One of our favorite hikes is the Saddleback Spur of the Fly Rod Crosby Trail up at Saddleback. The Saddleback Spur takes you past Rock and Midway Ponds, ultimately crossing the Appalachian Trail and continuing to Madrid. It’s under a mile to Midway Pond. If you’re looking for more, hiking to the AT crossing is 3 miles, and the next trailhead in Madrid is 13 miles. 

Step Back in Time

Pick up the Saddleback Spur trail by continuing past the Saddleback Lodge and following the Rock Pond Road to its end. There’s a pulloff to park, and a kiosk marks the trailhead.

Trail Master Bob Greene, a Saddleback Ski Patroller and resident, has taken the lead in maintaining the Saddleback Spur trail. With his team of volunteers, the trail is open year-round and offers side trails, allowing hikers to make loops depending on their constraints. The High Peaks Alliance and our community would like to say THANK YOU to Bob and his crew! 

The terrain is rocky, rooty, muddy, and mossy as it meanders through dense forest. Within a few steps past the trailhead, you feel entirely removed from the day-to-day. Nature’s sights, sounds, and smells take over.

There are opportunities for birding, fishing, photography, forest bathing, and identifying wildlife tracks, but that’s just a few. 

The first stop is Rock Pond, which is about 0.5 mi in. I once jumped a moose drinking along the shore, and I sneak into Rock Pond now, hoping to catch animals by surprise. It’s a great spot to hike with kids – not too far to hike, just enough to stretch their legs and close by.

Continue another 0.2 mi to spur off to Midway Pond, where a stop at Camp in the Clouds will pull you back in time. A historic chimney stands where a camp stood a hundred years ago on a knoll above Midway. It’s unexpected and pulls you back to when Fly Rod explored this area. 

Usually, after Midway Pond, we start heading back to grab food at the Saddleback Pub! It’s not the distance for me these days but the quality of the time spent in nature.

If you continue, you’ll find the next section of the Saddleback Spur becomes more remote as you approach the AT and even more so if you continue to Madrid. Always be prepared. 

-Amanda Laliberte, Director of Engagement with the HPA