Butternut Pond – Grantham, NH
Distance: ~2 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy
Map: AllTrails
Since our puppy Baxter isn’t quite old enough to take on the 4,000 footers of the White Mountains, we’ve been exploring some easier trails in the Dartmouth-Sunapee Region recently to help him find his trail legs. Our latest find is the Butternut Pond Trail in Grantham, an easy two-mile hike with a beautiful secluded pond at the end. The view is rewarding for such an easy hike, and there’s quite a bit of local history along the way.
Finding the Trailhead
The trailhead is only about 10 minutes from exit 13 on I-89. Heading north on Round the Lake Road (the road that goes around Eastman Pond), you’ll take a left onto Link Lane. This is a small road and it can be hard to notice if you’re driving too fast. Link Lane immediately dead ends into Anderson Pond Road where you will take a right. Anderson Pond Road will come to a dead end right at the trailhead. Since the parking area is located within the Eastman community, an Eastman sticker/tag is required.
The Trail
The trailhead begins at the site of an old farm dating back to 1826 and the stone foundation and well are still mostly intact. From here the trail continues straight and moderately uphill for about .70 miles before coming to a junction where you will notice another stone foundation and well built in 1830. The majority of this stretch of the trail is lined with stone walls from these old 19th century farmsteads.
Foundation of an old home
Read More: Best Hikes in the Dartmouth-Sunapee Region
A sign mounted on a tree clearly marks the junction where the Butternut Pond Trail branches off to the left. If you were to continue straight, you would eventually come to the Cole Pond Trail, which is another beautiful short hike in the area. After hiking 0.27 miles from the junction, the trail will turn left and descend as the pond comes into view through the trees.
While the view isn’t exactly mind-blowing, it certainly exceeded our expectations. Much like the aforementioned Cole Pond, the crystal clear water of this tucked-away pond made for a scenic end to the trail. The granite ledge on the southern shore of the pond is the perfect place to take in the view and maybe even put a line in the water. While we personally didn’t have any luck, the 40-acre pond is home to pickerel, largemouth bass, sunfish, and yellow perch.
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Nearby Trails:
Is there a way to access Butternut Pond? Our approach was onto a granite cliff and we couldn’t find a way to make it down to the water.