Hike New England - Cherry Pond and Little Cherry Pond

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Cherry Pond and Little Cherry Pond

Destinations:		Cherry Pond (1118'), Little Cherry Pond (1094')
Trails:		Pondicherry Rail Trail, Shore Path, Central Railroad, Little Cherry Pond Loop Trail
Region:		NH - Central East Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge
Location:		Whitefield, NH
Rating:		Easy
Features:		Ponds, views, birdwatching
Distance:		4.7 miles
Elevation Gain:		40 feet (cumulative)
Hiking Time:		Actual: 1:54 Typical: 2:25
Outing Duration:		Actual: 2:30 Typical: 3:45
Hike Date:		Saturday, 11/30/2002
Last Updated:		1/20/2008
Weather:		25-30 degrees, hazy, light rain
Author:		Webmaster

Route Summary

Start at the Pondicherry Rail Trail parking area along Airport Road in Whitefield.
Follow the trail straight ahead for 1.4 miles to Waumbek Junction (where the Presidential Rail Trail goes off to the right).
Continue straight ahead through the junction and cross the Johns River on a railroad bridge.
At this point you will be on the active Central Railroad tracks. Stay to the right edge of the tracks.
Turn right onto Shore Path, 0.1 mile after Waumbek Junction.
Follow Shore Path for 0.1 mile along the edge of Cherry Pond.
At the end of the trail you will be back at the Central Railroad tracks.
Continue another 0.1 mile along the edge of the tracks, then cross the tracks to follow Little Cherry Pond Loop Trail which turns left (at about the point where the Cohos Trail turns right).
Little Cherry Pond Loop Trail makes sort of a loop (with a spur on each end) leading to Little Cherry Pond.
Go 0.1 mile to the first loop junction, then bear left.
After 0.4 mile you will reach the second loop junction.
Bear left and follow the path for 0.1 where it ends at the shore of Little Cherry Pond.
Retrace your steps back to the second loop junction and bear left in order to return via the other leg of the loop.
After 0.3 mile you will be back to the first loop junction.
Bear left and walk 0.1 to return to the Central Railroad tracks.
Turn right and retrace your footsteps back to the Pondicherry Rail Trail and the parking area.

Place	Split Miles	Total Miles	Split Time	Total Time
Pondicherry Rail Trailhead on Airport Road (1132')	0.0	0.0	0:00	0:00
Waumbek Junction	1.4	1.4	0:32	0:32
Cherry Pond and Shore Path (1118')	0.1	1.5	0:04	0:36
Jct. Central Railroad/Little Cherry Pond Loop Trail	0.2	1.7	0:04	0:40
Start of loop	0.2	1.9	0:05	0:45
Little Cherry Pond (1094')	0.5	2.4	0:14	0:59
Back to start of loop	0.4	2.8	0:11	1:10
Jct. Central Railroad/Little Cherry Pond Loop Trail	0.2	3.0	0:06	1:16
Waumbek Junction	0.3	3.3	0:08	1:24
Pondicherry Rail Trailhead on Airport Road (1132')	1.4	4.7	0:30	1:54

Map of hike route to Cherry Pond and Little Cherry Pond (map courtesy of J. Heywood)

Trail Guide

Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge consists of two ponds and the surrounding area. It is reputed as having an abundant amount of bird life, as well as other interesting flora and fauna.

I started from the parking area along Airport Road in Whitefield. I followed Pondicherry Rail Trail which is also used as a snowmobile trail. There was about 2-3 inches of snow on the ground. There were snowmobile tracks but no active ones while I was on the trail. The parking area is across the street from the noisy Whitefield Power and Light Company plant.

Pondicherry Rail Trail is wide and straight as an arrow and almost completely flat. I walked briskly since the trail was so easy (not to mention my mid-afternoon start). I heard chickadees and a woodpecker. After a while, the trail crosses a stream. Just after the stream, on the left, I saw a bird's nest in a bushy tree. Next, the path crosses under power lines. It looks like snowmobile trails also run alongside the power lines. A while after that, there's a field on the right. After that, another path veers right, but you should just keep going straight. Shortly after that, you'll encounter railroad tracks which mark Waumbek Junction.

