King Philip's Cave

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Location

King Philip’s Cave is off Stone Run Drive, a small cul-de-sac across the street from 271 Plain Street. There is parking for two cars near the entrance sign on Stone Run Drive (which is a not a private road.)  Due to limited space at the entrance, we encourage visitors to park on Plain St. and walk the short distance up to the entrance, if possible. 

Proceed up the trail and you will find the “cave”, Norton’s geologic high spot, formed when huge boulders were dropped as the glacier carrying them, melted. The cave gets its name from the Wampanoag sachem, Metacomet (or King Philip), who was said to use this cave and other similar geologic formations in the towns surrounding Norton as a lookout during King Philip’s War. Near the cave, you will find a bench dedicated to a long-time LPS volunteer and member of the Board of Directors, Phil Zawasky. There is a Historic Commission Sign posted on the branch of the trail to the left of the bench. Sit and enjoy the view for a while in this peaceful spot. The short circular trail will bring you back to the kiosk. On the trail, you will see wildflowers , blueberry bushes, dogwood trees, a variety of birds and more.

Trail Qualities

The marked LPS trails are approximately a quarter of a mile in total, simply bringing you to the cave and back. The ground is firm, but tree roots and elevation changes could prove challenging for some. We do not encourage anyone to walk around the homes seen on the map as the terrain is overgrown and possibly wetland.