Fort Hill parking area is at 70 Fort Hill Road, across from Captain Penniman House; Hemenway Landing, just north on Route 6, is another trail access point with restrooms.