Halfmile Pond – Enfield, NH

The weather this Memorial Day Weekend was a cruel cosmic joke, but the cold and incessant rain couldn’t keep Baxter from hitting the trails. We needed to squeeze in a hike during one of the rare but brief rainless windows this weekend so we decided to give Halfmile Pond a try. We have hiked to the nearby Smith Pond a few times so Halfmile Pond is one of the hikes we had been wanting to try. Baxter loves trails where he can swim and look for fish, so naturally he was a big fan of this hike, and he was not alone in his sentiment. This was a surprisingly scenic hike and one we definitely plan on doing again.

Trail Summary

Distance: 4.6 miles out and back

Difficulty: Moderate

Trailhead: Just off Exit 15 on I-89 (there is another trailhead off of NH-4A)

Dog Friendly: Yes (watch out for porcupines!)

Getting There

The trailhead is located just off of exit 15 on I-89 in Enfield, NH. After getting off the exit, head up the hill on Smith Pond Road and you’ll see a sign on your left for a small parking area. The parking area is easy to miss so drive slow and keep your eyes open. There’s room for maybe 5-6 tightly parked vehicles, but the trail is not heavily trafficked so this is typically sufficient. There is a trail map posted at the trailhead.

The Hike

The trail begins with ~0.2 miles of modest descent before crossing a small footbridge. Stay right at the footbridge. The trail then meanders through a forest of mostly young hardwoods with another small stream crossing before reaching a private dirt road at ~0.6 miles. Turn left and follow the dirt road for about a tenth of a mile until you see a sign for Smith Pond and Halfmile Pond. While neither trail is particularly busy, Smith Pond is definitely the more popular of the two, so don’t be surprised if you have the Halfmile Pond trail to yourself.

As the sign indicates, you’ll take a right towards Halfmile Pond and begin by walking through a clearing before beginning a moderate ascent.

After about a half mile, you’ll reach a rocky overlook with nice views of Smith Pond and Mt. Cardigan to the northeast. With the knowledge that he has both climbed Mt. Cardigan and swam in Smith Pond, Baxter gazed across the wooded landscape feeling like an experienced hiker.

The trail descends and then climbs again before reaching a large rocky ledge to the left. This is when you catch a glimpse of the pond below. The pond is nestled between two hills and feels very remote despite only being a couple miles from I-89. There is a small fire-pit and two canoes along the shore. Apparently the pond is stocked annually with fingerling trout, so we will have to come back with our rods and hope that at least one of those canoes is seaworthy. While we turned around and retraced our steps after reaching Halfmile Pond, there is a trail that continues south along Butternut Brook leading to Butternut Pond. That will be another hike for another (hopefully less rainy) day.