At the first track is a little yellow sign warning that this is an active railroad. I think the first track you hit is inactive; but continuing straight across that track, you come to another track that definitely is active so be careful! I read somewhere, and it may have been in reference to this trail, that by some trick of sound, a train can actually sneak up on you. I could hear the drone of the power plant during most of my hike - it was just background noise, not really disruptive - but it sounds similar to what I imagine a distantly approaching train would sound like. So if one can manage to block out the power plant noises, I guess it's feasible that a train could go unnoticed until too late.

Cherry Pond (photo by Webmaster)

Not wanting to take any chances, and not wanting to be looking over my shoulder every few seconds, I walked alongside the active rail line, instead of right on the tracks. I crossed Johns River on a railroad bridge - this waterway connects Cherry Pond and Little Cherry Pond. About 20 yards after the crossing, there's a non-descript path leading off to the right. This path leads to the shore of Cherry Pond, and a short ways along the shore line before rejoining the railroad. Walking along the railbed, the outlet of this path is marked by the small, yellow signs that warn of an active railroad.

From the railroad, is a beautiful, open view of the pond. I could only see a hint of the reported wonderful view of the Presidentials, due to the heavy haze. The pond was iced over and there was a little island. Cattails clung to the island and parts of the shoreline. The little path along the shore is narrow and has a nice, woodsy feel to it, unlike the view from the tracks.

I continued along the tracks until I saw a couple more little yellow signs that clued me in to another rail/trail intersection. I had expected the trail to Little Cherry Pond on the left, but was surprised to see another trail going to the right. The trail on the right is part of the Cohos Trail, marked by the yellow "CT" on a small, brown sign. I followed the trail just to the shore where it seemed to turn left to follow the shoreline. According to the Cohos Trail map, it hugs the shore for a short time and then goes northeast until reaching Turnpike Road in Jefferson. [1/20/2008 update: The Cohos Trail will need to be rerouted due to beaver activity so it may not be accessible for a while.]

Leaving the Cohos Trail for a future day, I went back to the tracks and took the left-hand Little Cherry Pond Loop Trail that leads to Little Cherry Pond. This is a narrow, woodsy trail, with several wet areas - most of which are mitigated by bog bridges. After a short ways, I encountered a small white sign with a left hand arrow on it. This is the start of a loop that touches down to the pond. I headed left and the trail soon veered right, and then straight, on a gradual downhill. After the first glimpse of the pond, bog bridges brought me the rest of the way down to the shoreline, where there was a small platform and an inviting bench.

Little Cherry Pond is pretty too. Without the haze and with bird season in full swing, I imagine this is a remarkable place. Little Cherry Pond has a much wilder, more intimate feel to it than the larger pond. This truly feels like a bog environment with the tamarack and black spruce and heath-type shrubs. It looked like it would be a wet walk if one attempted to skirt the shoreline.

Since it was pretty dark by the time I arrived at Little Cherry Pond, I didn't linger for too long. I headed back up the trail, where I was shortly greeted by another arrow on a small, white sign. Following the sign's suggestion, I headed left to return via the other leg of the loop. This leg is more direct and I was back to the start of the loop in no time; and then from there, I made quick time back to the railroad tracks.

The walk back was uneventful. The path was easy enough and the snow bright enough, that I didn't need to use a flashlight even though darkness had fully descended.

The trail up until Waumbek Junction would be great for cross-country skiing; and the whole trail would be good for jogging.

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NH - Central East

Driving Directions

Follow Rt. 116 East from downtown Whitefield, New Hampshire.
Take a right onto Hazen Road after 1.7 miles (also marked by an airport sign).
After 1.3 miles, turn left onto Airport Road.
Travel another 1.4 miles and trailhead parking will be located on the north side of the road in Whitefield.
To access the parking area, go over a one lane bridge and there's a parking area on the right, right after the bridge.
The trail is straight ahead from the bridge.

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