Salt Pond Blueberry Barrens

This place is miraculous. I couldn’t stop taking photos, though none do justice to what you see in person, especially on a clear spring day: an exposed landscape of burgundy barrens and jumbled rocks set against a bright sky and the green-blue waters of Salt Pond. On a different day, in another season, the colors change—green fields filled with berries, or golden mixing with crimson. Even on a muted day, with gray skies and dark waters, it is beautiful.

While community members have done amazing work protecting the 38-acre site from being subdivided and turned into high-end real estate, they are now working to raise the $1.8 million needed to permanently protect the land. Once they do, they’ll turn the barrens over to the Blue Hill Heritage Trust to steward as a public resource. More information is available at their website and on their Facebook (with many beautiful paintings and photos to check out! And where I saw how the scenery changes around the year).

At the moment, you can walk the dirt lanes on the grounds, which connect to unmarked footpaths. There might be more paths than what I found, but I didn’t want to damage bushes by wandering off-route. In my map, one trail heads down to a flat, grassy spit of land that extends into the pond; the other brings you to a large boulder that is like the centerpiece of the property. The boulder is surrounded by flat ledge, creating a nice place to sit.

The walking is fairly easy, with a gentle descent to the tidal saltwater pond. There is no trail infrastructure yet—just a sign asking for support at the main parking lot (April 2026).

On the other side of Route 172, you can drive or walk down a 0.3-mile dirt road to a public boat launch on Carleton Stream, a long stream that drains First, Second, Third, and Fourth Ponds. Below an old dam, the water drops into a churning cascade.

Directions: You can park at a lot just off Route 172, about 0.8 miles east of the intersection with Sedgwick Ridge Road. This area is marked with a large sign asking for support to save the barrens. Additionally, you can park down a short drive a quarter-mile farther east of this main lot (I think this is okay!).