Polar Caves Park, a 104‑year‑old private attraction, had long featured the Mysterious Hanging Boulder, a granite monolith that had been a photo backdrop for generations.
The 80‑ton rock slipped on Oct 18, crushing a wooden footbridge and its railings, but no visitors were harmed.
Geologists attribute the failure to gradual cracking from repeated freeze‑thaw, with water expanding in micro‑cracks and weakening the granite over decades.
Park managers said they will clear debris, reinforce the trail, and conduct stability tests before the 2027 spring reopening.
The incident echoes the 2003 collapse of the Old Man of the Mountain, a New Hampshire landmark that also succumbed to weather‑induced erosion.