The hike to Rock Pond and Cascade Pond, right near Blue Mountain Lake, brings you into the Blue Ridge Wilderness Area and a scenic lean-to location.
Key takeaways
- Distance: 5.2 miles round trip
- Elevation gain: 720 feet
- Hike includes trail junctions and bridges
Hiking to Rock and Cascade Pond
The trail is wide and well used. You will quickly drop down over an old wood bridge before you start an easy hike to Rock Pond which comes in at around 0.6 miles. From there, continue over a footbridge, and the hike remains easy to moderate, but does go over a small hogback on the way to Cascade Pond. After a short descent, you'll reach a trail junction, where you will take a left (east) to Cascade Pond. Taking a right would bring you along the Crossover Trail to the Grassy Pond trailhead. You will get to the lean-to at 2.6 miles from the trailhead. Continue a bit further for other views of the pond or even further to the Northville-Placid Trail (0.9 miles from lean-to) and Stephens Pond (1.4 miles).
Rock and Cascade Pond in the winter
This trail is accessible in the winter, and could make for a good snowshoe. A cross-country ski of the out-and-back would be tough for beginners and those without backcountry experience. If you decide to attempt this hike in the winter, be prepared for all conditions, take care around frozen bodies of water, and let someone know your plans.
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Fishing and ice fishing
Shore fishing is decent. A footbridge will get you over the divide between Rock Pond and Lake Durant and paths go along the shore to help access a bit of fishing. It is said that there is okay panfish fishing right from the footbridge area so if you want a good time for the kids bring them along. There is no direct boat access, but the pond can be accessed by a small boat from Lake Durant, which is also where you access the lake during ice fishing season.
Paddlers may access Lake Durant and Rock Pond from the Lake Durant Campground Boat Launch (day use fee required) at the eastern end of the water or from a waterway access site on the Cascade Pond trailhead access road. Other waters that may be accessed by paddlers willing to carry their canoe or kayak some distance are Sprague Pond, Cascade Pond, and Stephens Pond.
Cascade Pond is stocked with brook trout. Rock Pond has largemouth bass and tiger muskellunge, with bullhead and panfish.
How to get there
From the intersection of Route 28 and Route 30 in Blue Mountain Lake follow Route 28/30 toward Indian Lake. Continue for just under 1 mile to where CR19 comes in sharply on your right and follow here. Go down CR19 for about 0.25 miles to a dirt road on the left with a sign for Cascade Pond. Drive down this road for about 0.1 miles to the trailhead on the right.