Hales Pond Woodland Preserve, Fayette

From the trailhead, a half-mile path of surprising softness leads through the woods, joining a 0.5 loop that follows the shoreline before turning inland. The pond is quiet and peaceful, as is this 76-acre Kennebec Land Trust preserve. While the path brings you to the pond’s edge and you could swim, the water is a bit thick with lily pads.

The path to the loop and the path along the shore are both very easy. The inland portion is slightly less so, but still very gentle walking.

Note: When I visited in the fall of 2023, the parking lot was still a bit rough, especially on low-clearance cars. I suspect it wasn’t quite finished?

Directions: From Wayne, take Pond Road north to the four-way intersection with the Berry, Walton, and Richmond Mills Roads. Continue north onto Richmond Mills Road for approximately 1.3 miles. Turn right onto Bamford Pond Road, in 0.3 miles, you’ll see a small parking area and trailhead on the right.