Stony Brook Grist Mill

"A very pretty walk. Can't wait to go back when Herring run."

"I've never visited when the museum is open, but I read that you could buy corn that is ground on site during the summer months. Sounds pretty cool. I prefer the off-season tranquility of this spot and imagining what life might have been like before cell phones and traffic jams. There are a few parking spots just across the street, which probably fill up fast in season. I didn't realize until recently that the brook travels all the way to the Atlantic. It makes sense since the Alewife run through in the spring, which is a neat thing for kids to witness. The property does not welcome dogs, so your four-legged friends have to sit this one out."

"The milk was open and we enjoyed the demonstration as well as the historical information and antiques. Very knowledgeable staff that were great with the kids as well. We also enjoyed walking along the stream and there was plenty of wildlife to view."

"We had read about herring runs but never made it to one until this year. Went over April vacation with grandkids and we all enjoyed it very much. It’s quite a fascinating combination of nature and people working together. I’d recommend checking the website in advance to see if the herring are running. They usually run in April if it’s above 50 degrees. I believe they run back in June, we’re going to keep an eye on that. If you go make sure you go to both sides of the property across the street from each other. On side has a bridge, a picnic area on the hill, several “ladders” for the herring to jump on their way to the pond, which is across the street. Be very careful crossing as this is a tricky road situation. The mill, brook & pond are located at the bottom of a little valley in the road and it curves at the same time. Once you safely cross the street, follow the brook up hill, to the last “ladder” and watch the herring as they try to make the last leap into the pond to later spawn this spring. It’s fascinating to watch some make it and some don’t. Some that make it appear to get carried back down if they don’t swim away from the rushing brook fast enough. Kids can walk through a couple of paths up on a hill next to the pond and hang out on some large boulders adjacent to the pond. The only thing we couldn’t do was go inside the mill to see how the water wheel worked. It wasn’t open but we gave the kids our own little lesson on how it works and hope to get back someday when it’s open. This is truly just one more reason when the Cape is so special. There is so much more to the cape than just the beach and this is just one example."

"The mill was unexpectedly open today, although not running (only on Saturdays). It was really cool to see all the old tech and purchase a bag of actual stone ground corn meal. The trails along the herring run were beautiful. The herring "run" in May, but it's neat to see off season as well."