WEST CARRY POND
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
799 West Washington Street
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
(304) 535-6331
This is one of the easier sections of the Appalachian Trail in Maine and it is a very scenic section of trail. The route starts at Long Falls Dam Road where we had a shuttle driver drop us off due to very limited parking. From the gravel road the A.T. climbs immediately then gradually drops down to West Carry Pond and a lean-to bearing the same name after 3.5 miles.
A short distance northbound on the A.T. is Arnold’s Point – named for Colonel Benedict Arnold who led a force of 1,100 Continental Army troops on an expedition from Cambridge in the Province of Massachusetts Bay to the gates of Quebec City. The expedition was part of a two-pronged invasion of the British Province of Quebec, and passed through the wilderness of what is now Maine – crossing the pond at this location.
The Appalachian Trail leaves West Carry Pond after Arnold’s Point and continues on to East Carry Pond where there is a nice beach right on the trail that is perfect for a lunch break. Then 13.5 miles from Long Falls Dam Road the A.T. reached the scenic Pierce Pond and lean-to. Harrison’s Pierce Pond Camps are 0.3 miles away and rent cabins but a reservation is required.
The final section of the trail follows the Pierce Pond Stream as it cascades down the mountain to the Kennebec River. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy provides a canoe ferry at the river but has seasonal hours and you should check with their website before you hike this section. Do not ford this river. Hikers have died trying in the past. The parking area to end this section is across the river and across the highway near the town of Caratunk.
- click to watch a video from our hikes in New England in September 2019
- click to see photos from this backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail in Maine: September 26, 2019
- click to read a trip report from our hike to East and West Carry Pond: September 26, 2019 (password required)
- click to view a trail map of this hike near the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
- click to view an Applachain Trail Map of this section from the Kennebec River to ME 27 (password required)
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- click for links to other outdoor books and magazines
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