| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Pierce Pond, Pierce Pond Stream, Kennebec River, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Appalachian Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, July 16, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Driving to the trail here is not for the faint of heart. Low clearance vehicles can make it with alert, patient drivers using slow speeds in low gears. From Route 201 in Bingham, turn onto Route 16 and cross the bridge over the Kennebec. Turn right after crossing, onto Ridge Road. Go about 5 miles, then turn right onto Carry Pond Road. This is an improved dirt road for the first 8 miles, then becomes an unimproved dirt road. After 3 miles of unimproved road, turn right at a fork onto Bowtown Road. Go another 4 miles and look for the AT crossing. There are signs on both sides of the road but you have to be looking for them. Parking pullout is pretty minimal. Traffic is minimal too but be on guard for fast-moving logging trucks, and watch out for rocks protruding through the road surface. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
From the AT leanto at the south end of the Pond, the trail goes over the pond's wooden dam. If water levels are high enough for water to overflow the dam, there is a blue-bazed bypass trail that leads in 1/4 mile to corduroy and a bridge over the stream, and from there back to the AT.
The Kennebec River should NOT be forded! This is the one spot on the AT where a canoe ferry service sponsored by MATC should be used to cross the river. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
This trail is a little bit brushier than it was last time we were here (2005). Otherwise it's in good shape. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Dogs, you'll be happy campers on this hike. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not many as luck would have it. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
AT through hikers tend to remember this 3.5 mile (one-way) section of the AT. We have always day hiked it as an out-and-back from a sporting camp located along the stream 1/4 mile below the dam. It's a really nice hike but not worth the drive in for most day hikers; we have met some weekender and multi-day backpackers in addition to the through hikers and a few locals. Two legged friends as well as four-legged friends will enjoy swimming in either the pond or the stream or both in summer. Don't try it in the river, as water levels are dam release related and can change very quickly. And be careful about leg cramps triggered by cold water. The pond had its first known tragic drowning early last summer, of a through hiker, due to leg cramps while swimming in the pond. |
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 | Name: |
peaksseeker |
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 | E-Mail: |
peaksseeker@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-07-22 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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